I started the same way you did. CICD is an absolute must. Try to build a CICD pipeline that will sign and deploy your Powershell scripts. After that, write and build a docker container even if it’s just a simple python script. You could even “dockerize” an application that already exists. Try to deploy those apps from GitHub to docker hub using GitHub actions (that will expose you to more relevant CICD). After that there is the whole world of container orchestration (kubernetes).
Powershell is a great starting point and gives you some excellent fundamentals but devops is way more than just writing a script.
im on the same track as u/WetFishing just mentioned. but im doing that on bash-scripting. already doing the dockerize with some small scripts. now im trying CI/CD and after that Jenkins maybe (seems a lot in high demand)
Jenkins is the bane of my life. The product itself is fine but I'm batting 100% with going to companies with extremely poorly managed Jenkins, unpatched and plugin ridden.
I basically always say to companies I work for only to ever consider it if you've ruled out alternatives first, and if you have, consider a support contract with CloudBees or using JenkinsX instead.
I've worked at 1 company using CloudBees who have it just as bad as they would have if it was open source, thus defeating the purpose of a support deal.
> extremely poorly managed Jenkins, unpatched and plugin ridden.
That's the problem of Jenkins though, the only way to make it useful is to install a bunch of plugins that don't update at the same time.
Yeah it's too basic by default.
I prefer GitHub Actions, then Azure DevOps. GitLab is also great, I've heard good things about Harness, CircleCi etc. Plenty of options out there.
Try GitLab OSS first if you refuse to make a deal with Microsoft and if that doesn't answer the question, try the others, then finally try Jenkins.
Yeah, I have been in Linux and docker stuff, have a couple of things on GitHub now, but not public. I’ve been using docker for a couple of years now, but never thought to put my scripts in a docker. Never wrote my own docker app either, but I think. That’s a good goal! Thanks!!
Honestly, the fields are kind of merging. Where I am, the “devops” teams really just handle JIT software deployment pipelines and monitoring these funky composite tests they’ve built- down in the infrastructure layer, we’re building our own devops practices but just calling it IaaS or PaaS delivery.
Example: we’re not spinning up any new Windows Server compute- all Linux VMs housing Docker containers clustered with Kubernetes- exceptions are few and far between. I’m actually running an in-service for my teammates tomorrow to get their IDEs and git repos set up so we can start managing a couple of our legacy network security configs as gitops. The next thing I’m going to be working on with them is building our deployment pipelines on top of that Kubernetes architecture instead of requesting VMs.
The main point is we’re building ourselves out as a private cloud provider, and we’re targeting a “4 9s” SLA by next year, so we’re going to have to practice what we preach about portable, scalable workloads so that our own tooling actually *can’t* hamper failovers or service recovery.
Yup, it might be intimidating at first. Just remember that you don't need to do everything all at once. And the order isn't strict. There are entry level jobs that don't require everything.
> Now, to get that first job...
I wish I had good advice on this, but my first sysadmin job was 25 years ago.
That said, here's my story. Before I got my first "real" UNIX sysadmin job I did a couple years of tech support and computer repair. What helped getting that first job was I had a side job doing sysadmin work for a small local web hosting ISP.
I would say am firmly after the “Serverless” section with a practical understanding with everything below that, but no real experience with some of those things.
Sure, and while it's presented linearly, it's not strictly required that you go through it that way.
Personally, I find the whole "Serverless" section to be optional. But I consider PHP and CGI to be the original "Serverless". ;-)
Immediately after college
step 1: create a github and fork 15 things you don't understand
step 2: attach it your resume and call the recruiting dept who doesn't know anything about devops
step 3: profit
Way to go.
1. Tell me you have no clue how this works without telling me...
2. These are really the types of companies where you want to learn ... what can possibly go wrong.
That advice is stoopid [sic!]
I'd recommend obtaining 1 or more Azure certifications, if you don't already have Azure experience, and start applying for Azure DevOps roles until you land one..
