How to Be DevOps Engineer - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

As the demand for faster, more reliable software development and deployment increases, DevOps Engineers have become increasingly important to organizations. By utilizing a combination of automation, collaboration, and communication, DevOps Engineers help bridge the gap between development and operations teams. This helps ensure that software applications are developed and deployed quickly and reliably, while also reducing errors and cost.

As a result, organizations are able to deliver products and services faster, with fewer issues, ultimately leading to increased customer satisfaction and better business outcomes. DevOps Engineers promote a culture of collaboration, which can help foster innovation, collaboration, and creativity within teams.

Steps How to Become

  1. Gain Experience in Software Development. Developing software is a core component of DevOps, thus prospective DevOps engineers should gain experience in software development. Knowledge of scripting languages such as Python, JavaScript, and Ruby is also beneficial.
  2. Familiarize Yourself with DevOps Principles. To become a successful DevOps engineer, you must have an understanding of the principles of DevOps, such as automation and continuous delivery.
  3. Learn the Basics of System Administration. DevOps engineers need to be knowledgeable in system administration tasks such as installing, configuring, and maintaining servers.
  4. Enhance Your Networking Skills. DevOps engineers need to be able to design, deploy, and manage networks. Having a good grasp of networking concepts such as TCP/IP, DNS, and DHCP is essential.
  5. Become Proficient in Automation. Automation is a key part of DevOps. Prospective DevOps engineers should become proficient in automation tools such as Puppet, Chef, Ansible, and Salt.
  6. Learn Configuration Management Tools. Configuration management tools are used to manage and deploy software on multiple systems. Popular configuration management tools include Chef, Puppet, Ansible, and Salt. Prospective DevOps engineers should learn these tools.
  7. Become Proficient in Cloud Computing. Cloud computing is an integral part of DevOps. Prospective DevOps engineers should become proficient in cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
  8. Learn Version Control Systems. Version control systems are used to track changes in software development projects. Popular version control systems include Git, Subversion (SVN), and Mercurial (Hg). Prospective DevOps engineers should have knowledge of these systems.
  9. Get Certified. Becoming certified in a DevOps-related technology can help demonstrate your skills and give you an edge in the job market. Popular certifications include Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, and Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA).
  10. Enhance Your Soft Skills. In addition to technical skills, prospective DevOps engineers should also focus on soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and collaboration. These skills are essential for successful DevOps teams.
In order to remain updated and competent as a DevOps engineer, one should stay abreast of the latest developments in the tech industry. This requires keeping track of new technology trends and best practices, as well as staying up-to-date on tools and platforms such as cloud computing, automation, and containerization. Additionally, it is important to gain experience with different programming languages and frameworks, and to take courses on topics such as DevOps principles, network and system administration, security, and automation. By staying informed and proactively developing skills and knowledge, DevOps engineers can ensure that they remain competent and competitive in the rapidly changing tech landscape.

You may want to check Sales Applications Engineer, Acoustical Engineer, and Materials Engineer for alternative.

Job Description

  1. Implement and manage DevOps toolchains for continuous integration, testing, deployment, and monitoring.
  2. Develop and maintain scripts and automation tools to streamline system administration tasks.
  3. Establish and maintain best practices for version control, artifact management, and build and release processes.
  4. Monitor system performance and troubleshoot issues in development and production environments.
  5. Collaborate with software developers, systems engineers, and other IT professionals to ensure effective delivery of services and solutions.
  6. Establish and maintain policies, procedures, and standards for DevOps environments.
  7. Research and evaluate new DevOps technologies and approaches to identify improvements and optimize performance.
  8. Design and implement system architecture solutions to support DevOps initiatives.
  9. Create detailed documentation for system changes, processes, and procedures.
  10. Provide technical guidance and support to teams as needed.

Skills and Competencies to Have

  1. Proficient in using version control tools such as Git, Mercurial, or SVN.
  2. Experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools such as Terraform, Ansible, and Chef.
  3. Knowledge of cloud computing platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.
  4. Familiarity with containerization technologies such as Docker and Kubernetes.
  5. Understanding of code deployment and automation tools such as Jenkins, Travis CI, and CircleCI.
  6. Proficiency in scripting languages such as Bash, Python, and Ruby.
  7. Ability to set up and monitor application performance metrics such as server response times and uptime.
  8. Familiarity with network security best practices.
  9. Knowledge of database technologies such as MySQL, MongoDB, and PostgreSQL.
  10. Experience with agile methodologies and DevOps practices.

DevOps engineers play an important role in the IT industry, as they ensure that software development teams have the tools and processes necessary to produce high quality software applications. The most important skill for a DevOps engineer is the ability to understand both the development and operations sides of the equation. This means being able to bridge the gap between the two teams and having a keen understanding of the different roles, processes and technologies involved in software development.

