In-Demand DevOps Roles: Building A Successful Career In Tech
DevOps is a cultural shift from a conventional web development environment to a more advanced process that meets consumer's needs effectively. The term DevOps is a fusion of development and operations, coined by Patric Debo in 2009. The primary aim of DevOps is to develop a continuous life cycle of development and deployment of software.
Software development is a continuous, never-ending process, since new applications are developed to add new features and remove some. A DevOps team is built on top of the software development processes. A person, usually a DevOps manager, sits on the top and manages the team with experts in both technical and non-technical expertise.
Although there is no perfect way of DevOps, every company implements it as per their requirements. However, most organizations implement DevOps to automate the entire process. In most organizations, there are a variety of roles in DevOps that help you develop a career in tech. Let us explore them all.
DevOps Release Manager
A release manager is a seasoned expert in software development with at least 3 to 4 years of expertise in the field. They possess a deep understanding of the lifecycle of software development and deployment.
A DevOps release manager needs to have good communication skills, and they need to communicate with both technical and management professionals involved in the project. In addition, a release manager is also responsible for overseeing multiple projects, managing several pipelines, and ensuring meeting deadlines.
DevOps or Platform Engineer
A DevOps engineer is responsible for supporting the infrastructure of the platform, and the role encompasses the development and various other managed services. The engineer is also responsible for managing and maintaining infrastructure, and automating the provisioning and configuration processes. They also collaborate with all the teams working on the project and optimize the infrastructure for performance and cost efficiency.
The Software Tester
The role of software tester is to test the developed software, app or website. They are responsible for performing unit testing, deployment, and monitoring. This role is a bit more expanded than a traditional software developer, as it involves more responsibilities than merely writing codes.
The duties of a software tester include testing the code for new products, new features, bug fixes, and updates. Also, they ensure that all the lines of code meet business requirements. In addition, the software developer/tester is responsible for performing unit testing, deployments, and monitoring product performance.
DevOps Testing Professional
DevOps testing professionals create automated test cases for applications while they are in their development phase. The highest-paying DevOps jobs require you to have 2 to 3 years of expertise in software testing. In addition, proficiency in working with tools like Selenium, Silktest, and Cucumber is like a cherry on the cake in automated DevOps testing.
A DevOps testing professional handles the process of creating automated tests for apps under development, planning testing strategies, managing testing environments, and reporting any bugs to the development team.
Software Developer
Software developers are responsible for writing the code for the development of apps and websites. If a person wants to become a software developer in companies using DevOps technologies, he or she should have 2 to 3 years of expertise in writing high-quality codes. In addition, they should have a deep understanding of algorithms and data structure.
They should have worked with web development tools and should be familiar with various phases of the development process. Professionals who want to become a DevOps developer should have a relevant certification to show in the interviews as proof of their knowledge and expertise.
DevOps Lead
Ever heard of a DevOps Lead? Well, they're the ones who keep the DevOps engine running smoothly. Their job? Managing the entire DevOps cycle, making sure everything clicks. Plus, the role plays a vital role in creating a great career in tech with specialization in DevOps.
A DevOps Lead is like the quarterback of the team. They've got 3–4 years of experience in the field, so they know their stuff. These folks are wizards with all those fancy automation tools that everyone's talking about. And guess what? They're in charge of keeping both production and non-production settings up and running.
DevOps Evangelist
Now, DevOps might sound like old news to some, but there are still plenty of companies out there who haven't implemented DevOps in their culture. That's where a DevOps Evangelist steps in. A DevOps Evangelist is a person that guides companies to incorporate DevOps in their work.
An Evangelist can be an employee or consultant holding an upper-level position in the company. The role needs authority as it needs to develop a DevOps implementation plan and convince the tech people in charge about how DevOps will give better results.
The Automation Architect
Meet the Automation Architect, a key player in the DevOps game. Their job is to create slick processes that cut down on boring manual tasks. What do they do exactly? Well, they design and implement strategies to automate those pesky manual tasks. And they're like treasure hunters, always on the hunt for the perfect DevOps tools to fit the job.
You might think about how to be an automation architect or DevOps tester. The good news is that you can take up a course in any of these DevOps roles after getting a computer graduation degree. You can enroll for free in the Coursera courses that offer you complete training and also offer a certificate on successful completion of the course. Such courses with certificates offer you an advantage over others in interviews and take your career in tech to the next level.
Product Manager
DevOps is a bit of a matchmaker, bringing operations and development together. The Product manager plays a key role in the DevOps work. They're the ones with a foot in both camps, combining organizational and managerial skills to make projects shine. Their secret? Working hand in hand with Build and Release Managers, security wizards, and data experts.
How These Roles Team Up and Work
In the DevOps world, these six roles are like a well-oiled machine. They work together seamlessly, sharing the load from development to deployment and beyond. A DevOps crew can supercharge product quality and speed up time to market. That means happier customers and a more collaborative journey in the world of software development and delivery.
Summing Up
If you're thinking of diving into the DevOps universe, and create a career in tech, you're in good company. Most people in DevOps either started as sysadmins who picked up some coding skills or coders who got a taste of system administration. If you want to work in a DevOps environment, you need to take specialized training in any of its areas.
