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How David found the DevOps job he didn’t know that suited him
David has taken a number of different turns on his way to becoming a DevOps Engineer, and spoke with plenty of recruiters along the way. Now, thanks to Tergos, he sits at the intersection of consultancy, project work, and client engagement. For him, it's the only logical fit. Yet one he'd never have considered on his own.
The job market changed dramatically
Not too long ago, David felt like a “golden hen” everyone wanted to place. Ten new recruiters per week. “What would we need to offer you?” they asked. “A golden desk?”. He'd even built an Excel sheet just to keep track. But when David started looking for a new role in 2024, everything had changed. Despite his experience and solid track record as a DevOps Engineer, the job search was grinding along at what he called "semi" pace. Three, four months without a result.
Not every recruiter speaks your language
"I've had bad experiences," he says. "Some recruiters don't really understand the tech. They're not even at project manager level." Deep technical knowledge isn't a prerequisite for recruitment, but a baseline understanding matters. It signals that the person placing you actually knows what they're working with, and who. And David had a lot to offer: a few years of freelance work, support experience, Linux sysadmin, and then DevOps. "Not your typical CV."
David knew what he wanted
He had a clear picture of the right role: the right balance of structure and challenge, ideally within a larger organisation with solid processes, but project-based and consultancy-driven. Not external client work, but internal. His previous role as a Linux Sysadmin at an arts college had been too slow-paced. "They operate at a completely different pace," he says. And an earlier DevOps position hadn't worked either; too much responsibility, too little process, and he didn’t feel supported.
What David wanted was variety. Two or three different working environments: remote, office, maybe some travel. Surely that job existed somewhere. But the months passed. Lots of conversations, no real match. Then he scrolled through his contacts and stumbled across Kevin. Kevin Sontgerath from Tergos, who had successfully placed him years earlier. David sent a message. And then things moved fast.
The experience of
David Hallman
"Without Tergos I would never have considered a DevOps consultancy role. In hindsight, it's the only logical fit."
A process built on trust
With Kevin, the connection was immediately back. David felt heard, understood, and never pushed. "It was like talking to someone I'd known for years." The process itself was, to David's surprise, lean and straightforward. Conversation and exchange took centre stage; no bloated forms, no unnecessary hurdles. And that openness meant Kevin picked up on nuances in what David was looking for that David himself hadn't consciously articulated.
Asked what Tergos does differently, David mentions Kevin’s competence and calm approach. No pressure, no hard sell. But Kevin also carried real credibility with employers: "They seem to trust Kevin implicitly." That trust in Tergos transfers directly into the relationship between professional and prospective employer. And from there, the path to a role that genuinely fit David was not far at all.
The offer David didn't see coming
Throughout interviews and negotiations, David felt at ease. There was no over-coaching, no scripted talking points, just a straightforward steer: be yourself. He was well-briefed on who he'd be speaking to, informed without being drilled. He trusted the process. And the right DevOps role was out there: client-facing work, solid structure, proper backing, all in one.
"I would never have considered applying to a consulting firm. I just didn't see myself there," David says. But when Kevin put a role at a consulting firm on the table, David was surprised – and quickly convinced. "In hindsight, it's the only logical job for me." The mix works: remote, office, travel. Ongoing development gives someone like David, who’s always looking to evolve, the right kind of challenge. Now he works with clients, travels across Germany, and gets a behind-the-scenes view of organisations from the inside.
Tergos understands its talent
What had taken months on his own took days with Tergos. That made all the difference. Asked whether he'd recommend Tergos, David doesn't hesitate: absolutely. In a crowded market, it matters to work with someone who understands not just the landscape, but the people operating within it. IT has too many technical subtleties and nuances for a generalist approach. And those nuances are often what separate a random placement from a genuinely successful one. For David, Tergos got the balance right: direct, open, and on point.