Working as a DevOps Engineer: Exadel Tips

As DevOps roles gain prominence, understanding the career path and preparation steps can make a difference. Here’s a comprehensive look into the life of a DevOps Engineer, enriched by insights from experts at Exadel.

What is DevOps Engineering?

DevOps Engineering goes beyond job responsibilities—it’s a methodology that unites development and operations to streamline software delivery and improve quality. This software engineering practice aims to unify software development (Dev) with software operation (Ops).

By embracing DevOps, organizations can achieve rapid releases of small features, enable continuous delivery, and significantly reduce errors and downtime. The practice merges the daily tasks of software development, quality control, deployment, and integration into a single, continuous set of processes.

At Exadel, our DevOps Engineers drive innovation in CI/CD pipelines, delivering efficient, high-performance solutions to our clients.

Key Responsibilities

DevOps engineers are responsible for implementing and maintaining the methodology’s approach within the organization. By overseeing the software development process from start to finish, they aim to ensure that everything works continuously, rapidly, and without bugs.

DevOps Engineers at Exadel are pivotal in enhancing collaboration between development and operations. By overseeing the software development process from start to finish, they aim to ensure that everything works continuously, rapidly, and without bugs. A DevOps Engineer working in a tech company should be an IT generalist, crucial in bridging the gap between development and operations.

Responsibilities typically include:

• Leading cross-functional collaboratio
• Managing CI/CD practices
• Conducting protocol testing and performance monitoring
• Overseeing security and deploymentSenior DevOps Engineers often contribute to strategic planning, leveraging insights to enhance project execution.

Senior DevOps Engineers often contribute to strategic planning, leveraging insights to enhance project execution.

Building a Career in DevOps: Certifications and Skills

Certifications are a critical part of a DevOps Engineer’s career development. The most sought-after certifications in this field are AWS Certified DevOps Engineer and the Microsoft Certified DevOps Engineer Expert.

At Exadel, AWS and Azure training are fundamental for our DevOps specialists. These certifications asses code development skills, understanding of modern development and operations processes, ability to implement and manage CI/CD systems, competence in automating security controls and compliance validation, and knowledge in defining and deploying monitoring, metrics, and logging systems within AWS or Azure environments.

Career Progression by Experience Level

Junior DevOps Engineers

Start with a foundation in system or network administration, basic CI/CD tools, and scripting.

To enter the profession, you should have a minimum of technical experience. It’s necessary to have some successful experience as a system or network administrator, experience with operating systems (Linux and Windows), an understanding of the way networks and services like DNS, DHCP, VPN and Firewall work, and an understanding of the basics of algorithmization and programming. A successful candidate should also have experience working on version control systems, basic knowledge of CI/CD tools, and experience writing scripts.

The more a candidate understands these areas and the more experience he or she has, the easier and faster it will be to progress in training.

Middle DevOps Engineers

Build on core skills with CI/CD proficiency, containerization, and cloud experience.

A Middle DevOps Engineer should have more advanced skills and approximately 3+ years of professional experience. Key requirements are proficiency with operating systems, databases, web servers, and application deployment using CI/CD tools, a strong understanding of network systems and configuration, experience in containerization, orchestration, and configuration management, and experience with IaC and cloud environments. Scripting experience and skills in languages such as Python, PowerShell, or Bash are necessary.

Senior DevOps Engineers

Advanced expertise in IaC, container clusters, and large-scale integration defines this role, requiring collaboration across teams to create impactful solutions.

A Senior DevOps Engineer needs to be able to work with both internal and external customers to gather and understand requirements and work with other Software/Data Engineers, Product Managers, and Data Scientists on the design and implementation details to achieve high-quality automation software to support the development, test, and production operations. You need a passion for complex problems and enjoy the challenge of operating in sophisticated integrations, events, and data streaming architectures. You will be a technical expert with significant scope and impact in this role.

Key requirements would be advanced experience with IaC and deploying infrastructure through code, expertise in creating and managing containerization clusters, a deep understanding of Kubernetes and Docker Swarm, proficiency in scripting languages, and mastery of CI/CD practices.

Preparing for Your Interview

To prepare effectively, ensure you have a solid grasp of fundamental concepts and technologies used throughout DevOps practices. Use examples from your past work to illustrate your skills and problem-solving abilities. Before the interview, try to stay updated on the latest trends in the fields, to show your interest and expertise during the conversation. Be ready for a practical part of the interview, such as live coding and problem solving sessions.

By understanding the responsibilities and expectations at each level and preparing for common interview questions, you can confidently pursue a career as a DevOps Engineer.

Join Exadel and take your skills to the next level

At Exadel, we are always looking for talented DevOps Engineers to join our global team. We offer a modern, innovative work environment, opportunities for professional growth, and a comprehensive benefits program. If you are passionate about DevOps and eager to make a significant impact, consider joining us at Exadel.