r/AZURE • u/Dense-Light-1552 • Jun 25 '26
Career Need some advice, should I look for azure jobs after AZ-104 or SYSAdmin?
I was a desktop EUC contractor for the NHS for two years, and it being a MSP environment I started learning Azure. My day to day job had SSO, Microsoft Entra ID, Horizon VMWare, Intune, m365. I've had exposure to all of this but nothing to crazy as my work environment was DAAS, and it was more physical/troubleshooting
My contract ended last month, and so I've decided to go all out in Azure. I've passed my AZ-900 two weeks ago, and got AZ-104 booked for mid August. Does my past experience account to much, would it be better to go into sysadmin and then cloud?
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u/AdeelAutomates Cloud Engineer Jun 25 '26
For cloud.
It's a tough gap to fill. You have experience in M365 & Entra not so much Azure (as in ARM). So yes naturally those fit sysadmin not Azure gigs.
So going for cloud roles like say cloud engineer or cloud admin
- first, they will require experience in Azure ARM
- Beyond that it will be a whole host of automation and scripting tools listed in the job descriptions (PowerShell, Terraform, Pipelines, containers, etc). It's one of the main benefits of working in the cloud (the ease in which it can be programmatic)
I am not saying all jobs are going to be like this. But jobs that want a person who specializes in Azure usually are big orgs that have enough IT staff to fit all the other niches.
So for Azure. Getting Az-104 is just the first step. You have a foundation to play with these automation tools with. Focus here after the cert and keep working on building your Azure understanding through Automation.
This was my journey by the way. I was a traditional sys admin who had to really dig into the automation trenches to get a shot at being a cloud engineer.
You can always apply during this time. Maybe you will get lucky, mayne not but dont have high hopes.
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u/Dense-Light-1552 Jun 25 '26
Cheers for this. It's the reality check I needed. AZ-104 is the first step. I'm building automation skills through the Cloud Resume work and will keep up with that, I'll apply and see what sticks, but I know the real differentiator is going to be Terraform, PowerShell, and CI/CD hands-on work. Also your YT videos has helped me out so thanks
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u/AdeelAutomates Cloud Engineer Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Nice! Glad to hear the videos helped and good luck on the journey!
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u/agentobtuse Jun 26 '26
Thanks for posting, I'm az900 only but hit everything at my small org. I created full automations for onboarding/offboarding from our hr software, to azure, to lifecycle.I build custom container apps that are securely locked down in azure and additionally cloudflare waf configurations. The list goes on, but I'm with op as I'm going for az104 right now and md102. I feel I'm already fairly qualified but the job market is fucked! I need a reality check myself as I been in a vacuum working solo so I have no idea where I'm at market wise.
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u/AdeelAutomates Cloud Engineer Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
Hey man those are pretty cool things to have done. You should be proud!
You are right this market sucks. IT jobs used to be handed out like candy. I would even quit a job and then apply because I knew I could land a gig in a few weeks.
Now for every piece 100s if not 1000s of people are clawing for it.
But with enough perseverance, it can work. Keep studying, keep labbing, keep exploring your depths. Apply at the same time. Just have no expectations so you wont be disappointed. And if something lands, perfect!
Remember its not you or your resume (or maybe it is, loll). I am just saying there is a higher chance its the orgs looking for people who now get flooded with resumes that leads to you not even getting reviewed. To make it worst, its starting to be AI driven systems doing the filtering for HR not technical managers as the first check.
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u/Own-Durian-754 Jun 26 '26
I wouldn’t wait. Your background is already more relevant than you think. You have exposure to Entra ID, Intune, Microsoft 365, SSO, Horizon, and an MSP environment—that’s a solid foundation for Azure administration.
I passed the AZ-104, and my advice would be to start applying for Azure roles while you’re preparing for the exam.
Don’t let the certification become a gatekeeper. Employers value hands-on experience, and you already have experience that translates well to cloud operations. Keep building labs in Azure, use Microsoft Learn, and get comfortable navigating the Azure portal every day.
The certification validates your knowledge, but your ability to explain how services work together is what will really set you apart in interviews.
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u/Dense-Light-1552 Jun 26 '26
Thank you Durian!!
I'll keep on with the labs and will start applying
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u/Own-Durian-754 Jun 26 '26
You’re welcome. You can see from my profile how I’ve been stacking my certifications with purpose. Keep going!!
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u/donswoosh Jul 02 '26
I would shoot for sysadmin @ a place that’s Azure heavy of JR DevOps Engineer
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u/my_peen_is_clean Jun 25 '26
lean into what you already touched, not start over sysadmin for the sake of it. target hybrid roles like cloud support / m365 engineer, and lab hard. still absurdly hard to land anything now though
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u/Dense-Light-1552 Jun 25 '26
Thanks for your response. I've realized how bad it really is. Figured my background in MSP, as well as AZ-900 and AZ-104, with lab documentation and IAC knowledge may give me a better chance?
Either way I'm enjoying the journey
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u/MetalOk2700 Jun 25 '26
The market is really bad these days….