I’m interested in the DevOps side of things and I'm torn between focusing on Python or AWS first. Which one provides a better foundation for the American market? I want to eventually work in automation, so I’m trying to figure out if it’s better to understand the cloud infrastructure first or the programming language used to control it.
3 answers
For the fastest entry into the field, I recommend starting with AWS. It allows you to understand the "where" and "what" of modern computing. Once you understand how a server, a database, and a network interact in the cloud, learning Python becomes much more meaningful because you have a target for your scripts. In the US, many "Cloud Support" roles require AWS knowledge but only basic scripting. You can get one of these roles first, start earning a good salary, and then master Python on the job to move into a more advanced Cloud Engineer or DevOps position later.
Donna, if I go the AWS route first, will I struggle with the "Infrastructure as Code" tools like CloudFormation or Terraform without a background in coding?
I started with Python and felt lost until I learned AWS. Knowing how to code is great, but you need to know the environment you are coding for.
Lisa makes a great point. Andrew Wilson, if you want that "fast pay" you asked about, AWS gives you a concrete skill you can put on a resume immediately. Python is a long-term journey, but Cloud is a destination you can reach relatively quickly with focused study.
Kevin, not necessarily! Tools like Terraform use HCL, which is a declarative language and much easier to pick up than a full programming language like Python. If you start with your AWS practitioner knowledge, you'll already know what an "EC2 instance" is. Then, using Terraform to launch one is just a matter of learning the syntax. Most American bootcamps actually teach it in this order because it builds confidence much faster than staring at Python logic for weeks.