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DevOps Roles and Skills

Table of contents​

  1. The evolution of roles
  2. Typical DevOps roles
  3. Technical skills
  4. Soft skills
  5. Career path
  6. Certifications

1 - The evolution of roles​

Traditional organization​

DevOps organization​

The myth of the "DevOps Engineer"​

warning

"DevOps Engineer" is not a role defined in the original DevOps philosophy. DevOps is a culture, not a job title.

However, the market created this role to designate engineers specialized in DevOps practices.

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2 - Typical DevOps roles​

DevOps Engineer​

Responsible for setting up and maintaining DevOps practices.

ResponsibilityDetail
CI/CDDesign and maintenance of pipelines
IaCAutomated infrastructure
AutomationScripting and tooling
CollaborationBridge between Dev and Ops

Site Reliability Engineer (SRE)​

Focused on the reliability of production systems.

AspectDescription
SLODefine reliability objectives
On-callHandle incidents
AutomationReduce toil (repetitive work)
CapacityResource planning

Platform Engineer​

Builds the internal platform for developers.

Cloud Engineer​

Specialist in one or more cloud providers.

CloudCertification
AWSSolutions Architect
AzureAdministrator
GCPProfessional Cloud Architect

Release Manager​

Coordinates releases and deployments.

Security Engineer (DevSecOps)​

Integrates security into the DevOps pipeline.

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3 - Technical skills​

Skills matrix​

Skills by level​

LevelExpected skills
JuniorLinux basics, Git, scripting, Docker
MidCI/CD, IaC, Cloud, Kubernetes basics
SeniorArchitecture, Security, Multi-cloud
LeadStrategy, Team management, Budget

Linux and systems​

Essential Linux skills:

DomainExamples
AdministrationUsers, permissions, services
NetworkingTCP/IP, DNS, firewalls
StorageFilesystems, LVM, NFS
Performancetop, vmstat, iostat
ScriptingBash, Python

Scripting and programming​

tip

Python is the Swiss army knife of DevOps. Master it as a priority.

Cloud computing​

The big three:

ProviderStrengths
AWSLeader, most services
AzureMicrosoft integration
GCPKubernetes, Big Data

Containers and orchestration​

Recommended progression:

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4 - Soft skills​

DevOps soft skills​

SkillImportance
CommunicationBridge between teams
CollaborationTeamwork
Problem-solvingIncident resolution
AdaptabilityChanging technologies
EmpathyUnderstanding needs

Communication​

The DevOps Engineer must speak the language of each stakeholder.

Continuous learning​

note

The DevOps ecosystem evolves constantly. A DevOps professional must devote time to continuous learning.

Ways to learn:

  • Technology watch
  • Conferences (DevOpsDays, KubeCon)
  • Hands-on labs
  • Certifications
  • Communities

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5 - Career path​

Typical progression​

Possible specializations​

SpecializationFocus
SREReliability, on-call
Platform EngineeringDeveloper Experience
Cloud ArchitectureCloud-native design
Security (DevSecOps)Integrated security

Indicative salaries (France, 2024)​

LevelAnnual salary
Junior (0-2 years)€38-45K
Confirmed (2-5 years)€45-60K
Senior (5-8 years)€60-80K
Lead/Staff (8+ years)€80-120K
info

These figures vary depending on the region (Paris vs regions), the company size, and the sector.

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6 - Certifications​

Certification details​

CertificationVendorLevel
AWS Solutions Architect AssociateAWSIntermediate
CKA (Certified Kubernetes Admin)CNCFIntermediate
Terraform AssociateHashiCorpBeginner
Azure AdministratorMicrosoftIntermediate
GCP Professional Cloud ArchitectGoogleAdvanced

Value of certifications​

BenefitDescription
ValidationProof of skills
RecruitmentFilter for recruiters
LearningStructures the acquisition
SalaryCan increase compensation
warning

Certifications validate theoretical knowledge. Practical experience remains paramount for recruiters.

Learning resources​

TypeExamples
PlatformsUdemy, A Cloud Guru, Linux Academy
LabsKodeKloud, Katacoda
DocumentationOfficial docs
Personal projectsHome lab, open source contributions

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Key takeaways​

  • DevOps evolved traditional roles toward more collaboration
  • SRE and Platform Engineering are specializations in high demand
  • Technical skills cover Linux, Cloud, Containers, IaC
  • Soft skills are as important as technical skills
  • Continuous learning is indispensable in this field
  • Certifications are a plus, not an end in themselves

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