DevOps engineers must also have strong technical knowledge in various programming languages and scripting tools, such as Python, Bash and PowerShell, to automate the deployment and configuration of applications. DevOps engineers must have a good understanding of source control systems, DevOps tools and cloud infrastructure, such as Docker and Kubernetes, to enable them to deploy applications quickly and efficiently. Finally, DevOps engineers must possess excellent communication skills in order to collaborate effectively with other stakeholders and ensure that the software is released on time and with minimal errors.

With these skills, a DevOps engineer can ensure that software applications are released quickly and efficiently while maintaining quality standards.

Marine Engineer, Aerospace Engineers, and Reliability Engineer are related jobs you may like.

Frequent Interview Questions

  • What experience do you have in managing DevOps tools and processes?
  • How do you ensure that the desired development and operations goals are met?
  • What strategies do you use to ensure that the DevOps environment is secure?
  • Describe your experience with automation of configuration management?
  • What experience do you have in setting up and maintaining continuous integration and delivery pipelines?
  • How do you handle multiple requests for changes to the same system?
  • Describe the challenges you have faced in the past working on DevOps projects.
  • What challenges have you faced in coordinating with multiple teams to achieve a common goal?
  • How do you plan and track progress on DevOps initiatives?
  • How do you stay up-to-date with the latest DevOps technologies and trends?

Common Tools in Industry

  1. Jenkins. An open-source automation server that automates the repetitive tasks involved in building, testing, and deploying software applications. (eg: Continuous integration)
  2. Ansible. An open-source software platform for configuring and managing computers. It is designed to help manage complex applications and their dependencies. (eg: Configuration management)
  3. Docker. A platform for developers and sysadmins to build, ship, and run distributed applications. (eg: Containerization)
  4. Kubernetes. An open-source container-orchestration system for automating deployments, scaling, and management of containerized applications. (eg: Orchestration)
  5. Terraform. A tool for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure safely and efficiently. (eg: Infrastructure as code)
  6. Chef. An automation platform for configuring and managing systems, applications, and services across distributed infrastructure. (eg: Automation)
  7. Nagios. A computer system and network monitoring software application that helps users identify and resolve IT infrastructure problems before they affect critical business processes. (eg: Monitoring)
  8. Splunk. A software platform for searching, analyzing, and visualizing machine-generated data from applications, servers, networks, and other IT systems. (eg: Logging & analysis)

Professional Organizations to Know

  1. DevOps Institute
  2. Cloud Native Computing Foundation
  3. Open Source Initiative
  4. The Linux Foundation
  5. Agile Alliance
  6. Association for Computing Machinery
  7. Software Engineering Institute
  8. Jenkins Area Meetup
  9. Puppet User Group
  10. Ansible User Group

We also have Safety Engineer, Chemical Engineer, and Test/QA Engineer jobs reports.

Common Important Terms

  1. Continuous Integration (CI). A development practice that involves integrating code changes from multiple developers into a single system.
  2. Continuous Delivery (CD). A process for releasing software updates frequently and quickly.
  3. Infrastructure as Code (IaC). A process for managing and provisioning infrastructure using code.
  4. Configuration Management. Managing and maintaining the desired state of an environment by using automation tools.
  5. Cloud Computing. The delivery of computing services such as storage, databases, networking, and software over the Internet.
  6. Containerization. The use of software to create isolated and secure environments for applications.
  7. DevOps. A set of practices that combine software development and IT operations to enable organizations to deliver software quickly and reliably.
  8. Automation. Automating tasks, such as deployment, configuration management, and testing, to reduce manual effort and speed up processes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary responsibility of a DevOps Engineer?

The primary responsibility of a DevOps Engineer is to ensure the successful and efficient operation of software systems in a distributed environment by automating and streamlining processes, such as deploying code, provisioning infrastructure, and monitoring performance.

What skills are needed for a DevOps Engineer role?

Skills needed for a DevOps Engineer role include experience with scripting languages such as Bash, Python and Ruby; proficiency with cloud computing platforms such as AWS and Azure; and knowledge of infrastructure automation tools such as Ansible and Chef.

What is the average salary of a DevOps Engineer?

According to Indeed, the average salary of a DevOps Engineer is $117,000 per year.

What certifications are available for a DevOps Engineer?

Certifications available for a DevOps Engineer include the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional, the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), and the Microsoft Certified Azure DevOps Engineer Expert.

What is the job outlook for a DevOps Engineer?

The job outlook for a DevOps Engineer is very positive, with the demand for DevOps Engineers expected to grow by 31% by 2029.

Web Resources

Author Photo
Reviewed & Published by Albert
Submitted by our contributor
Engineer Category