DevOps Career Roadmap for Beginners – You won’t be lost after watching this (2024)

You might be wondering where you currently are in your DevOps and cloud computing journey. You’ve been provisioning services, creating resources on platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), and perhaps writing Terraform scripts. Yet, you might feel lost, unsure of what you’re doing or how to connect the dots. If that resonates with you, watch this video to the end as I clarify why you’re provisioning these services on cloud platforms and how to navigate through them effectively.

Why Are Companies Moving to the Cloud?

If you’re studying DevOps and wondering about the purpose behind using specific services, let’s start with the big picture: why are companies adopting the cloud?

Most organizations aim for on-demand services. Instead of incurring high costs for setting up physical infrastructure, they prefer provisioning resources on cloud platforms, paying only for what they use – a concept known as the pay-as-you-go model. This flexibility allows businesses to scale their resources efficiently without heavy upfront investments in hardware.

Additionally, cloud platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud provide foundational services that help businesses manage their critical applications. Understanding these foundational services is essential for any aspiring cloud engineer.

Foundational Services in Cloud Platforms

Foundational services form the building blocks of cloud platforms. Here’s an overview:

1. Networking Services
   Companies can create virtual private networks (VPNs) or isolated networks within the cloud. For instance, in AWS, services like Amazon VPC allow businesses to build secure and private networks tailored to their needs.
2. Compute Services
   Organizations need scalable compute resources to handle application workloads. AWS EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud), for example, is a key service that enables businesses to provision and manage compute resources efficiently.
3. Storage Services
   Businesses generate terabytes or even petabytes of data. Cloud platforms provide secure and scalable storage solutions, such as Amazon S3, that ensure data integrity and accessibility.
4. Security and Compliance
   Securing cloud resources is critical. Tools like AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) allow organizations to manage access to their resources effectively.
5. Account Governance
   Large enterprises often manage multiple accounts and environments. Services like AWS Control Tower and AWS Organizations help govern these accounts at scale, ensuring compliance and centralized management.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Another critical aspect of cloud computing is Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Companies aim to automate resource provisioning across environments, making their infrastructure reusable and consistent. Tools like Terraform and AWS CloudFormation enable DevOps engineers to write code that automates the deployment of resources, saving time and reducing errors.

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

Businesses frequently update their applications to meet changing requirements. To ensure smooth transitions from development to production, they rely on CI/CD pipelines. As a DevOps engineer, you should be familiar with tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, and AWS CodePipeline, which help automate the integration and deployment processes.

Microservices and Containers

Many companies adopt microservices architecture to build scalable applications. Managing these architectures involves using containers and container orchestration tools like Docker and Kubernetes. Mastery of container management—creating, monitoring, and scaling containers—is crucial for managing modern applications.

Hands-On Experience

Once you’ve mastered the theoretical aspects of cloud computing and DevOps, focus on practical hands-on exercises. Cloud platforms often provide free tiers or practice labs to help you experiment with foundational services, IaC, CI/CD, and container orchestration tools. Practical experience will boost your confidence and improve your understanding of real-world scenarios.

Preparing for Job Interviews

After acquiring the necessary skills, you may wonder: “Am I ready for a job?” Remember, interviewing is a skill in itself. As you apply for roles, expect multiple rounds of interviews that assess your technical knowledge, problem-solving abilities, and understanding of business requirements. Don’t hesitate to start taking interviews—even if you’re unsure—because each one provides valuable learning opportunities.

The journey to becoming a successful DevOps or cloud engineer requires continuous learning, practice, and resilience. Build your skills, apply for roles, and actively participate in interviews. Within a reasonable time frame, you’ll find yourself in a rewarding position.