From Full-Stack to DevOps Engineer: Mauricio's Journey to Working at Brazil's Largest Bank
- Nana Janashia
- Jul 29
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Mauricio shares how he transitioned from full-stack developement to landing a devops engineer role in just 7 months
Meet Mauricio 👋
Hi, I’m Mauricio from Brazil. I'm working as a DevOps Engineer in a consultancy engagement with Santander, one of Brazil’s largest banks, focusing on delivery CI/CD pipelines.
Here's my full journey from full-stack developer at a small startup to landing a DevOps engineer role 👇
The Beginning: When You Volunteer for the Unknown
Mauricio had been working as a full-stack developer at a small Brazilian startup with less than 10 developers for about a year when he saw an opportunity.
The company was building new microservices, and someone needed to handle the DevOps work.
Instead of waiting to be asked, Mauricio stepped up.
"I volunteered to take on the DevOps responsibilities. Even though I didn't have prior experience, my boss trusted that I could handle it.
"My boss said, 'I know you are a junior in this role, but I believe in you. If you study a lot, I will help you become the DevOps engineer of our company.'"
There was just one problem: I had never done DevOps before. But from that point I started to study the technologies.
The skills I needed to learn were Docker, AWS, and Terraform.
I was a developer working with Node.js backend and React frontend, the applications needed to be containerized with Docker - so I had to learn that. And then I needed to figure out where to deploy these Docker images, which meant learning AWS and automating it with Terraform.
It was about survival - I needed to learn these technologies to keep doing my job.
When I first saw Terraform code, I thought "What is this? It's completely different from Node.js code."
But here's the interesting part - Mauricio didn't initially want to become a DevOps engineer.
In the beginning I believed that if I study more technologies like Docker and Terraform, I would be a better developer.
But after that I changed my mind and wanted to be a DevOps engineer.
So probably this was a mind shift when I started to study some DevOps technologies.
The Learning Journey: Finding Structure in the Chaos
Like many developers, Mauricio started with YouTube tutorials and documentation.
But he quickly realized that random learning wasn't going to cut it.
"If you don't have a structured study plan, it will take you much longer. So if someone has already prepared the material in a clear, organized way, why not take advantage of it? Buying courses helps me reach my goals faster."
After trying a national cloud bootcamp that solved my immediate work problems, I recognized I needed more comprehensive training for long-term career growth.
"The Brazilian bootcamp covered important tools like Docker, Terraform, Jenkins only at a basic level. It was focused on cloud, like AWS and Azure."
In July 2024 I enrolled into TechWorld with Nana's DevOps Bootcamp.
I already knew Nana from her Youtube videos, which stand out to me in how she explains topics in a simple way.
The way she speaks English both in terms of speech and depth of explanation sets her apart from other instructors. I always came back to her channel and searched for new DevOps topic I needed to learn.
“Unfortunately, it took some time to discover she has a bootcamp.”
What attracted me?
Clear English explanations: The way she speaks English - I understand almost everything
Visual learning: The animations that her team make are really impressive and helps in understanding
Comprehensive curriculum: I studied the curriculum, and it was clear that it's more intense and has more projects
Putting Knowledge to Work: Real Projects, Real Results
While studying, Mauricio immediately applied everything to his startup's projects:
Built Terraform recipes for microservices
Created Dockerfiles and deployment processes
Set up CI/CD pipelines
Deployed applications to AWS from scratch
"It was really exciting to build all the technologies. The code was only on my computer, and I made all the process... seeing it working in the cloud. That changed my mind that DevOps is better than traditional development for me."
His philosophy became:
“Don't wait for your boss to give you tasks you can't handle. Instead, study ahead of time so you can show you're already ready for bigger challenges.”
The Breakthrough: Landing a Role at Santander
Q: Take us back to the interview process. How did you get the job?
I got the interview, because a recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn. I didn't apply for the position myself.
Q: Wait, what? We need more details on how that happened!
Sure! I focused on using relevant keywords in key sections like the headline, about, and experiences.
In the experience section, I tried to highlight the value I delivered and the technologies I used in each project. For those who find it hard to write, using AI tools can be a good starting point to unblock ideas, just make sure to personalize the output afterward.
In addition, for a while, I actively expanded my network by:
Connecting with many recruiters
Engaging with posts
And publishing some of my own content to increase my SSI score.
Editor's Note:
"SSI score" typically refers to Social Selling Index (SSI) — a metric developed by LinkedIn to measure how effectively someone is using LinkedIn to build relationships.
What does the SSI score measure?
LinkedIn’s SSI score ranges from 0 to 100 and is based on four pillars:
1) Establish your professional brand
- Completing your profile with customer-centric content.
- Sharing relevant updates and posts regularly.
2) Find the right people
Using LinkedIn search tools effectively to find prospects or connections.
3) Engage with insights
Sharing and commenting on posts, articles, and engaging in meaningful conversations.
4) Build relationships
Growing your network with decision-makers and maintaining strong professional relationships.
How to check your SSI score:
You can check your SSI score (if you're logged into LinkedIn) here:
🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/sales/ssi
Nowadays, if I stay active on the platform, I tend to get approached by recruiters almost every week.