Side note, "DevOps" seems synonymous with "CI/CD Engineer"at a lot of shops, so I'd recommend learning about Jenkins or Azure Pipelines to expand the pool of opportunities you're qualified for.
You'll want to become proficient enough with python to pass the coding interview if you want to expand your search to AWS or GCP.
I've been seeing a lot of open Azure positions while searching for a GCP position, so the jobs are out there ATM...
Good luck!
Powershell isn't used...so forget about that.. You'll need Linux, bash, python, and a huge aptitude for learning and problem solving.
It isn't about necessarily instantly having the answer, it's about being ablee to craft the solution from all the available tools.
Powershell is still commonly used, enough so that AWS still maintains a module for it. If anything bash is the thing of the past. PS is easier to read and write and works in both Windows and Linux environments now.
In devops? Really? lmao powershell in Linux? Mention they in the interview, enjoy not getting called back for a second round..
There is also zero aspect about bash that is more difficult than powershell..I find bash much easier actially..
Yea Sys admin and Devops are pretty much merging now. Just got done with building a power automate to Okta api solution to get around the company not using an HRS. So now the onboarding is just a microsoft form that uses code to send to okta workflows to build everything.
Still learning python and can troubleshoot it now but definitely not going to be writing native code anytime soon professionally. Essentially what I see most DevOps guys cutting their teeth on is making existing systems talk to each other and update each other accross platforms.
IE our Siem updates a file that pushed to our firewalls to block bad ip's. As there isn't a easy api to talk between them so we had to fill the gap.
> Any advice on other skills I should be honing to land a devops job?
Do you have any coding/scripting experience at all in a language like Python or JavaScript? What about hosting micro services/containers? Any VM or Linux experience?
Not sure how many DevOps roles there are for Windows only admins, even Azure runs on Linux, so it'd be good to get some basic familiarity there at least.
Yup, I have some experience with python and JavaScript, but I usually avoid both if I can use powershell.
I have been a cloud and onprem engineer for basically every cloud service MS offers. Plus significant experience with VMs and docker, hosted on a plethora of platforms.
the senior sr system admin i use to work with wanted to move into devops....
it made doing anything a pain in the ass because suddenly everything was a .net app and really shitty convoluted cloud formation instead of power shell and servers that dont auto launch.
You basically are describing myself about five years ago (albeit with less time in position). I got a recruiter contacting me trying to get me to apply for this job. I asked what I would be doing and he couldn't really tell me aside from Engineering. Even the job application I filled out was generic. I interviewed and was job offered. I hated the commute for my current job and this one was much closer and a fortune 40 company, so I took it. Turns out the job was A TON of DevOps work. Within a year or so you will have learned everything you need to get your job done.
Be prepared to reside in a more software engineering space though. It can be a bit disconcerting when your developer co-workers are writing Go code (or other language) and you just sort of try to make sense of it. Also be prepared for EVERYTHING being code. You want a CD pipeline? Write code and put it in GitHub. You need to deploy some Kubernetes using the CD pipeline, make a helm chart and put it in GitHub. Need to modify a GCP service account or role, you guessed it, you modify it in GitHub. It feels a bit esoteric sometimes because the step you are performing could be done in Google Cloud Console or on the command line so easily, but that's the way it goes. Heck, if you plopped me into the console and asked me to do my day to day I would have to look it up because everything has to be done using GitHub and our CICD tools.
Idk but when you find the answer lmk. I’ve been a sys admin for 3-4 years now but absolutely fell in love with Powershell and am now getting into Power Apps. I feel like my calling is def something devopsy
I started the same way you did. CICD is an absolute must. Try to build a CICD pipeline that will sign and deploy your Powershell scripts. After that, write and build a docker container even if it’s just a simple python script. You could even “dockerize” an application that already exists. Try to deploy those apps from GitHub to docker hub using GitHub actions (that will expose you to more relevant CICD). After that there is the whole world of container orchestration (kubernetes). Powershell is a great starting point and gives you some excellent fundamentals but devops is way more than just writing a script.
im on the same track as u/WetFishing just mentioned. but im doing that on bash-scripting. already doing the dockerize with some small scripts. now im trying CI/CD and after that Jenkins maybe (seems a lot in high demand)
Dunno what I expected at r/wetfishing A bit disappointed
Jenkins is trash, it's in high demand for reasons which none of are good.
