How to become a devops developer

Is becoming a devops developer right for me?

The first step to choosing a career is to make sure you are actually willing to commit to pursuing the career. You don’t want to waste your time doing something you don’t want to do. If you’re new here, you should read about:

Overview
What do devops developers do?

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How to become a DevOps Developer

Becoming a DevOps developer requires a combination of education, practical experience, and a commitment to continuous learning. Here's a guide to help you pursue a career in DevOps development:

  • Obtain a Strong Educational Foundation: Start by earning a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field. A formal education provides you with a solid understanding of programming languages, algorithms, data structures, and software engineering principles, which are foundational to DevOps.
  • Learn Essential Skills: Familiarize yourself with key technologies and tools used in DevOps practices. Learn scripting languages like Python or Shell scripting. Gain proficiency in version control systems such as Git. Understand automation and configuration management tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef. Learn about containerization technologies like Docker and container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes. Additionally, grasp concepts related to continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
  • Gain Practical Experience: Practice your skills by working on real-world projects. Contribute to open-source projects, build your personal projects, or collaborate with others on coding platforms like GitHub. Hands-on experience is invaluable in DevOps, as it helps you apply theoretical knowledge to real scenarios.
  • Acquire Certifications: Consider obtaining certifications to validate your DevOps skills. Certifications such as AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert, or Docker Certified Associate can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers (see below).
  • Learn Cloud Computing: Familiarize yourself with cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud Platform. DevOps often involves managing infrastructure and applications in cloud environments, so understanding cloud services and architectures is essential.
  • Collaborate and Network: Engage with the DevOps community. Attend conferences, meetups, and webinars related to DevOps practices. Participate in online forums and social media groups where professionals share knowledge and experiences. Networking can help you learn from others, stay updated with industry trends, and discover job opportunities.
  • Embrace a Continuous Learning Mindset: DevOps is a constantly evolving field. Stay current with emerging technologies, tools, and best practices. Follow blogs, read books, and take online courses to expand your knowledge. DevOps professionals need to adapt to new technologies and methodologies to remain effective in their roles.
  • Pursue Internships or Entry-Level Positions: Look for internships, co-op programs, or entry-level positions related to DevOps. Practical work experience in a professional setting will provide you with valuable insights into real-world DevOps practices and workflows.

Certifications
Certifications can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your expertise as a DevOps developer. Here are some widely recognized certifications for DevOps professionals:

  • AWS Certified DevOps Engineer: Offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), this certification validates your expertise in designing and implementing AWS services to orchestrate continuous delivery systems and automate security controls, governance processes, and compliance validation.
  • Microsoft Certified: Azure DevOps Engineer Expert: This certification from Microsoft demonstrates your skills in designing and implementing DevOps practices for version control, compliance, infrastructure as code, configuration management, build, release, and testing by leveraging Azure technologies.
  • Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA): Offered by the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), CKA certifies your skills in designing, building, configuring, and exposing cloud-native applications for Kubernetes.
  • Docker Certified Associate: This certification validates your knowledge of Docker containerization technology. It covers Docker CLI, Docker Compose, Docker Swarm, and other essential Docker concepts.
  • Puppet Certified Professional: Offered by Puppet, this certification validates your Puppet configuration management skills, including Puppet Enterprise installation, module management, and task automation.
  • Certified Jenkins Engineer (CJE): This certification, offered by CloudBees, demonstrates your proficiency in Jenkins, including topics like distributed builds, security, automated testing, and build pipelines.
  • Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer: This certification from Google Cloud Platform (GCP) demonstrates your expertise in using Google Cloud services to build robust, scalable, and highly available infrastructure.
  • Certified Ansible Automation Engineer: Offered by Red Hat, this certification validates your ability to use Ansible for automation, including installation, managing systems, creating and using Ansible playbooks, and managing inventories.
  • Certified Kubernetes Application Developer (CKAD): Also offered by CNCF, CKAD certifies your skills in designing, building, configuring, and exposing cloud-native applications for Kubernetes. It focuses more on application development within the Kubernetes environment.
  • Terraform Associate: Offered by HashiCorp, this certification validates your skills in using Terraform for building, changing, and versioning infrastructure efficiently.