Career Dashboard
Current Target Role: Cloud / DevOps Engineer (primary), Platform / MLOps Engineer (secondary)
Original Time-to-Hire Estimate: 3–6 months
Updated Time-to-Hire Estimate: 3–5 months
Confidence Level: Medium‑High
Skills Acquired: Kubernetes Ingress + Probes, Terraform VPC Module Architecture, AWS Networking (NAT, IGW, Routing), Interview Preparation
Remaining Skill Gaps:
- Deeper CI/CD automation patterns
- EKS cluster provisioning
- IAM roles, policies, and trust relationships
- Grafana dashboards and alerting
- Helm charts
Today’s Objective
Today’s objective was to evaluate mid‑week progress, refine the Terraform VPC module, and prepare for the upcoming recruiter screening call. I also wanted to deepen my Kubernetes understanding by experimenting with Ingress TLS and reviewing how traffic flows from the external world into the cluster. The goal wasn’t to finish everything but to maintain momentum and ensure the learning path remains aligned with job market expectations.
What I Worked On
I focused on three major areas today: Kubernetes Ingress TLS, Terraform VPC enhancements, and interview preparation.
1. Kubernetes Ingress TLS Setup
I spent the morning adding TLS to my Kubernetes Ingress using a self‑signed certificate. This helped me understand how Ingress controllers handle HTTPS termination.
Tasks completed:
- Generated a self‑signed certificate
- Created a Kubernetes Secret for TLS
- Updated the Ingress resource to use HTTPS
- Verified secure routing using
curl -k
2. Terraform VPC Enhancements
In the afternoon, I refined my VPC module further. I added NAT Gateway support, improved variable validation, and reorganized the module to match production‑grade patterns.
Key improvements:
- Added NAT Gateway + Elastic IP
- Created separate route tables for public/private subnets
- Added variable validation blocks
- Improved tagging for cost allocation
- Added outputs for NAT Gateway and route tables
3. Interview Preparation
I reviewed common DevOps troubleshooting scenarios and practiced explaining them clearly. I also rehearsed my STAR stories and prepared a concise summary of my recent projects.
Tasks completed:
- Practiced explaining Kubernetes Deployments
- Reviewed VPC routing scenarios
- Prepared answers for “Tell me about yourself”
- Rehearsed STAR stories for incidents and outages
What I Learned
Today I learned that Kubernetes Ingress becomes much clearer once you understand how TLS termination works. The Ingress controller handles the certificate, decrypts traffic, and forwards it to the appropriate Service. This clarified the mental model of how traffic flows through the cluster.
I also learned that Terraform modules benefit from strict structure. Adding validation blocks and outputs made the module feel more professional and easier to reuse. Networking concepts like NAT Gateways and route tables are starting to feel more intuitive.
Finally, I learned that interview preparation is less about memorizing answers and more about telling clear, structured stories. STAR stories help me stay calm and focused.
Skills Acquired
- Kubernetes Ingress + Probes I now understand how Ingress controllers route traffic and how readiness/liveness probes help Kubernetes determine pod health. Ref: Kubernetes Ingress
- Terraform VPC Module Architecture My VPC module is now reusable, parameterized, and structured like a real production IaC repository. Ref: Terraform AWS VPC Module
- AWS Networking (NAT, IGW, Routing) I learned how NAT Gateways allow private subnets to reach the internet and how route tables determine traffic flow. Ref: AWS NAT Overview
- Interview Preparation I practiced STAR stories, reviewed troubleshooting scenarios, and prepared for my upcoming screening call.
Market Observations
I reviewed around 18 job postings today. The patterns remain consistent:
Most Common Requirements
- Kubernetes (EKS/GKE)
- Terraform
- CI/CD pipelines
- AWS or GCP
- Docker
Increasingly Common
- Observability (Prometheus, Grafana)
- GitOps (ArgoCD)
- SRE practices (SLIs, SLOs)
Occasional Mentions
- MLOps
- Feature stores
- Model deployment pipelines
The market continues to validate my learning path. No pivots needed.
Resources Reviewed
- Kubernetes Ingress TLS Guide Ingress TLS
- AWS NAT Gateway Overview AWS NAT Documentation
- Terraform VPC Module Examples Terraform AWS VPC Module
- DevOps Interview Questions DevOpsCube
Progress Against Plan
Ahead On
- Kubernetes Ingress TLS
- Terraform VPC module improvements
- Interview preparation
On Track For
- Job applications
- Kubernetes debugging practice
Behind On
- Grafana dashboards
- IAM deep dive
- EKS experimentation
Overall, I’m slightly ahead of where I expected to be by mid‑week.
Mid‑Week Progress
This mid‑week check shows that the plan is working, but the pacing needs small adjustments. Kubernetes and networking require more time than expected, but the progress feels meaningful. The Terraform VPC module is becoming more polished, and the Ingress TLS setup was a major milestone.
Should I continue with the weekly plan? Yes.
Should I adjust anything? Yes—delay Grafana and EKS until networking fundamentals feel solid.
Emotionally, this week feels more stable than the previous ones. I’m finding a rhythm.
Strategy Changes
- Delay Grafana dashboards to next week
- Delay EKS until networking fundamentals are stronger
- Continue focusing on Kubernetes + Terraform + job search
No major pivots—just realistic pacing.
Next Steps
Over the next few days, I plan to:
- Add path‑based routing to my Ingress
- Continue refining my VPC module
- Prepare for the upcoming screening call
- Apply to 3–5 more roles
- Begin IAM fundamentals (roles, policies, trust relationships)
If time allows, I’ll explore Helm charts.
Reflection
Four weeks into this journey, I’m starting to feel more confident. Kubernetes no longer feels overwhelming—it feels like a system I can reason about. Terraform is becoming second nature, and AWS networking is slowly clicking. The job search is gaining momentum, and the portfolio is becoming more polished. The key now is consistency, patience, and protecting my energy.
