How did you actually get started with Kubernetes?

I’m a junior DevOps engineer and I’ve never had the chance to use Kubernetes at work.

I’d like to learn it, but almost every job posting I see asks for people who already have professional Kubernetes experience. So I’m wondering how you’re supposed to get past that first step when nobody wants to hire a beginner.

How did you personally start working with Kubernetes? Did your company let you learn it on the job, did you end up on a Kubernetes project by chance, or did you first build personal projects?

I’m considering setting up a small homelab and building some projects, but I’m not sure how much companies actually value personal Kubernetes experience.

I’d be interested to hear how it happened for you.