After 8 years as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer in medical devices, Ana Pedra walked away from a stable career to start over in tech - with zero DevOps experience.
Now she's a Cloud DevSecOps Engineer deploying production systems with Kubernetes across AWS, Azure, and GCP. She's achieved Golden Kubestronaut status and is now helping others make the same transition.

𝗔𝗻𝗮 𝗣𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲:
🔗 DevOps Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/3OJhClW
🔗 DevSecOps Bootcamp: https://bit.ly/46DHB4k

▬▬▬▬▬▬  Thanks Ana Pedra for sharing your journey with the community 💙   ▬▬▬▬▬▬
► Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anapedra/
► Be sure to checkout her Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCKfkLkeesYqXCEHrYEvcTbg 

Her journey: 
→ 2-month career break 
→ intensive learning 
→ first DevOps job within weeks 
→ DevSecOps role at Spitch
→ became Golden Kubestronaut
→ teaching others to do the same

In this interview, Ana breaks down:
→ How she proved her skills without professional experience
→ What actually got her hired (hint: it wasn't just certifications)
→ Her exact interview prep strategy
→ Day-to-day reality of working in DevOps
→ Why starting over was the best decision she ever made

If you're thinking it's too late to switch careers or you need years of experience to break into DevOps - Ana's story proves otherwise.


▬▬▬▬▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ⏰  ▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 Introduction to Ana Pedra & Overview
01:59 Changing Careers after 8 years
07:58 Choosing a Profession in Tech and DevOps
12:31 Learning Strategy
14:35 Interview Challenges
17:17 DevOps bootcamp experience
21:58 Triple Proof Strategy for Securing a Job
28:05 The Job Interview Breakthrough
37:30 Navigating the Job Market as a Junior DevOps Engineer
41:21 Advice for Aspiring DevOps Professionals
44:00 First Days at Work
46:55 Choosing the Right Job for Growth
51:49 Day in the Life of a DevOps Engineer
54:18 Continuous Learning Mindset - DevSecOps
56:19 Your career is not set in stone
58:35 Importance of Intentional Learning (Staying motivated)
01:03:27 Becoming a Golden Kubestronaut and Helping People
01:04:30 Career Timeline Recapped


▬▬▬▬▬▬ 🎙️ PART OF INTERVIEW SERIES 🎙️    ▬▬▬▬▬▬
Link to playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy7NrYWoggjzWeggYOnCigkyu4feE_ADd
This series features in-depth conversations with industry experts like Kelsey Hightower and real career journeys, from people who made it happen, sharing practical insights on learning paths, interview preparation, and day-to-day DevOps work.

I capture real transformation stories from our DevOps bootcamp graduates about building a DevOps career. Hear how people learned Kubernetes, prepared project portfolios, landed multiple job offers, and navigate the evolving landscape of AI in infrastructure. Whether you're considering DevOps or already in the field, these conversations reveal what's actually working.

▬▬▬▬▬▬ Connect with me 👋   ▬▬▬▬▬▬ 
INSTAGRAM             ►  https://bit.ly/2F3LXYJ
TWITTER                   ►  https://bit.ly/3i54PUB
LINKEDIN                  ►  https://bit.ly/3hWOLVT

TechWorld with Nana

Anna Pedra, a former industrial engineer in medical devices, shares her journey switching careers into DevOps with no prior IT background. She outlines a 'triple proof strategy' for breaking into the field: professional cloud certifications (AWS, Azure), structured bootcamp training with hands-on projects, and a strong GitHub portfolio. Despite initial interview failures, she landed her first DevOps role at Swisscom after intense months of simultaneous studying, certifying, and applying. She left after less than a year to pursue more relevant Kubernetes and cloud work, and within two years exceeded her original senior salary. Key insights include why certifications alone are insufficient, how portfolio projects drive interview success, and why choosing the right first job matters for long-term career trajectory. She also achieved Golden Kubestronaut status, becoming the first in Switzerland and first woman in Spain to do so.

She Quit Her Stable Job to Become a DevOps Engineer (And is Now a Golden Kubestronaut)

<p>I’m sorry, WTF is a golden kubestranaut? Is this some kind of industry certification?</p>
