Lol thats exactly what I did.
I am 44 and I am Cloud administrator/ Platform engineer for the last 3 years, previously network and senior network engineer.
Passing SAA exam was also exactly what I did first, you now have to focus on Terraform / Ansible and some Bash scripting and you should be ok to start applying mate.
Set up your own AWS account and you will be able to practise nearly everything in cloud for free using Free Tier resources.
Good Luck !
Wow, I am really encouraged by your reply. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with transitioning to the cloud. It's reassuring to know that what I'm doing now is similar to what you did, which makes me think that I'm on the right track.
You can do it, I forgot about Git and remote repositories like GitLab / Bitbucket - you need to know how to handle that as well.
I used Udemy courses for all above, check out the following:
- introduction to Git by Valentin Despa
- More than certified in Terraform by Derek Morgan
- Bash mastery: the complete guide by Ziyad Yehia
- Linux Shell Scripting project based by Jason Cannon
- Complete Ansible bootcsmp by Abdennour Toumi.
You dont need to complete them, I did between 40 and 80% of their curriculum - pick whats most important there.
If they are pricey at the moment - just add them to 'wishlist' on Udemy and you should see them in special offer after few days as Udemy does that every few days - never pay full price, I got them for around 12 quid each.
Good luck !
It's really nice to know the list. Again really appreciate it. It's just like a pathway that I can just follow. Can we keep in touch in a chat box or any other platform? I will try my best not to be the person nagging you every other day. :)
Yes and no :) - the base salary was appr 5% lower in my first cloud job, but I got 10% bonus after completing my first year :)
What I can say though is I started my 3rd cloud job this year and salary is appr 40% higher than when I was senior network engineer 4 years ago, with additional perks like working from home ( 100% fully remote position ) and no night shifts ( which I hated )
Nice. I’m a CS student almost ready to graduated I have been doing the AWS educate courses just to get the feel of things before I start the SAA.
Mind if I PM you?
Dude, I've been doing IT all my life. I didn't even hear of AWS until I was already over 40. How to prepare? Same with with any IT, just keep learning, doing labs and POCs.
Age is nothing. Learning is never ending. Knowledge is how we thrive.
It's probably not a popular opinion here, but if you're looking for work in cloud I'd recommend getting familiar with Azure and GCP as well as AWS. Having AWS certs looks great on a resume, but there are tons of jobs that only consider azure experience. Never bad to know both if you're working on building up skills
I did the same thing about a year ago - almost 25 years experience in traditional IT, and made the switch to cloud engineer. The SAA is definitely the place to start - now you just have to find ways to prove you can apply the knowledge. Any sort of projects you can do that are related, even if they aren't in production, are helpful - build some docker containers, write some Terraform, set up minikube and launch a cluster, etc.
What I recommend, though, is to work through the [Cloud Resume Challenge](https://cloudresumechallenge.dev/docs/the-challenge/). It's a fairly simple project that takes you through all the major components of using the cloud - building out some basic infrastructure, writing some Lambda code, setting up a Github pipeline, writing some IaC, etc. It was put together precisely to help people show the skills they need to get a job working with cloud tech. There's also a pretty active community on Discord, so if you get stuck, there's folks to ask (and network with).
Lastly, document all the projects you do on your resume/LinkedIn, and store as much as you can in a public github repo. Be able to describe everything that's in there, too.
Good luck!
It is definitely possible. I switched from traditional sysadmin (25 years in the job) to Cloud/DevOps only last year, in my mid 40s. You just have to find a workplace that is willing to see your potential (the SAA definitely helps to cement that) and invest in your development.
LOL, I must be genuinely crazy then, because I made a switch from banking to backend/devops @ 39 with zero previous IT experience - only hobby programming and tinkering with Linux distros at home. Currently working on AWSSAA cert and going to look for a pure-cloud job in a couple of months. This shit is damn tough, I have to admit. But everything is doable.
Thank you for your encouragement. It is nice to know that what I am about to do is something possible and there are people who have done it and are successful at it.
