How To Get Into DevOps

It’s a part of the industry candidates are clambering to get into. How best to secure your first DevOps role, though? Here are some my tips.

1. Learn the basics of how to code. Python and Ruby are versatile and a useful place to start – they can be used on any operating system. Take an online course or update your skills.

2. Get social. Head to meet ups, join LinkedIn groups, network with other DevOps engineers… Find the people who are passionate about DevOps and do your utmost to learn from them and socialize with them. You’ll find your skills develop quickly, and you’ll also be privy to the evolving trends and opportunities in the space.

3. Practice! It’s no use having skills you don’t keep current when the industry is changing every day. You need to stay on top of the shifting trends and developments in the game. Being social will help you do this, but you also have to make an effort to follow blogs, news publications and other resources to keep on top.

4. Check out some open online courses. Coursera, Udacity and EdX are some of the courses I recommend.

5. Wear different hats. If you’re starting off, you probably don’t want to specialize too quickly. Start-ups with a DevOps culture may be a good starting point to develop all-rounder skills and experience that can be applied and furthered in more specialist roles down the track.

6. Learn the free stuff. There’s loads of educational and software tools in the open market. Wrap your head around the resources out there and put aside a few hours a week to make the most of these. Not only is it quality stuff for your CV, it’s a great way to broaden your horizons, understand the possibilities and tailor answers in interviews (down the track) to the fact that you’re well versed in lots of technical specialties and areas.

Ready for your next role? Give me a buzz or drop me an email today!