Career Dashboard
Current Target Role: Cloud / DevOps Engineer (primary), Platform / MLOps Engineer (secondary)
Original Time-to-Hire Estimate: 3–6 months
Current Time-to-Hire Estimate: 3–5 months
Confidence Level: Medium‑High
Skills Strengthened This Week: Kubernetes Fundamentals (Pods, Deployments, Services), AWS VPC Networking, CI/CD Enhancements, Interview Preparation
Skill Gaps Identified:
- Managed Kubernetes (EKS/GKE)
- IAM policies and least‑privilege design
- Grafana dashboards and alerting
- More hands‑on troubleshooting practice
Today’s Objective
Today’s objective was to reflect on the past week, evaluate whether the learning plan is still aligned with my goals, and determine whether I need to adjust pacing or priorities. I wanted to understand how much progress I made in Kubernetes, networking, and job search preparation. I also wanted to assess whether the emotional and cognitive load of this journey is sustainable. Weekly reviews help me stay grounded and prevent burnout, especially when the learning curve is steep.
What I Worked On
I focused on three major areas today: Kubernetes Ingress, Terraform VPC improvements, and job search follow‑ups.
1. Kubernetes Ingress Setup
I spent the morning configuring an Ingress resource to expose my service through a single entry point. I used the NGINX Ingress Controller and followed a tutorial from the official Kubernetes docs.
Tasks completed:
- Installed the NGINX Ingress Controller
- Created an Ingress resource with path‑based routing
- Updated my Deployment to include readiness and liveness probes
- Verified routing using
curland browser tests
Inline Image Prompt: A terminal window showing kubectl get ingress with an external IP assigned, next to a browser window hitting the service endpoint.
2. Terraform VPC Improvements
In the afternoon, I refined my Terraform VPC configuration. I added tags, improved variable naming, and separated the VPC into its own module. I also experimented with adding a NAT Gateway, though I didn’t fully integrate it yet.
Key improvements:
- Added tagging for cost allocation
- Created a reusable VPC module
- Added outputs for subnet IDs
- Improved route table associations
Inline Image Prompt: A code editor showing a Terraform module folder structure with main.tf, variables.tf, and outputs.tf open side-by-side.
3. Job Search Follow‑Ups
I replied to a recruiter who reached out earlier in the week and scheduled a screening call for next Tuesday. I also applied to two more roles and updated my LinkedIn profile to reflect my Kubernetes progress.
Tasks completed:
- Scheduled screening call
- Updated LinkedIn headline
- Added Kubernetes project to portfolio
- Applied to two new roles
Inline Image Prompt: A LinkedIn profile page open on a laptop, with a highlighted “Open to Work” banner and updated skills section.
What I Learned
This week taught me that Kubernetes becomes more intuitive once you understand how Services, Ingress, and Deployments interact. The mental model is starting to click: Kubernetes is a system of declarative objects that work together to maintain desired state. I also learned that cloud networking is more complex than I expected, but breaking it into smaller pieces—subnets, gateways, routing—makes it manageable.
Another important lesson: job search progress is nonlinear. Some days bring replies, others don’t. The key is to keep applying, keep improving the portfolio, and keep preparing for interviews. Consistency matters more than intensity.
Skills Strengthened This Week:
- Kubernetes Fundamentals (Pods, Deployments, Services): I’m now comfortable deploying workloads, debugging CrashLoopBackOff issues, and understanding how ReplicaSets maintain desired state.
Ref: Kubernetes Deployments - AWS VPC Networking: I’ve built a basic VPC using Terraform with public/private subnets, route tables, and gateways. This is foundational for EKS.
Ref: AWS Subnets - CI/CD Enhancements: My GitHub Actions pipeline now includes linting, security scanning, and Docker build/push steps.
Ref: GitHub Actions - Interview Preparation: I’ve written several STAR stories and reviewed common DevOps interview questions.
Ref: DevOpsCube
Market Observations
I reviewed around 20 job postings today across LinkedIn, Indeed, and a few remote‑friendly boards. 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, incident response)
Occasional Mentions
- MLOps
- Feature stores
- Model deployment pipelines
The market continues to validate my learning path. No pivots needed.
Resources Reviewed
- Kubernetes Ingress Tutorial Ingress-NGINX
- AWS VPC Deep Dive AWS VPC Tutorial
- Terraform VPC Module Examples Terraform AWS VPC Module
- DevOps Interview Questions DevOpsCube
Progress Against Plan
Ahead On
- Kubernetes Ingress
- Terraform VPC module structure
- 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 one. 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 feel solid
- Continue focusing on Kubernetes + Terraform + job search
No major pivots—just realistic pacing.
Next Steps
Over the next few days, I plan to:
- Add TLS to my Kubernetes Ingress
- Continue refining my VPC module
- Prepare for the upcoming screening call
- Apply to 3–5 more roles
- Begin light IAM study (roles, policies, trust relationships)
If time allows, I’ll also explore Helm charts.
Reflection
Three weeks into this journey, I’m starting to feel more grounded. The initial excitement has settled into a steady rhythm of learning, building, and applying. Kubernetes no longer feels like an alien system—it feels like a puzzle I’m slowly solving. The job search is gaining momentum, and the portfolio is becoming more polished. The key now is consistency, patience, and protecting my energy.
