Where can you find DevOps developers from Junior to Senior

The DevOps methodology arose as a solution to the problem of interaction between development and operations departments. When programmers write code and it works, but when it is launched into production, incomprehensible problems arise, the teams complain about each other and, as a result, the release suffers. Delays occur, quality suffers.
A new specialist has appeared to resolve such situations. Who is a Devops Engineer? DevOps Engineer ꟷ The liaison between development, testing, and commissioning. He updates and changes products quickly and efficiently.

DevOps engineer: who is he and what does he do?

A development and operations specialist understands many processes and coordinates their course. The activities of an engineer cover several roles:

• Build Engineer / Release Engineer ꟷ responsible for building code, checking and implementing;
• Automation Engineer ꟷ automates all possible actions;
• Automation Engineer ꟷ monitors security, tests for vulnerabilities.

In fact, the devops specialist distributes responsibilities between the system administrator, the programmer and himself. A common occurrence when sysadmins change their profile to DevOps engineers. The reason for this is a similar background of knowledge and experience, as well as an understanding of how much a devops engineer earns. After all, this is one of the most paid professions. But the functionality for engineers is much wider, since it collects the code, describes the infrastructure, automatically deploys tests  and updates production without losing quality.
The main task of a professional is to automate the maximum number of actions for quick and hassle-free software updates.

Engineer knowledge levels

It is important to understand that when looking for employees in the field of DevOps and turning to the services of headhunters in Kyiv, employers pay attention not so much to the diploma as to the success of the implemented projects, the passage of additional trainings that increase the qualifications and competence of the applicant. The ability to work with Linux, Git, Python, Bash, Docker, Azure, RabbitMQ, Kubernetes is in demand.
The DevOps profession requires knowledge in many areas. It takes a long time to become a sought-after and good DevOps engineer. There are three stages of professional development in this area. 
Junior level

The first step is to understand how the codes are written. It is not necessary to be able to write them, but you need to understand the essence of how the programming of simple elements and applications occurs. The better a junior understands basic concepts, the easier it is to automate and test the product later. A developer of this level is not able to perform complex tasks on his own quickly and efficiently. He needs the help and supervision of an experienced mentor.

Middle level

Having some work experience, he can independently solve complex problems, but with the hints of an experienced colleague. This kind of engineer is not always able to assess the complete picture and select the tools necessary for a specific situation.

Senior level

The most advanced specialist with rich experience and broad outlook. He speaks several programming languages, can implement the architecture of a project from the very start, make a selection of technologies taking into account the development of the project in the future. Analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of new products on the technology market. Achieving the set goals, Senior does not think about specific technologies, but chooses the optimal ones for solving problems, taking into account the development in the future.

In order to always have a job for IT specialists and make the transition between levels, you need to constantly upgrade your skills: learn new programming languages, study the source codes of popular projects, caching mechanisms, look for new approaches to solving problems and increase the technical background.

What qualities are important for companies?

When a need for a DevOps employee arises, the employer sets a number of requirements for the applicant. It can take a long time to find a suitable candidate. To save time and effort, we recommend contacting specialized recruiting agencies. Companies can make a list of the characteristics they need that a future employee should have. A step-by-step guide to hiring a DevOps engineer may include the following requirements:

• desire and skill are constantly learning something new: approaches, techniques;
• sociability is an important quality, because it allows you to detect and solve a problem simply by asking how something or another should work;
• the ability to cope with any kind of situations in spite of everything, since troubles happen every day;
• the skill to work and cope with the already existing architecture, because it is not profitable for a business to change everything with the advent of a new engineer;
• large-scale thinking implies the ability to see the whole system, without focusing on individual parts and specific problems;
• have a broad outlook in order to rationally solve problems, choosing the best option from all existing analogues.

What should you pay extra attention to for when looking for a DevOps employee

If you are wondering how to find a competent DevOps engineer, then first decide on the level of tasks that you will have to solve. If an urgent release of a new product is planned, then you need to look for a Senior Engineer. And if the projects are not put in strict time frames, then the implementation can be entrusted to a pair of Junior specialists who, in the process of work, will be able to learn and gain experience to solve complex problems.
A company that wants to strengthen a team that specializes in specific technologies should look for a narrow-profile engineer in the same or related field. In case of need for a general profile worker, it is worth contacting specialists in recruiting services and base the choice on the basic knowledge of the applicant. Review the work experience and choices he made in past successful projects. These parameters must match the vector of the employer’s company.
You can search for experienced DevOps in social networks, at prof. resources or specialized telegram channels. Also pay attention to DevOps-related events.