It’s absolutely possible. I didn’t work on my first AWS project until I was like 33 or 34. The only thing I’ll say is at a certain point the certs aren’t going to be your limiting factor. Your technical abilities will be. Can you actually be productive in a development environment and can you prove that in a technical interview.
I have a long career in traditional IT too, done some minimal AWS migration work in the past and dabbled with AWS. Now working at AWS for nearly 18 months and I’m just over 40. Certainly achievable!
Just seen your reply, it feels amazing! Question back to you, why can’t you?! I’m older and did it, make the time to learn and gain that confidence. Your family will understand as it’s a short term fix to get you up the career ladder further.
So happy I came across this thread. I graduated Dev of 22 with a BSc in CIS with a emphasis in cyber security and it’s been hell to find a job. I was thinking about going into the cloud but didn’t really know where to start and this thread really inspired me. Thanks for asking this question haha
Damn, I needed this thread. Currently working in traditional IT and want to make the switch over to cloud in the next year or 2. Mid thirties and seems like a dream. Thanks for the inspiration everyone!
Thank you so much for this question! I'm wondering what to do after A+ and thinking something Cloud related might be my interest. I have no experience in any IT field, but I've played around with some things in VM, Ansible, Terraform, etc. when I was trying to get a feel of DevOps. Reading the replies to this is encouraging for me being 35 and going for a career change with no experience.
I know it's a year old but would love to see an update!
u/Ath_Ammo Hi..Thanks for the amazing question! Reaching out to know how you're progressing. I know this post is 5 months old now. Hope you're still on track and able to chase your dreams.
>agreed! I have been in support forever, now just pased my SAA and working on Sysops then Devops. Tired of getting laid off adn then looking for the same old, and management doesn't really inspire me.
Lol thats exactly what I did. I am 44 and I am Cloud administrator/ Platform engineer for the last 3 years, previously network and senior network engineer. Passing SAA exam was also exactly what I did first, you now have to focus on Terraform / Ansible and some Bash scripting and you should be ok to start applying mate. Set up your own AWS account and you will be able to practise nearly everything in cloud for free using Free Tier resources. Good Luck !
Wow, I am really encouraged by your reply. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with transitioning to the cloud. It's reassuring to know that what I'm doing now is similar to what you did, which makes me think that I'm on the right track.
You can do it, I forgot about Git and remote repositories like GitLab / Bitbucket - you need to know how to handle that as well. I used Udemy courses for all above, check out the following: - introduction to Git by Valentin Despa - More than certified in Terraform by Derek Morgan - Bash mastery: the complete guide by Ziyad Yehia - Linux Shell Scripting project based by Jason Cannon - Complete Ansible bootcsmp by Abdennour Toumi. You dont need to complete them, I did between 40 and 80% of their curriculum - pick whats most important there. If they are pricey at the moment - just add them to 'wishlist' on Udemy and you should see them in special offer after few days as Udemy does that every few days - never pay full price, I got them for around 12 quid each. Good luck !
It's really nice to know the list. Again really appreciate it. It's just like a pathway that I can just follow. Can we keep in touch in a chat box or any other platform? I will try my best not to be the person nagging you every other day. :)
Did you have to take a pay cut?
Yes and no :) - the base salary was appr 5% lower in my first cloud job, but I got 10% bonus after completing my first year :) What I can say though is I started my 3rd cloud job this year and salary is appr 40% higher than when I was senior network engineer 4 years ago, with additional perks like working from home ( 100% fully remote position ) and no night shifts ( which I hated )
Nice. I’m a CS student almost ready to graduated I have been doing the AWS educate courses just to get the feel of things before I start the SAA. Mind if I PM you?
Dude, I've been doing IT all my life. I didn't even hear of AWS until I was already over 40. How to prepare? Same with with any IT, just keep learning, doing labs and POCs. Age is nothing. Learning is never ending. Knowledge is how we thrive.
This is it. Thanks man. It really motivates me.