However, not all opportunities are a good match for my profile, so landing quality interviews is still a challenge.
On the other hand, when I’m less active, the number of messages drops noticeably.
"To summarize, what really made a difference for me wasn’t just updating my profile. It was consistently showing up and engaging with the platform."
Editor's Note:
Be sure to check out his LinkedIn profile as a best practice.
Apparently it works :)
Once he landed the interview, the technical process itself included:
HR interview
Technical challenge: Building a CI/CD pipeline in GitHub Actions for a TypeScript application
Requirements: SonarQube integration, manual approval for deployment, email notifications for step failures
The deadline for delivery was 2 days, followed by a technical interview to discuss the challenge.
Q: What helped you most in the interview?
The HR interview wasn’t too difficult, because I had been doing several interviews around that time, so I was well-practiced.
For the technical interview, what really helped me was having time to study between submitting the challenge and the interview itself.
I could dive deeper into topics beyond the challenge and discuss possible pipeline improvements with the interviewer.
But here's the key:
"The technical challenge was exactly what the bootcamp had prepared me for. Building multiple real-life CI/CD pipelines, setting up deployment workflows - these were all core topics I'd practiced extensively in the DevOps Bootcamp."
Life at Brazil's Largest Bank: The Real Work
Q: What do you do every day at work now?
"I work on developing CI/CD pipelines, mainly for migrating applications from clients to the bank's infrastructure."
His key achievements at work so far:
🟡 Maintained and optimized CI/CD pipelines in GitHub Actions by identifying failure points and reducing execution time through job parallelization using matrix strategies.
🟡 Validated CI workflows across multiple tech stacks (Node.js, Java, .NET Core, and Python) by fixing build errors, improving test execution, and implementing missing steps for generating release artifacts.
🟡 Maintained security and quality gates in CI by troubleshooting and ensuring SonarQube and Fortify scans ran reliably, enabling early detection of vulnerabilities in over 90% of pull requests.
🟡 Managed CD pipelines targeting Kubernetes clusters in OpenShift, IaaS deployments on AWS, and serverless environments like AWS Lambda and S3, supporting delivery strategies.
🟡 Built reusable GitHub Actions workflows that enabled consistent CI/CD practices and simplified setup for new projects.
"Besides these technologies, I feel I’ve greatly improved my ability to read logs and debug the countless issues that arise during pipeline runs. I didn’t value this skill much before, but I can now see how impactful it can be."
Q: Did the bootcamp prepare you well for this job?
Yes, the bootcamp definitely helped me prepare for this job.
It gave me the technical knowledge needed to handle the tasks, both with technologies similar to those covered in the bootcamp (for example, applying my Jenkins knowledge to GitHub Actions) and those that were directly taught.
I use a lot of shell scripting, AWS, I’ve worked with Kubernetes deployments, and in another job I used Terraform and Python extensively for automation.
All in all, the program gave me a lot of confidence to tackle the work projects.
Some technologies covered in the bootcamp, like Ansible and Prometheus, I haven’t yet had the chance to use in my current role, but I understand it’s difficult to get deep exposure to every single tool in just one position.
Did your salary increase?
My salary increased by around 30%, but the experience I'm gaining is even more valuable.
That's why I chose to work at this position.
Editor's Note:
With a 30% salary increase, Mauricio's DevOps Bootcamp investment paid for itself in less than 4 months of his new salary. That's an incredible return on investment.
And this is just the beginning. The deep conceptual understanding he gained sets him up for faster career progression. When you build on a strong foundation of DevOps principles, you can learn new tools faster, adapt to emerging technologies quickly, and take on increasingly complex challenges - all leading to faster promotions and salary increases throughout his career.
What would you tell other developer who want to do the same thing?
My advice is to prioritize continuous learning alongside work.
We can only grow in our tech careers by delivering more than what's expected, and that's only possible by studying things beyond our immediate tasks.
If we neglect learning, career growth can take much longer.
Timeline: From Zero to Getting Hired
July 2024: Enrolled in DevOps Bootcamp
Feb 2025: Landed DevOps Engineer role at Santander (through Minsait consultancy)
April 2025: Completed bootcamp and became a Certified DevOps Practitioner
Today: Building enterprise CI/CD pipelines for Brazil's largest bank
💡 Key Takeaways
For aspiring DevOps engineers:
Structure your learning - random tutorials won't get you there
Apply knowledge immediately to real projects
Be proactive - don't wait for tasks, prepare for them
Focus on fundamentals that transfer between tools
For career changers:
Believe in yourself when others believe in you
Invest in quality education to accelerate your path
Continuous learning is non-negotiable in tech
The experience gained is often more valuable than the salary increase
Mauricio's story proves that with the right learning approach, dedication, and immediate application of skills, you can transform your career in less than a year.
From struggling with Terraform syntax to building enterprise pipelines at Brazil's largest bank - that's the power of structured learning combined with relentless practice.
▬▬▬▬ Ready to improve your career as well? ▬▬▬▬
⏬ Download Study Guide + DevOps Roadmap PDF Bundle ⏬
Download this DevOps starter kit and see where continuous learning can take your career.
A clear, actionable DevOps Roadmap of what to learn, in which order and how much time to dedicate for each DevOps technology