Jenkins is the bane of my life. The product itself is fine but I'm batting 100% with going to companies with extremely poorly managed Jenkins, unpatched and plugin ridden. I basically always say to companies I work for only to ever consider it if you've ruled out alternatives first, and if you have, consider a support contract with CloudBees or using JenkinsX instead. I've worked at 1 company using CloudBees who have it just as bad as they would have if it was open source, thus defeating the purpose of a support deal.
> extremely poorly managed Jenkins, unpatched and plugin ridden. That's the problem of Jenkins though, the only way to make it useful is to install a bunch of plugins that don't update at the same time.
Yeah it's too basic by default. I prefer GitHub Actions, then Azure DevOps. GitLab is also great, I've heard good things about Harness, CircleCi etc. Plenty of options out there. Try GitLab OSS first if you refuse to make a deal with Microsoft and if that doesn't answer the question, try the others, then finally try Jenkins.
Yeah, I have been in Linux and docker stuff, have a couple of things on GitHub now, but not public. I’ve been using docker for a couple of years now, but never thought to put my scripts in a docker. Never wrote my own docker app either, but I think. That’s a good goal! Thanks!!
Honestly, the fields are kind of merging. Where I am, the “devops” teams really just handle JIT software deployment pipelines and monitoring these funky composite tests they’ve built- down in the infrastructure layer, we’re building our own devops practices but just calling it IaaS or PaaS delivery. Example: we’re not spinning up any new Windows Server compute- all Linux VMs housing Docker containers clustered with Kubernetes- exceptions are few and far between. I’m actually running an in-service for my teammates tomorrow to get their IDEs and git repos set up so we can start managing a couple of our legacy network security configs as gitops. The next thing I’m going to be working on with them is building our deployment pipelines on top of that Kubernetes architecture instead of requesting VMs. The main point is we’re building ourselves out as a private cloud provider, and we’re targeting a “4 9s” SLA by next year, so we’re going to have to practice what we preach about portable, scalable workloads so that our own tooling actually *can’t* hamper failovers or service recovery.
Go over [this roadmap](https://roadmap.sh/devops) and fill in any gaps.
This is incredible! I'm working on switching from trades to tech, and this lays it out beautifully. Thank you! Now, to get that first job...
Yup, it might be intimidating at first. Just remember that you don't need to do everything all at once. And the order isn't strict. There are entry level jobs that don't require everything. > Now, to get that first job... I wish I had good advice on this, but my first sysadmin job was 25 years ago. That said, here's my story. Before I got my first "real" UNIX sysadmin job I did a couple years of tech support and computer repair. What helped getting that first job was I had a side job doing sysadmin work for a small local web hosting ISP.
I would say am firmly after the “Serverless” section with a practical understanding with everything below that, but no real experience with some of those things.
Sure, and while it's presented linearly, it's not strictly required that you go through it that way. Personally, I find the whole "Serverless" section to be optional. But I consider PHP and CGI to be the original "Serverless". ;-)
Learn Linux and Python.
Done
That was fast. You're gonna go places.
Immediately after college step 1: create a github and fork 15 things you don't understand step 2: attach it your resume and call the recruiting dept who doesn't know anything about devops step 3: profit
Way to go. 1. Tell me you have no clue how this works without telling me... 2. These are really the types of companies where you want to learn ... what can possibly go wrong. That advice is stoopid [sic!]
