How to Become DevOps: Education Requirements and Career Path

Although various companies may have their expectations and job requirements for a DevOps position, a decent working definition of a DevOps engineer is a technical expert who follows a software development approach that combines development and operations. The main duty of a DevOps engineer is to supervise software code releases to accomplish corporate goals.

DevOps' role appeared from the agile development concept, which promotes a more collaborative approach to software development. It encourages continual interactions and feedback between team members and stakeholders as they work to build and improve the software.

For people outside the IT industry, this role may seem a bit conflicting, they would not know whether DevOps is more of a manager or a tech expert. So, let’s take a look at what education and skills are required for you to become a DevOps professional and what your career path may look like by taking a DevOps certification training course.

Recommended Read: Linux & Devops books you should read

Also Read: Why Linux & DevOps go hand in hand

Do You Need a Degree to Become a DevOps?

Even though DevOps is a career path in the IT industry, it is quite different from a software developer or any other career deeply rooted in coding. DevOps deals with various operations during the software development process and often takes a supervisory role and becomes an intermediary between different as well as between the client and the company.

That is why a deep understanding of the underlying fundamentals of IT and computer science is a prerequisite for becoming a successful DevOps.

DevOps engineers generally begin with a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or a similar discipline of information technology. A degree in mathematics can also offer the groundwork for furthering one's career in DevOps engineering. For US specialists, doing their degree in Canada or Europe can be a great chance to save up on student loans and take advantage of cultural exchange and networking opportunities.

And while a future DevOps is focused on acquiring exceptional software development abilities, a legit Canadian essay writing service can help deal with all the paperwork and extra-credit writing assignments. For many tech experts, it is quite challenging to excel in creative writing so such tasks can be left for professionals to save some time. 

What Skills are Required for DevOps to Succeed?

DevOps engineers must be analytically strong in order to analyze application performance and identify any necessary changes. These engineers must also have strong problem-solving abilities in order to address any defects or difficulties that arise throughout the application testing phases. DevOps engineers will require good communication skills to interact with coworkers and teach junior staff.

=This is not an ultimate list of skills required for a successful career as DevOps. Understanding major DevOps tools alone can be a hard task to tackle, let alone developing empathy and communication skills required for this profession.

However, despite the difficult path to become a DevOps, this career has been among the top 5 best jobs in America, according to the Glassdoor report, for over 5 years. And the demand for such specialists is growing with each passing year as DevOps are required for successful teamwork and product launch and development. 

How to Build a Career as a DevOps?

The most typical career path for becoming a DevOps will start with one becoming a Release Manager, then move up to DevOps Test Engineer, DevOps Cloud Engineer, and finally, a DevOps Architect. However, basically, any engineer with the required skills and knowledge can train to become a DevOps.

According to the DICE 2019 Tech Pay Report, the average yearly salary for a DevOps engineer in 2019 is more than $110,000 (USD). Of course, this figure will vary depending on the location, position, company, and skillset a candidate has to offer. However, DevOps experts may have lucrative compensation and significant rewards because it is a demanding position that requires various skillsets and is in great demand. 

So, if you've been working in jobs like system developer or software engineer for a few years and want to advance with a career in DevOps, now is a wonderful moment to start working on acquiring the required skills and advancing your tech knowledge.

You may obtain a DevOps certification by taking a variety of DevOps courses online. These courses contain industry projects that will allow you to acquire hands-on experience and learn how to be a great DevOps engineer.