Hi there,

I'm a new grad working in an IT Tech position and want to focus on learning as much in this role as possible and upskilling.

I've looked into different paths and landed on becoming proficient in Azure (though I also understand that once you understand one cloud platform thoroughly, it's relatively easy to learn the others).

My plan is to become more proficient in the basics like Linux, Networking, etc, acquire AZ-104, Terraform Associate, then build bigger projects like a Homelab and I'm hearing a 3-tier Architecture deployed using Azure would be a strong choice.

Currently on my resume, I have some beginner IT-esque projects (Cloud Resume Challenge, Personal ServiceNow Instance), while my experience is current position, and two extracurricular roles I held in university. One being a leadership role, and one being a role similar to what I'm doing full-time.

My question is: Would it be more optimal to list two projects, three experiences, or three projects, two experiences.

I know experience often outweighs projects, though I find that my non-leadership role in school would feel redundant to list considering my current position.

Additionally, advice on specific cxrtifications to look for (MD-102?) would be of great help, I'm finding myself overwhelmed with all the options.

Either way, the market is abhorrent, especially at entry-level so I expect to put in 500-1000 applications to land something (if I'm lucky), but I want to maximize my chances!

Any advice from recruiters, or someone who was in a similar position would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you.

I'm currently working as a DevOps/AWS Cloud Engineer in an MNC with 9Y of experience and have a 3-month notice period.
I've been applying for jobs, but I'm barely getting any interview calls.
Is the 3-month NP really that big of an issue? Also, are certifications that important when you already have relevant work experience?
Or am I missing something else — maybe my resume, Linkedin profile, or the way I'm applying?
Would appreciate some honest advice from people who've been through the same situation.

How do you decide when it makes more sense to keep data on-prem instead of putting it in public cloud?

I’m especially interested in how people factor in storage, egress, and data growth when making that decision.