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: High‑Medium
Skills Acquired: Kubernetes Ingress + TLS, Terraform VPC Module Architecture, AWS Networking (NAT, IGW, Routing), Interview Preparation
Remaining Skill Gaps:
- EKS cluster provisioning
- IAM roles, policies, and trust relationships
- Grafana dashboards and alerting
- Helm charts
- Deeper CI/CD automation patterns
- More hands‑on troubleshooting practice
Today’s Objective
Today’s objective was to complete the Week 4 Review, evaluate whether the learning plan is still aligned with my goals, and determine whether I need to adjust pacing or priorities for the next week. I also wanted to consolidate everything I learned about Kubernetes Ingress, Terraform VPC modules, and AWS networking. The goal wasn’t to push hard but to reflect, refine, and prepare for the next phase of the journey.
What I Worked On
I focused on three major areas today: Kubernetes cleanup, Terraform module polishing, and preparing for next week’s interview.
1. Kubernetes Cleanup & Documentation
I spent the morning cleaning up my Kubernetes manifests and documenting the architecture. I reorganized YAML files, added comments, and created a simple diagram showing how traffic flows from the external world into the cluster.
Tasks completed:
- Cleaned up Deployment, Service, and Ingress YAML
- Added comments explaining key fields
- Created a traffic flow diagram
- Documented TLS setup and certificate creation
2. Terraform VPC Module Polishing
In the afternoon, I refined my VPC module further. I added validation blocks, improved variable naming, and reorganized the module to match production‑grade patterns.
Key improvements:
- Added variable validation
- Improved tagging for cost allocation
- Added outputs for NAT Gateway and route tables
- Cleaned up unused variables
- Updated README with usage examples
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
This week taught me that consistency is more important than intensity. Kubernetes Ingress finally clicked once I understood how TLS termination works and how Services route traffic internally. Terraform modules became clearer once I focused on structure, validation, and reusability. AWS networking concepts like NAT Gateways and route tables are starting to feel intuitive.
I also 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 + TLS I now understand how Ingress controllers handle HTTPS termination, route traffic, and integrate with Services. This includes generating certificates, creating TLS Secrets, and validating secure routing. Ref: Ingress TLS
- Terraform VPC Module Architecture My VPC module is now structured like a real production IaC repository: reusable, parameterized, validated, and tagged. I added NAT Gateways, route tables, and subnet associations. Ref: Terraform AWS VPC Module
- AWS Networking (NAT, IGW, Routing) I understand how private subnets reach the internet through NAT Gateways, how route tables determine traffic flow, and how IGWs connect VPCs to the outside world. Ref: AWS VPC Overview
- Interview Preparation I practiced STAR stories, refined my “Tell me about yourself” pitch, and reviewed common DevOps troubleshooting scenarios.
Market Observations
I reviewed around 20 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 the end of the week.
Weekly Review
This week was about deepening Kubernetes knowledge and building a stronger foundation in cloud networking. The plan was ambitious, but I made meaningful progress in all key areas. Kubernetes Ingress was a major milestone, and the VPC module refactor improved the quality of my Terraform codebase.
Was the plan worthwhile? Yes. Every hour invested aligned with market demand and strengthened my portfolio.
Should I continue with the plan? Yes, with minor pacing adjustments. Kubernetes and networking require more time than expected, so I’ll delay Grafana and EKS until next week.
Emotionally, this week felt more stable than the previous ones. The learning curve is still steep, but 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.
