Life rules of a DevOps Engineer

“I have no regrets about changing my profession...” 

I chose to become a DevOps engineer because I have always been enthusiastic about technology and personal development, and DevOps is the occupation that combines both. 

Thanks to DevOps, I had the chance to work, exchange opinions and interact with some truly amazing people who share my enthusiasm for DevOps. 

You probably wouldn't believe it, but I recently turned 46, and it didn't stop me from dramatically changing my profession, which I have no regrets about. 

The hardest and, at the same time, the most exciting part of my job is adapting to the fast pace of technological change and constantly learning new skills and tools. 

I don't like it when a lack of communication and collaboration in the DevOps process leads to bottlenecks, delays, errors, and blame-shifting, which promotes a culture of distrust. 

My perfect working day is a day that fills me with a sense of joy because I have made progress toward my goals and contributed, even in a small way, to our team's efforts. 

«DevOps reminds me of a choir...» 

DevOps is a dynamic field that demands continuous learning and adaptation to new technologies and industry standards. What I appreciate most about it is the chance to explore and enhance my skills in utilizing these emerging technologies. 

Every day I learn something new about DevOps, whether it is a tool, a technique, best practice, or just some bits and pieces, and then I use this knowledge to improve my skills.  

DevOps reminds me of a choir (I have some experience singing in a choir), where everyone sings their part but, at the same time, works together to create a beautiful harmonious performance. 

A system administrator is not the same as a DevOps engineer, although they may be a role on a DevOps team. Managing servers, monitoring system performance, and troubleshooting may fall under the remit of both system administrators and DevOps engineers. DevOps, however, focuses on enhancing software delivery efficiency, reliability, and speed through collaboration, automation, and continuous improvement. 

I don't believe that ChatGPT will replace DevOps engineers because the DevOps field includes a wide range of tasks that require a combination of technical, analytical, and communication skills. While ChatGPT can help with some of these tasks, such as process automation or providing information about system performance, it cannot replace the experience and critical thinking skills required of a DevOps engineer. 

“In fact, a dead end is your point of growth…” 

I continue to learn through experimentation and research, which helps me uncover new possibilities and skills. And I learn from my colleagues, who provide insightful opinions and ideas on various topics and problems. 

Maintaining a work-life balance is essential. In my spare time, I do things that bring joy and allow me to unwind. I go hiking, do yoga, run marathons, and always find time for my loved ones. 

As I see it, there are three components to achieving success as a beginner in a profession: 

• Learn Agile methodologies that prioritize collaboration, flexibility, and continuous improvement. 
• Be ready to continuously learn and acquire new skills, especially regarding emerging technologies. 
• Become familiar with automation tools like Azure DevOps and Jenkins, which can improve process optimization, reduce errors, and boost overall effectiveness. 

Grow even if you're stuck. In fact, a dead end is your point of growth and opportunity for exploration. It's daunting, which is fine, but we can view it as a watershed in our personal development (especially since it's excellent for forming new neural connections). By adopting this perspective, we can change our mindset and find new ways to progress. Start taking online courses and attending seminars. That way, you can study the problem, discuss it with like-minded people and look at it from a different angle. 

Here are a few helpful resources to get you started with DevOps: 

• I worked as an instructor at the Cisco Academy and know their networking courses are good. As a DevOps engineer, you should be familiar with networking, so I recommend Cisco’s free platform, where you can learn all the necessary skills. 
• Working on a DevOps team requires a strong understanding of Agile, so I suggest you check out the free course on Agile with Jira on Coursera. 
• Take a closer look at the Linux Foundation free courses on Jenkins, Linux, Git, SRE and DevOps, Kubernetes, and Cloud Infrastructure. 
• My Learning2Learn community will help you become more aware of your learning process and preferences and discover a passion for learning. 
• Contributors to Cloud Way! community for the DevOps Essentials & Fundamentals students regularly hold events and share practical materials for beginners in the profession. 

And if you, like Emil, believe it’s never too late to change your profession, sign up for our DevOps training program!