{"id":107,"date":"2021-10-26T10:42:01","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T10:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elevenguard.com\/blog\/?p=107"},"modified":"2022-06-27T17:43:54","modified_gmt":"2022-06-27T17:43:54","slug":"how-to-become-a-devops-engineer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elevenguard.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-devops-engineer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to become a DevOps engineer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is DevOps the best thing since sliced bread? Possibly so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More and more organizations are now shifting towards a DevOps ethos and that means more and more positions are opening up for DevOps engineers of the future. There are currently upwards of 7593 DevOps engineers<\/a> employed in the United States. But demand is high for these enticing positions (not least because of their attractive pay checks). In fact, the average base salary for a DevOps engineer in the US is $125,475<\/a>. If you\u2019ve been thinking about a future in DevOps then you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll be talking you through everything you need to know about becoming a DevOps engineer in 2021. We\u2019ll be covering\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u2022 What is DevOps?
\u2022 The rise of DevOps
\u2022 What is a DevOps engineer and what do they do?
\u2022 How to become a DevOps engineer
\u2022 A DevOps starter guide <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is DevOps?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

DevOps stands for Development Operations. In its most basic form, DevOps is a combination of practices and tools employed by an organization to increase the efficiency with which they deliver their services and applications. In other words, DevOps is a way of expediting the software development process.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The DevOps \u2018ethos\u2019 involves facilitating improved communications between software developers and IT operations professionals in the workplace. Combined with advanced automations, DevOps works towards creating a seamless and unified development and operations process that eradicates departmental silos.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With optimized and automated workflows organizations can hope to deliver essential software and security updates, and bring products to market much faster than ever before \u2013 without sacrificing on quality or precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of DevOps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What is a DevOps engineer and what do they do? As more and more companies choose to employ a DevOps methodology, DevOps engineers have emerged as critical figures in the running of any organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


It is the responsibility of the DevOps engineer to introduce those processes, tools, and methodologies that will facilitate a unified software development and operations life cycle.
DevOps engineers \u2018engineer\u2019 unified and automated processes that streamline previously siloed processes.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many companies, developers and operations teams have very different approaches. Developers are feature-oriented whilst operators are more concerned with application stability and longevity.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A DevOps engineer will have both an understanding of software development and operational processes and will use this knowledge to bridge the gap between development and operational workflows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


As such, DevOps engineers need to cultivate a diverse skill set comprising both technical and soft skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I become a DevOps engineer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There is no prescribed career path for DevOps engineers. Typically, individuals transition into a DevOps role from a development, operational, or administrative background. DevOps can be learned without any formal training, but individuals who wish to embark on this career change will need to take some time to ensure that they are well prepared.
Before going up for a DevOps role, you\u2019ll want to start expanding your skills. You\u2019ll need to ensure that you are confident working in a coding environment as well as with automation tools, and managerial leadership strategies.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DevOps isn\u2019t especially difficult to learn but it can be time-consuming to cover all of its many elements. Depending on a person\u2019s individual background and experience it could take up to 6 months to master the fundamentals of DevOps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A DevOps starter guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Decided that you want to become a DevOps engineer? Great choice. The outlook is positive indeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


63% of organizations<\/a> that implement DevOps experience improvement in the quality of their software deployments and new software release rates. A further 55%<\/a> experience improved workplace cooperation and collaboration and a further 38% report a higher quality of code production<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Needless to say, the DevOps engineer is an important and much sought-after role. So, how does one go about preparing for this career shift? Well, we\u2019re about to tell you just that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #1: Learn a programming language<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not already familiar with one of the three core programming languages then that\u2019s where you\u2019ll want to start. You\u2019ll need a robust knowledge of Java, Python, JavaScript (or, even better, all three). Luckily, there are plenty of online courses available that will verse you in these programming languages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #2: Learn about OS concepts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also want to verse yourself in core operational concepts, software, and hardware. Make sure to familiarize yourself with core teachings regarding process management, I\/O management, file system management, threads and concurrency, sockets, memory storage, and virtualization. Again, there is no shortage of online courses on these topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #3: Familiarize yourself with Linux<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Linux is an operating system that plays an essential role in DevOps. You Don\u2019t have to be a Linux expert in order to succeed in DevOps but some basic understanding will stand you in good stead. You\u2019ll want to be able to navigate Linux\u2019s operating system with relative ease, including the platform\u2019s systems administration and networking. It\u2019s recommended that anybody considering a career in DevOps get to grips with Linux Shell (a program that receives commands from the keyboard and transfers them to the operating system).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try to develop a working knowledge of:
\u2022 Bash
\u2022 Ksh
\u2022 Find
\u2022 Grep
\u2022 Awk
\u2022 Sed
\u2022 Lsof
\u2022 Nslookup
\u2022 Netstat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #4: Think about security<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Security is high on the agenda for all organizations these days. And with good reason. The number of security breaches are up. As a DevOps engineer, security is going to play a major part of your role. So, it helps to develop a working knowledge of basic networking and security concepts ahead of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


We recommend studying the following:
\u2022 DNS
\u2022 OSI
\u2022 HTTP
\u2022 HTTPS
\u2022 FTP
\u2022 SSL
\u2022 TLS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #5: Infrastructure as code<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Infrastructure as Code (or IaC for short) is the process of managing infrastructure as part of a descriptive model (a.k.a in the same way that you would manage source code).
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infrastructure as code is an incredibly important skill for any prospective DevOps engineer. You\u2019ll want to familiarize yourself with all major IaC containers, configuration management tools, and infrastructure provisions. For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u2022 Docker
\u2022 Kubernetes
\u2022 Ansible
\u2022 Chef
\u2022 Salt
\u2022 Puppet
\u2022 Terraform
\u2022 Cloud formation
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step #6: Continuous integration and delivery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For example, it\u2019s important to keep on top of SSL certificates to avoid letting those expiry dates slip by. Websites must renew their SSL certificates at least once every two years. Some TLS\/SSL management tools<\/a> make it easy to avoid red lights in production by notifying when certificates are about to expire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To DevOps or not to DevOps?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you think that a career in DevOps might be for you, then you\u2019ll want to start preparing for your career shift nice and early. Anybody can become a DevOps engineer and there is no one prescribed path to securing a position in DevOps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The key lies in developing the right skills and mindset for the job. DevOps is a holistic and varied role that encompasses both technical and soft skills. By familiarizing yourself with coding languages, operational, and monitoring tools ahead of time, you\u2019ll be in the best position to land the DevOps position of your dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Is DevOps the best thing since sliced bread? Possibly so. More and more organizations are now shifting towards…\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":234,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-devops"},"yoast_head":"\nHow to become a DevOps engineer - DevOps Squad<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/elevenguard.com\/blog\/how-to-become-a-devops-engineer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to become a DevOps engineer - DevOps Squad\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is DevOps the best thing since sliced bread? Possibly so. 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