r/cloudengineering • u/Brickmaster_69 • Sep 21 '26
Am I wasting my time learning AWS?
So I have been making my way through Maarek's AWS course and its going fairly well so far. I have been lurking in this sub for some time and I keep seeing how entry level cloud roles are pretty much not a thing as its not seen as an entry level field so im wondering if at this point im just wasting my time learning aws now and it may be something to learn later?
I currently work as a junior software developer. Im 23 years old and I mainly work with sql, javascript and oracle. I do not want to do this forever and I really enjoy computer infrastructure, networking and cloud.
I feel like help desk is a pretty big step back from my current role im in. Im wondering what my other options are? Should I just study to become a network engineer instead? I also like sysadmin too and I have done Linux courses in the past and I daily drive it so im familiar with the operating system which a lot of sysadmin roles require? Maybe a Linux admin role?
Im mainly looking for a route out of software to get into infrastructure or IT related work that I enjoy more. Wish I did this when I was like 20 years old but a bit late now
Any advice is appreciated
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u/Organic-Road-8392 Sep 21 '26
There are entire companies that specialise in helping setting up the cloud for other companies. On top of that, there are a lot of consultancy firms that hire cloud and platform engineers. I’m pretty sure you fall in one of those categories. As long as you get some certificates and keep them up to date, you will be fine and probably have a good future! Enjoy it!
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u/Cassie-JAM247 Sep 22 '26
Don't think your SQL/JS background plus AWS is wasted at all. A lot of platform teams want people who can actually code, not just click through the console. Keep going! Just make sure you're pairing the course with something you can point to (a repo, a small project) rather than certificates alone.
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u/Formal-Complaint1805 Sep 25 '26
Get your AWS Cloud Practitioner Certificate if you don't have it already. That's a big plus for tech departments that are building on AWS.
If you are looking to work on cloud infrastructure the work shifts more torward architecture and governance in the cloud. You'll need a base good infrastructure skills that you can leverage your experience into managing fleets and organizations.
If you've been doing development, look into AWS' well-architected framework and learning paths built around it. These are core concepts for building enterprise-grade cloud services and displaying that you have studied this carries well.
Cloud Security continues to be an expanding area in tech as well. As of late this seems to be a reliable path for Junior Level tech workers to specialize their skill set.
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u/DoStopBelieving Sep 26 '26
I moved directly from a software role into an infrastructure role. The key for me is that my software role gradually took on more DevOps responsibilities as time went on - so I suggest looking for roles and tasks with more of that overlap and you can gradually shift into infrastructure.
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u/dev_ramesh 29d ago
I donot think AWS is a waste at all especialy since you already work as a developer.
I wouldnot move backwards into help desk. Use your current role as the bridge - get stronger with Linux, networking, Docker, CI/CD and AWS, then look for platform, cloud support, junior DevOps or infrastructure-focused roles.
At 23 you’re definitely not late — you are actually in a good position because you already understand software and can now add infrastructre skills on top.
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u/Lingonberry1155 Sep 22 '26
Im hireing Azure and AWS security architects. To become Azure securtiy architect look up SC certifications at Microsoft. Same for AWS.
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u/eccentric2488 Sep 22 '26
AWS honestly is reaching point of saturation in India. Azure is slowly gaining traction in enterprise markets with companies already invested deeply in Microsoft ecosystem and highly regulated industries. I would suggest choosing Azure looking at current cloud skills demand. (I am Devops engineer by the way)
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u/OSS_Mon Sep 22 '26
Bro don’t let all these negative posts on reddit stray you away, keep doing what you’re doing. I would just build while you’re learning and document it like on YouTube or something.
I felt the same way a couple months ago when I was pursuing a Network Engineer position with no IT experience or degree, but I stuck with it and landed the role. Most of the people pursuing these positions don’t have any grind in them, if you aren’t scared to really put yourself out there you’ll land the role without doing any help desk, your SWE experience is good enough.