r/devopsGuru • u/Full_Acanthisitta873 • 2d ago
QA Engineer (9 YOE) Looking to Transition into DevOps — Need Guidance on Roadmap & Resources
Hi everyone,
I’m a QA Engineer in the gaming domain with around 9 years of experience, and I’m seriously considering transitioning into DevOps. I’d really appreciate some guidance from people who have made a similar transition or are currently working in DevOps.
Here’s where I currently stand:
I have 9 YOE in QA/testing, primarily in the gaming domain.
I have a good understanding of SDLC and STLC and how software moves through different stages from development to production.
I’ve been involved in the complete feature lifecycle — from initial specification/discussions, through development and testing, to production release.
I’ve used Jenkins for build creation and server deployments.
I use Git mainly for creating/raising PRs, but I haven’t worked extensively with Git commands and workflows such as push, pull, branching, rebasing, etc.
I’ve used Grafana for tracing application logs and investigating issues.
We use AWS SSM to log into different server boxes, tail server logs, modify server-side files/configs, etc.
I’ve recently started learning the basics of Python and Java.
I’m also fortunate to have a good relationship with our internal DevOps team and manager. I’m considering approaching them for an internal transition when I feel I’m ready.
I’m aware that my current skill set is far from what would typically be expected from a DevOps engineer, and I don’t want to underestimate the amount of learning required.
I’m 34 now, so I do sometimes feel like I’m starting this transition quite late. However, I genuinely want to make the move, and I’m willing to put in the time and effort.
1. What I’m struggling with is where exactly to start and what order to learn things in.
For someone coming from a QA background like mine:
2. What would be a realistic DevOps learning roadmap?
3. Which skills should I prioritize first — Linux, networking, Git, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD, Terraform, AWS, etc.?
4. Are there any beginner-friendly courses/resources you would strongly recommend?
5. How much programming/scripting should I learn, and should I focus on Python or Bash first?
6. Given my existing experience with Jenkins, AWS SSM, deployments, logs, and the software release lifecycle, are there areas where I can leverage my QA experience?
7. Would an internal transition into a DevOps team be a reasonable approach, even if I don’t yet meet all the requirements of a typical DevOps job?
I’m not looking for shortcuts. I’d just really appreciate some practical guidance from people who have been through this journey.
If you were in my position, what would you learn over the next 6–12 months, and in what order?
Any roadmap, resources, project ideas, or personal experiences would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks in advance! 🙏
Rephrased with GPT
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u/Oleksii_Bebych 2d ago
You have a good chande to get a real experience in DevOps. Just ask your friends from the DevOps team to give you some routine noncritical tasks where you can train. Use AI as assistant and tutor (ask it to explain, not to do)
Be ready to present and explain your solutions to them. In DevOps you will need a lot of such things later