What is the meaning of skills really?Â
Whenever you apply for a job, you will see that there are some skillsets mentioned which the employer wants you to have. But is that all you will need while you are actually appointed?Â
According to Wikipedia, a skill is an ability to carry out a task with determined results often within a given amount of time, energy, or both. So, do you really think everything will be mentioned in the required skillsets section which all you will need to carry out your tasks?
Let’s talk about DevOps engineers’ skillsets now as we mentioned in the title. If you open any job portal, you’ll get to see all DevOps engineer’s jobs  require the candidates to have a vast knowledge of AWS, CD tooling, hands-on experience in building CI pipelines and many more. But is that all you need to have to become a DevOps Engineer ? No, it’s not.
In this blog, we are going to tell you all about the DevOps engineer skills  which are must-haves for anyone who is looking forward to taking DevOps as a career option or is already a DevOps engineer. Make sure to go through each and every point and do a self-analysis right away!
A DevOps engineer is someone who works with developers and IT staff to oversee the code release. DevOps engineer is the one who is responsible for developing a digital pipeline. From this, you can understand that DevOps engineer’s role is much bigger than it looks like in their job descriptions. According to payscale.com , in the US, a DevOps engineer gets paid an average of $ 93,062 per year.
There’s a common myth that DevOps is all about coding and automation. Those are important, no doubt about it. However, the real game-changer is learning a wide range of skills.
Flexibility:
Do you have the ability to continuously deploy and integrate new systems and operations in your code?
Congratulations! You are halfway there already then!
Since the DevOps culture is based on flexibility, you should be comfortable with the continuous integration process. The coding should be an ongoing process for you, ever-changing, and always needed to be updated based on the customer requirement. And we need not mention that you need strong technical knowledge to implement the continuous integration process. Right?
When there is coding involved, you always need to keep security at its utmost importance . And since DevOps practices bring a faster cycle of development and deployment of codes, vulnerabilities are always at a higher risk to attract the code much quicker than normal times. And who doesn’t know that vulnerability is the easiest way to get hackers into the system?
Along with coding skills, security skills are also a must-have for DevOps engineers. From the starting of deployment, built-in security software should be there which can be added anytime whenever a security breach is being detected.
If you feel good about being a one-man army, the profession of DevOps engineer won’t suit you. Collaboration is the main key to a successful DevOps culture.
A DevOps engineer should be a team player in order to bring the development and the operations team together. Not only that, but the cross-functionality of DevOps culture is also totally based DevOps engineer’s responsibility towards collaboration.
Along with scripting skills, DevOps engineers should have hands-on experience in data science and cloud infrastructure components like AWS and Azure. They should have an understanding of software networking too to get that how the software will run in various networks.
Gives you an example of how DevOps can be implemented in an Azure platform :
And last but not least, having knowledge about different DevOps tools is always necessary. Because in the DevOps platform, new tools are always coming in the picture. So staying updated about them is a good thing. Isn’t it?
Maybe you can try for some DevOps courses as well to know all about it!
Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Tools like Terraform and Ansible help automate systems, minimizing human effort.
Cloud Computing: Whether it's AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, cloud expertise is non-negotiable. You should know how to deploy, manage, and improve cloud environments.
Configuration Management: Tools like Puppet, Chef, and Ansible ensure that systems are set up consistently across environments. This means fewer “it works on my machine” problems.
Networking and Security in DevOps: Understanding firewalls, VPNs, and zero-trust security makes sure that your infrastructure is protected from cyber threats.
Continuous Integration & Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Ever heard of Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or GitLab CI/CD? These are the backbone of DevOps, allowing teams to automate testing and deployments.
Containerization and Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm are important for operating microservices effectively. If you don't know them yet, It's time to start learning.
Want to polish your DevOps knowledge? Check out DevOps Foundation Certification to get started.
DevOps isn't just about tools and automation—it’s about people, processes, and collaboration. If you ever think you can just use some tools and automate everything, think again.
