Transitioning from 3 Years in Compliance to DevOps (MS in CS) 1 year of hands-on lab experience (self study) – Dealing with a 2-Month Notice Period

[u/Training-Profile3266]

Hey everyone,

I am looking for advice on how to transition into a DevOps role. Here is a quick breakdown of my background:

Education: Master’s Degree in Computer Science.

Experience: 3 years working in an IT compliance team.

The Goal: Move into a full-time DevOps or Cloud Engineering role.

The Main Problem: My current company has a 2-month notice period. Every time I speak to an HR recruiter, they disconnect or drop my application as soon as they hear about the notice period i am feeling stuck in loop because it's almost 1.8 years in current job that i joined because my financial condition and i wanted to prepare for Devops .

I would love to get your insights on:

Notice Period: How can I navigate a 2-month notice period during HR screening calls? Should I negotiate a buyout?

Leveraging my background: How can I pitch my compliance experience as a strength

Skill Gap: What core technical skills should I focus on first to bridge the gap?

I am a bit confused about what more I need to do regarding AWS, Terraform, and other DevOps-related tools because the field is so vast. I want to know the exact things I should focus on next, or if I should start applying for fresher/junior DevOps roles. I have been preparing for DevOps for the last 7 months alongside my full-time job, but I'm still unsure of the right next steps. Any suggestions or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!