I'm thinking about a career as a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) and I'm curious about the skills required for the job. Do you really need to understand a company's codebase like a software engineer, or is being an SRE more similar to a systems administrator? I must admit, I'm a bit intimidated by the idea of reading API documentation like a software engineer!
6 Answers
Start with the free SRE book. It’s a valuable resource and can really help you grasp what you need to know. As for being a sysadmin without coding, those days are numbered, especially with the tech landscape changing so fast.
You’ll be handling various tools and applications, and while not all of them require deep coding, scripting for APIs is pretty standard. Getting comfortable with API documentation is part of the job. Best to just dive in and practice it!
It really depends on the company. Some places expect SREs to have a strong grasp of software engineering, while others might lean more towards sysadmin skills. It’s often a mix of both, so you’ll need a versatile skill set.
Yes, being an SRE usually means you should operate at a software engineering level. Just wearing the title won’t make it a real SRE position if you’re only doing basic sysadmin tasks. Also, keep in mind that SRE jobs are typically senior roles, not entry-level positions, so you’ll need some experience under your belt.
Right? It’s strange to see companies calling entry-level positions ‘SRE’ when they’re really just tech support.
Exactly! It’s frustrating to see companies dilute the meaning of SRE with misleading job titles.
I’ve read that as an SRE, you’re responsible for both maintaining the apps and developing solutions around them, like adding custom metrics. It's not just about managing systems; you might end up tweaking code and interacting with applications regularly.
Couldn’t agree more! A lot of roles out there just don’t match what being a real SRE is about.