Learning DevOps as a Computer Engineering Grad...

Sandy — Sun, 26 Jul 2026 20:28:27 +0000

Late that night which was two weeks to my final year project defense, I stared at the ceiling thinking about life after school.
As a Nigerian, the reality of the economy hits differently from what you imagine. I questioned why I chose to study Computer Engineering only to finish with no jobs and no internships afterwards. And one thing, I knew was that I wanted to work in tech, but I was confused about which particular skill to focus on, since I've been learning Python for a while with no clear direction.
Then one day I came across a post on X from a popular influencer sharing a TS Academy scholarship opportunity. I clicked it and applied. Just like that, no long research, no consulting anyone.
Few days later I got a mail that I've been selected but there was an application fee.
That's where I paused. The Nigerian in me thought anything scholarship is free😂😂, The thought of spending my hard-earned money on something I wasn't sure about but something told me to take the leap so I paid.
Few days later I got another email, this one was a email for successful payment with full details and start date.
Boom! That's how I chose DevOps. They was no plan, no careful research, it just started with one post, one click and one leap of faith.
I did mention it to someone after though. A senior friend. His response?
"Have you registered?"
I said yes.
"You shouldn't have. The job market is so tight."
My chest couldn't contain that. But I'd already paid so I went ahead anyway.
Shortly after graduation I started learning. And I won't lie, there were times I asked myself
why I chose this 😂
Linux commands. Git. AWS. Terraform. Ansible. CI/CD. Docker. Kubernetes. Monitoring tools.
Each one felt like a wall and I had to climb every single one.
I completed my first project on Bash scripting, second on AWS deployment. And right now I'm in the middle of my capstone Project Phoenix. The deadline passed but I still have a month of grace. Lucky me 😂
In between I stepped away for about a month to work as WACE ad-hoc staff, you do what you have to do to keep going. But I'm back now and picking up right where I left off.
This is the beginning of me documenting this journey publicly. The grind, the gaps, the growth all of it. Not because I have it figured out. But because someone out there is staring at the same ceiling I was.
Stay tuned.

DEV Community: Sandy

Learning DevOps as a Computer Engineering Grad...