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Organizations are moving to DevOps because it can help them streamline software development and stay ahead of the competition. However, this trend brings with it an increased demand for qualified professionals with the skills necessary to make DevOps work.
For this reason, many technology workers are considering a career in DevOps — in part because they see it as a lucrative career path, but also because they recognize the increasing importance of DevOps in application delivery and want to be on the frontlines of this movement.
Before embarking on a career in DevOps, however, candidates should ask themselves several important questions about becoming a DevOps practitioner.
More organizations than ever are recognizing the benefits that DevOps can bring to their development efforts, and this has led to a growing need for qualified individuals who have the skills and commitment necessary to put DevOps theories into practice. But it can be difficult to find DevOps professionals to fill the gap. In all likelihood, this will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future. According to a recent Allied Market Research report, the DevOps market is projected to reach $9.4 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 18.7% from 2017 to 2023.
Based on this projected growth, there should be plenty of DevOps jobs to go around in the next few years, with opportunities in a variety of roles — whether as developer, tester, release manager, DevOps engineer or other positions. The bigger question might be whether a candidate is a good fit for DevOps, not only in terms of technical skills, but also soft skills. These include communication, collaboration, empathy and willingness to learn — all of which are essential to successfully participating in a DevOps effort. For anyone with the right qualifications, however, the field is wide open.
A career in DevOps is not for the faint of heart. It’s a demanding undertaking that requires skilled professionals who know how to solve problems and work in a team setting. DevOps practitioners must be able to adapt to changing circumstances, collaborate with colleagues and empathize with customers and other stakeholders. Before deciding on a career in DevOps, candidates should have a clear sense of the DevOps job market and what it takes to be a DevOps professional. The following seven questions can help them get started with this process.
This might seem like a trick question, but DevOps means different things to different people, so candidates should have a clear understanding of what DevOps means — and what it doesn’t mean — before proceeding any further with their career ambitions.
When candidates understand why DevOps is important to an organization, they can better prepare for a DevOps career by aligning themselves with common goals. This begins with understanding the problems that DevOps is trying to solve, including:
DevOps helps address these issues by improving operations throughout the application development lifecycle. Applications are delivered faster and more efficiently. Problems are easier to resolve because operations are broken into smaller steps and all team members have a stake in application delivery. By understanding what DevOps can do for an organization, candidates can better target their skill sets and adjust their mindsets toward a DevOps way of thinking.
Candidates who are considering a career in DevOps undoubtedly want to know whether there’s a demand for DevOps practitioners. As the following data suggests, there will likely be a continued need for DevOps talent in the foreseeable future.
Organizations clearly believe they can benefit from DevOps, as evidenced by the growing demand for DevOps professionals. But that doesn’t mean technology workers should necessarily choose a career in DevOps. That said, there are several good reasons why a DevOps career is worth serious consideration, including:
A DevOps team is made up of skilled professionals who work closely together but carry out different roles or are cross-trained to perform multiple roles. The roles might vary from one team to the next, or they might go by different names, but they can all play an important part in the DevOps effort. Some of the more common DevOps roles include the following:
A DevOps professional must be willing to break away from a traditional siloed mindset and become a generalist who embraces a broader skill set. Although each DevOps role is unique, there are several general DevOps skills that every candidate should possess, including:
There’s no single formula for how candidates get started in DevOps careers, but here are a few guidelines to help get the process started.
DevOps is all about building cross-discipline teams, moving beyond comfort zones and prioritizing communication and collaboration over siloed thinking and behavior, which are skills that can benefit any technology worker. DevOps professionals must be open to new ideas and willing to continuously learn and improve how they approach application development and delivery. The DevOps methodology is still relatively young and continues to evolve and mature. There are no formal career paths to becoming a DevOps professional, but there are plenty of opportunities for those willing to make the necessary commitment.
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