Today, DevOps engineers are increasingly common within tech teams and company hierarchies. While that clarifies that those specializing in DevOps can find opportunities with greater ease, it isn’t always easy to see how that could impact other technologists.
Many tech professionals are trying to figure out if they’ll need DevOps skills to stay ahead in their field. Similarly, candidates with DevOps experience may wonder if those capabilities help them stand out from the competition and get ahead.
If you’re wondering if DevOps skills could benefit your technologist career regardless of your specialty, here’s what you need to know.
Understanding DevOps
First, it’s important to understand what DevOps is and how it fits into the technology world. In many ways, DevOps is simply a set of best practices and tools designed to bring two parts of an organization together. Often, the goal of DevOps is to enhance development efficiency using a cross-departmental approach, ensuring a broader array of organizational needs are factored in along the way.
Increasing Demand for DevOps Skills
Since DevOps can break down operational silos and bolster development efficiency, an increasing number of companies are bringing in candidates with DevOps skills. Along with hiring professionals in DevOps-oriented roles, they also favor job seekers in adjacent positions with DevOps capabilities.
For example, project managers, software engineers, and web developers are increasingly being asked about their DevOps skills. Hiring managers are focusing more heavily on those capabilities because those with prior DevOps experience will have an easier time thriving in an environment that embraces those strategies.
By honing the right DevOps skills, you make yourself a more attractive candidate. Additionally, since DevOps is becoming a greater priority at more companies, it could ensure your career longevity.
Developing DevOps Skills
Any technologist can benefit from developing their DevOps skills. Typically, you’ll want to begin by studying DevOps terminology. That way, you can more actively participate in team discussions.
After that, review common DevOps processes and approaches, particularly when it comes to planning, building, testing, packaging, and releasing. Familiarizing yourself with Git can also be a wise move, particularly as you’re acquiring your DevOps foundation.
Along with learning the core parts of the methodology, it’s wise to explore capabilities and tools that are commonly used in DevOps environments. For example, Ansible and Kubernetes are popular in DevOps environments, so they are worth exploring.
Once you hone your capabilities, you may want to go the extra mile and get a DevOps certification. While they can be challenging to earn, having one can undoubtedly set you apart from the competition. As a result, you may be able to get further in your career faster.
If you’d like to learn more about why adding DevOps skills is an intelligent decision or are seeking out new opportunities that will let you put those capabilities to work, the team at The Squires Group can help. Contact us to speak with one of our recruiters today.