5 Top Skills of a DevOps Engineer: Is This Job Right For You?

DevOps Engineer is a relatively new job role in the Information Technology industry. DevOps is a multifaceted discipline. From coding through deployment, maintenance, and updates, a DevOps engineer introduces processes, tools, and methodologies to address the needs of software developers throughout the entire life cycle. 

DevOps may be the right career path for you. Being on the leading edge of this new regimen can put you behind the wheel or you may wish to learn how to drive adoption within your organization. But, what does it take to become a DevOps engineer?

Below is a list of the key technical skills a DevOps Engineer needs to be successful in this vital role. 

#1 – Basic Linux

A DevOps engineer must understand Linux fundamentals, such as file handling, system administration, text processing and process management in order to effectively deploy and manage applications on the platform. This understanding is essential for tasks like monitoring system performance, troubleshooting issues, and creating automated scripts. If you want to become a DevOps engineer, it's important to have a strong foundation in Linux so that you can build upon your skillset with ease. By learning about these basics early on in your career, you'll be well-equipped to tackle more complex challenges down the road.

#2 – Configuration Management

Among the most important skills in DevOps, configuration management enables an organization to increase agility and automate otherwise tedious tasks. In a DevOps environment, configuration management is essential for ensuring that the software applications running on your infrastructure are set up and managed correctly. This ensures that your systems run smoothly and that any changes or updates to the applications can be made quickly and without disruption. By automating these tasks, you can ensure that your organization remains agile and responsive to changing demands.

#3 – Cloud Computing

DevOps is all about speeding up the process of developing and deploying software. The cloud computing model provides a flexible, on-demand infrastructure that makes it easy to rapidly deploy new applications without having to worry about the technical details. This means that DevOps engineers can focus on their core tasks—such as monitoring and managing systems, creating automated tests, and scaling applications—without having to worry about the underlying technology. In addition, cloud operations allow for rapid processes that are well suited to DevOps methodologies. For example, continuous integration (CI) and continuous deployment (CD) tools can be used to quickly test changes before they're deployed into production. And because cloud services are always available, problems can be fixed quickly without any long-term impact on system performance or availability.

#4 – Scripting

A good DevOps engineer must be proficient in several programming or scripting languages. This is because DevOps relies heavily on automation, which means that scripts and programs must run reliably and efficiently. Additionally, many DevOps tasks are carried out using automated tools, so it’s important that the engineer has a good understanding of how these work. Some common scripting languages used in DevOps include Python, Ruby, and JavaScript.

#5 – Testing

Software testing has come a long way over the years, evolving from manual processes to automated ones. This evolution was spurred on by the rise of Agile development methodologies, which encouraged teams to test their software frequently and in an iterative manner. As a result, modern software testing is much more sophisticated than it used to be. It's essential that DevOps Engineers understand how it works in order to ensure quality code deployments.

Additional Thoughts

The skills described above are just a sample of the arsenal of tools DevOps Engineers must have at their disposal. Other skills include security, monitoring, continuous integration, and more. Needless to say, DevOps engineering is a demanding vocation, which also makes it a highly sought-after and well paid job. As more and more enterprises migrate to cloud computing, DevOps engineering is a symbiotic role that is one of the fastest growing and under-served jobs in the tech industry.

DevOps Engineers are also highly portable, meaning they will find many opportunities to work remotely. If you are thinking about a remote tech career that is challenging, on the cutting edge of innovation, and in high demand, DevOps engineering may be an excellent fit for you.

RemoteMode offers a DevOps Engineer track to prepare you with all the essential skills required to pivot to a DevOps job. Along with top-notch training, you can also earn CompTIA certifications. Potential employers are always on the lookout for talented candidates with industry-recognized certifications that demonstrate your mastery of the required skill sets.

Contact a RemoteMode career counselor today to learn how quickly you can get the skills you need and the certifications employers want to launch you into an exciting DevOps Engineer career.