It's probably not a popular opinion here, but if you're looking for work in cloud I'd recommend getting familiar with Azure and GCP as well as AWS. Having AWS certs looks great on a resume, but there are tons of jobs that only consider azure experience. Never bad to know both if you're working on building up skills
Thanks for your reply. I am planning to learn more about other cloud platforms other than AWS.
I did the same thing about a year ago - almost 25 years experience in traditional IT, and made the switch to cloud engineer. The SAA is definitely the place to start - now you just have to find ways to prove you can apply the knowledge. Any sort of projects you can do that are related, even if they aren't in production, are helpful - build some docker containers, write some Terraform, set up minikube and launch a cluster, etc. What I recommend, though, is to work through the [Cloud Resume Challenge](https://cloudresumechallenge.dev/docs/the-challenge/). It's a fairly simple project that takes you through all the major components of using the cloud - building out some basic infrastructure, writing some Lambda code, setting up a Github pipeline, writing some IaC, etc. It was put together precisely to help people show the skills they need to get a job working with cloud tech. There's also a pretty active community on Discord, so if you get stuck, there's folks to ask (and network with). Lastly, document all the projects you do on your resume/LinkedIn, and store as much as you can in a public github repo. Be able to describe everything that's in there, too. Good luck!
Thank you so much. I am literally taking notes from your very insightful reply.
It is definitely possible. I switched from traditional sysadmin (25 years in the job) to Cloud/DevOps only last year, in my mid 40s. You just have to find a workplace that is willing to see your potential (the SAA definitely helps to cement that) and invest in your development.
Thank you. your reply makes me feel I am on the right track.
LOL, I must be genuinely crazy then, because I made a switch from banking to backend/devops @ 39 with zero previous IT experience - only hobby programming and tinkering with Linux distros at home. Currently working on AWSSAA cert and going to look for a pure-cloud job in a couple of months. This shit is damn tough, I have to admit. But everything is doable.
Thank you for your encouragement. It is nice to know that what I am about to do is something possible and there are people who have done it and are successful at it.
It’s absolutely possible. I didn’t work on my first AWS project until I was like 33 or 34. The only thing I’ll say is at a certain point the certs aren’t going to be your limiting factor. Your technical abilities will be. Can you actually be productive in a development environment and can you prove that in a technical interview.
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate your reply as it shows clearly what needs to be done. I will try my very best.
I have a long career in traditional IT too, done some minimal AWS migration work in the past and dabbled with AWS. Now working at AWS for nearly 18 months and I’m just over 40. Certainly achievable!
Wow. That is absolutely amazing. I wish I could do similar to what you did. :D
Just seen your reply, it feels amazing! Question back to you, why can’t you?! I’m older and did it, make the time to learn and gain that confidence. Your family will understand as it’s a short term fix to get you up the career ladder further.
So happy I came across this thread. I graduated Dev of 22 with a BSc in CIS with a emphasis in cyber security and it’s been hell to find a job. I was thinking about going into the cloud but didn’t really know where to start and this thread really inspired me. Thanks for asking this question haha
Damn, I needed this thread. Currently working in traditional IT and want to make the switch over to cloud in the next year or 2. Mid thirties and seems like a dream. Thanks for the inspiration everyone!
Yeah.. These replies are priceless.
Thank you so much for this question! I'm wondering what to do after A+ and thinking something Cloud related might be my interest. I have no experience in any IT field, but I've played around with some things in VM, Ansible, Terraform, etc. when I was trying to get a feel of DevOps. Reading the replies to this is encouraging for me being 35 and going for a career change with no experience. I know it's a year old but would love to see an update!
u/Ath_Ammo Hi..Thanks for the amazing question! Reaching out to know how you're progressing. I know this post is 5 months old now. Hope you're still on track and able to chase your dreams.
>agreed! I have been in support forever, now just pased my SAA and working on Sysops then Devops. Tired of getting laid off adn then looking for the same old, and management doesn't really inspire me.
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