I recently got a DevOps internship at a company in Pune and will be starting in about 15 days. I'm a complete beginner and feel rusty despite having a BTech in Computer Science, a minor in cloud computing, and an open minor in DevOps. What topics or practical skills should I focus on before joining so I can get up to speed?
3 Answers
Use the next few days to practice rather than cram theory. Learn how to navigate Linux, manage services, connect with SSH, use Git branches and pull requests, understand Docker images and containers, and read basic YAML. If you know which cloud platform the company uses, learn its core compute, networking, and identity concepts, but don’t worry about mastering advanced services before you start.
Build one small project from start to finish. For example, create a simple Python web app, write a Dockerfile, run it locally, and commit it to a Git repository. Then create a basic CI workflow that builds the Docker image whenever you push code. If you have time, deploy it to the cloud provider your company uses on a free tier, using a virtual machine and Docker. This will teach you much more than passively watching tutorials.
With only 15 days, focus on practical fundamentals instead of trying to learn every DevOps tool. Get comfortable with Linux commands, files and permissions, processes and services, SSH, basic shell scripting, Git, Docker, and reading CI/CD logs. You don’t need to be an expert before your first day—being able to investigate issues and ask clear questions will help a lot.
This is my first internship, and I’m feeling pretty lost because my college classes didn’t give me much practical experience. I’ll start with this project and work through the basics. Thanks for taking the time to explain it.