> For example, I can make programs and package them in Docker containers and run them that way, but I don't know how I'd play with Kubernetes in a realistic fas

> For example, I can make programs and package them in Docker containers and run them that way, but I don't know how I'd play with Kubernetes in a realistic fashion. Minikube: https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-minikube/ https://kubernetes.io/docs/tasks/tools/install-minikube/ Alternately, you'd take advantage of $CLOUD_PROVIDER's initial signup credit and start cloud instance equivalents. Nowadays most things have good virtual environments floating around (you can even download virtualized mainframes if you want). A little bit of time tinkering with such environments will take you surprisingly far -- especially in fields like network engineering, where even most professionals don't know how to experiment.