Soft Skills That Set DevOps Engineers Apart
Collaboration and Communication: DevOps shines on braking down departments. You need to be able to explain complex technical terms to both developers and no-technical investors.
Problem-Solving Mindset: When a sudden execution failure happens at 2 AM, you must troubleshoot under pressure.
Adaptability and Continuous Learning: The DevOps world changes FAST. New tools appear all the time, and you need to keep up.
Empathy and Teamwork: Understanding the pain points of various teams makes you an excellent DevOps engineer.
Project Management: Keeping the knowledge about Agile techniques and using tools like Jira or Trello can make your work smoother.
Want to know which security skills are in demand? Explore the Top DevSecOps Skills today.
Theory is okay, but do you know how do these skills apply in real-world cases? Let's have a look:
Scenario 1: Automating Executions with CI/CD
Let's say your company's developers deliver updates, however, manual executions takes long time (or even days!). By using Jenkins pipelines, you automate testing and executions, minimizing the execution time from 6 hours to 15 minutes.
Scenario 2: Cost Optimization with Cloud Computing
An evolving SaaS company faces problems with increasing cloud costs. As a DevOps engineer, you apply auto-scaling and serverless computing, reducing cloud costs by 30%.
Scenario 3: Improving Security with IaC
A finance company requires better security compliance. Instead of manually setting up servers, you explain security policies using Terraform, ensuring that every infrastructure change is secure by default.
Want to see how DevOps skills can benefit data scientists? Check out DevOps Data Scientists.
If you’re thinking whether DevOps is worth the hype, let’s look at the numbers:
According to a report by GMI insights, the DevOps market was valued at $8 billion and was expected to grow at a 20% CAGR from 2023 to 2032.
Thinking of gaining more information about Azure DevOps? Here’s your guide to DevOps with Microsoft Azure.
DevOps engineers need to have a strong understanding of Linux, as it is the most popular operating system for servers. DevOps engineers need to be able to perform tasks such as installing and configuring software, managing users and groups, and troubleshooting problems.
DevOps engineers need to be familiar with cloud computing platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). DevOps engineers need to be able to provision and manage cloud resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and databases.
Automation is a key part of DevOps, so DevOps engineers need to be able to automate tasks such as infrastructure provisioning, software deployment, and testing. DevOps engineers need to be familiar with automation tools such as Ansible, Chef, and Puppet.
Scripting languages such as Python, Bash, and Ansible are essential for DevOps engineers. DevOps engineers use scripting languages to automate tasks, manage infrastructure, and develop DevOps tools.
There are a number of DevOps tools that DevOps engineers need to be familiar with, such as Jenkins, Terraform, and Kubernetes. Jenkins is a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) tool, Terraform is an infrastructure as code tool, and Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform.
DevOps engineers need to be able to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. DevOps engineers also need to be able to collaborate effectively with other members of the DevOps team, as well as with other teams in the organization.
DevOps engineers need to be able to identify and solve problems quickly and efficiently. DevOps engineers also need to be able to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions.
DevOps engineers need to be able to build and deploy secure infrastructure and applications. DevOps engineers also need to be able to identify and respond to security threats.
DevOps engineers need to be able to test infrastructure and applications to ensure that they meet quality standards. DevOps engineers should also be familiar with different types of testing, such as unit testing, integration testing, and system testing.
DevOps engineers need to be able to monitor infrastructure and applications to identify and resolve problems early. DevOps engineers should also be familiar with different monitoring tools and techniques.
If you are interested in a career as a DevOps engineer, it is important to develop the skills listed above. You can develop these skills by taking online courses, attending conferences and workshops, and working on personal projects.
🧠Stay ahead in the competitive tech world.
Now that you know what all you need to be a successful DevOps engineer, now it’s time for the final question.
Do you think you have it in you?
No?
Join aDevOps training sessionand grab aDevOps Engineer Certificationas soon as possible then! The world of DevOps will seem pretty easy for you.
Do you think we missed out on any point to discuss? Let us know in the comment section below!
Confused about our certifications?
Let Our Advisor Guide You
