u/Honey_Born

I’m looking for some honest career advice from people currently working in tech, especially Business Analysts, Project Managers, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, DevOps Engineers, or anyone who transitioned between fields.

For context, I previously worked as a Business Analyst / Technical Project Manager and hold both Scrum Master and Product Owner certifications. I was laid off last year and haven’t been able to secure another role in the IT/project space since then.

I currently work as an AML Financial Analyst for a bank, which has been stable, but long term I’d like to transition back into the tech industry.

While I’m out of the field, I’ve been trying to use the time productively by building technical skills. Right now I’m:

• Practicing SQL regularly
• Learning Python
• Paying an instructor to teach me Linux and DevOps concepts

My questions are:

1. Do these skills actually help someone with a BA/PM/Product background become more marketable in today’s job market?
2. Is DevOps a good field to transition into from a Business Analyst / Project background, or is that path unrealistic without a true engineering background?
3. What’s the current outlook on the BA / Scrum / Project Manager market? Is it oversaturated right now, or are there specific skills/tools that are becoming more valuable?

I’m trying to avoid wasting time learning things that sound impressive but don’t materially improve my chances of landing a solid long-term role.

I’d really appreciate honest advice from people actually in the field.

I’m looking for some honest career advice from people currently working in tech, especially Business Analysts, Project Managers, Product Owners, Scrum Masters, DevOps Engineers, or anyone who transitioned between fields.

For context, I previously worked as a Business Analyst / Technical Project Manager and hold both Scrum Master and Product Owner certifications. I was laid off last year and haven’t been able to secure another role in the IT/project space since then.

I currently work as an AML Financial Analyst for a bank, which has been stable, but long term I’d like to transition back into the tech industry.

While I’m out of the field, I’ve been trying to use the time productively by building technical skills. Right now I’m:

• Practicing SQL regularly
• Learning Python
• Paying an instructor about to teach me Linux and DevOps concepts

My questions are:

1. Do these skills actually help someone with a BA/PM/Product background become more marketable in today’s job market?

2. Is DevOps a good field to transition into from a Business Analyst / Project background, or is that path unrealistic without a true engineering background?

3. Is paying for 1-on-1 Linux/DevOps instruction worth it, or are there better resources/certifications/platforms that employers respect more?

4. What’s the current outlook on the BA / Scrum / Project Manager market? Is it oversaturated right now, or are there specific skills/tools that are becoming more valuable?

5. If you were in my position, what skills would you focus on over the next 6–12 months to maximize employability?

I’m trying to avoid wasting time learning things that sound impressive but don’t materially improve my chances of landing a solid long-term role.

I’d really appreciate honest advice from people actually in the field.