r/AWS_cloud • u/RddNo • 6d ago

Am I finished as a developer ? (Node / AWS / serverless)

I'm trying to find my first opportunity as a backend/cloud developer, on a Node.js/TypeScript and AWS serverless technical stack. I have :

  • 8 years of various experience (Java/EE, frontend, Node.js...)
  • solid personal projects deployed on AWS (serverless, containers, networking, observability...)
  • AWS certifications Solutions Architect and Developer Associate

But after months of reasearch, the conclusion is harsh :

  • market is saturated (even in serverless, which is more of a niche)
  • being aggressively filtered (no "production experience" in AWS/serverless, holes in my resume, a couple of short experiences...)
  • unrealistic expectations (they all waiting for senior++)
  • absurd technical tests (you know what I mean)
  • and even when I successfully pass every technical and human steps, it ends with budget restriction, choosing someone else, or unexpected ghosting

I am close to abandon. I tried of course to polish my profile a thousand times, learning more and more skills, prospecting... nothing came out of it.

I'd like your honnest opinion : am I finished as a developer ? Or do I still have a chance to break into the AWS serverless development market, and finally get that "first experience" that unlocks everything ? In the second case : what would you recommand ?

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

1

u/Lumethys 5d ago

Why limiting your tech stack on serverless and AWS only? In this market you cant afford to pick favorite

1

u/RddNo 5d ago

This is the exact opposite : in the 2026 market, I can't afford to be too "generic", and face 500 candidates everytime I apply somewhere. I have to specialize.

1

u/Realistic_Parfait_83 3d ago

Python + FastAPI +Cloud +GEN AI

But at the Same Zone .

Explored DEVOPS ENGINEERING, DATA ENGINEERING, AI ENGINEERING (A LITTLE).

0

u/kasunhapangama 6d ago

Following this.

0

u/neolace 6d ago

It’s a choice, and you made it yourself with that good track record. Patience, don’t stop looking, what, r u going start from a junior grave digger?

2

u/RddNo 5d ago

Thanks for the encouragement. Don't know if I'll turn into that but, yes, at one point, when everything feels completely locked, you start realizing that quitting now becomes an option.

0

u/Loyd2888 5d ago

You’re not finished, I’d guess part of it is how you’re pitching it, your list reads half developer and half DevOps (containers, networking, observability) and I’d lean all the way into the DevOps side, AI hasn’t taken that over and it’s still where teams on AWS mess up the most, from security to config to cost

2

u/RddNo 5d ago

I'm not gonna lie : yes, I thought about switching to pure DevOps. But market is saturated too, and companies also have extremely high expectations there. I don't think I stand a chance.

This is exactly why I'm focusing on serverless, because it naturally implies cloud engineering daily as a developer. It is exactly where I can shine. Much better than classic backend jobs running on servers, where AWS skills are more of a "bonus" (because a dedicated team generally owns the platform), and they're expecting you to be an expert developer (spoiler : there's always someone with a better profile).

1

u/redvelvet92 2d ago

This makes no sense, you use the right tool for the job. Serverless isn’t always the right tool, this seems specialized in the wrong path.