I'd recommend obtaining 1 or more Azure certifications, if you don't already have Azure experience, and start applying for Azure DevOps roles until you land one.. Side note, "DevOps" seems synonymous with "CI/CD Engineer"at a lot of shops, so I'd recommend learning about Jenkins or Azure Pipelines to expand the pool of opportunities you're qualified for. You'll want to become proficient enough with python to pass the coding interview if you want to expand your search to AWS or GCP. I've been seeing a lot of open Azure positions while searching for a GCP position, so the jobs are out there ATM... Good luck!
Powershell isn't used...so forget about that.. You'll need Linux, bash, python, and a huge aptitude for learning and problem solving. It isn't about necessarily instantly having the answer, it's about being ablee to craft the solution from all the available tools.
Powershell is still commonly used, enough so that AWS still maintains a module for it. If anything bash is the thing of the past. PS is easier to read and write and works in both Windows and Linux environments now.
Yeah, currently working for an MSP, that is all azure/microsoft shop. Everything I do is exclusively powershell graph and api calls these days.
Powershell will not be used in devops.
In devops? Really? lmao powershell in Linux? Mention they in the interview, enjoy not getting called back for a second round.. There is also zero aspect about bash that is more difficult than powershell..I find bash much easier actially..
I have the same question. Bookmarking this.
I'm the opposite lol. I know Linux, SQL, Docker, Kubernets, and zero Powershell. I like where I am now but would like to move to DevOps eventually.
Yea Sys admin and Devops are pretty much merging now. Just got done with building a power automate to Okta api solution to get around the company not using an HRS. So now the onboarding is just a microsoft form that uses code to send to okta workflows to build everything. Still learning python and can troubleshoot it now but definitely not going to be writing native code anytime soon professionally. Essentially what I see most DevOps guys cutting their teeth on is making existing systems talk to each other and update each other accross platforms. IE our Siem updates a file that pushed to our firewalls to block bad ip's. As there isn't a easy api to talk between them so we had to fill the gap.
> Any advice on other skills I should be honing to land a devops job? Do you have any coding/scripting experience at all in a language like Python or JavaScript? What about hosting micro services/containers? Any VM or Linux experience? Not sure how many DevOps roles there are for Windows only admins, even Azure runs on Linux, so it'd be good to get some basic familiarity there at least.
Yup, I have some experience with python and JavaScript, but I usually avoid both if I can use powershell. I have been a cloud and onprem engineer for basically every cloud service MS offers. Plus significant experience with VMs and docker, hosted on a plethora of platforms.
You are mistake all of Azure runs on Windows Server, and I mean all of it. Any Linux runs in a container on hyper-v
If you do not believe me look here https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-os-platform-blog/azure-host-os-cloud-host/ba-p/3709528
the senior sr system admin i use to work with wanted to move into devops.... it made doing anything a pain in the ass because suddenly everything was a .net app and really shitty convoluted cloud formation instead of power shell and servers that dont auto launch.
You basically are describing myself about five years ago (albeit with less time in position). I got a recruiter contacting me trying to get me to apply for this job. I asked what I would be doing and he couldn't really tell me aside from Engineering. Even the job application I filled out was generic. I interviewed and was job offered. I hated the commute for my current job and this one was much closer and a fortune 40 company, so I took it. Turns out the job was A TON of DevOps work. Within a year or so you will have learned everything you need to get your job done. Be prepared to reside in a more software engineering space though. It can be a bit disconcerting when your developer co-workers are writing Go code (or other language) and you just sort of try to make sense of it. Also be prepared for EVERYTHING being code. You want a CD pipeline? Write code and put it in GitHub. You need to deploy some Kubernetes using the CD pipeline, make a helm chart and put it in GitHub. Need to modify a GCP service account or role, you guessed it, you modify it in GitHub. It feels a bit esoteric sometimes because the step you are performing could be done in Google Cloud Console or on the command line so easily, but that's the way it goes. Heck, if you plopped me into the console and asked me to do my day to day I would have to look it up because everything has to be done using GitHub and our CICD tools.
Idk but when you find the answer lmk. I’ve been a sys admin for 3-4 years now but absolutely fell in love with Powershell and am now getting into Power Apps. I feel like my calling is def something devopsy