What Skills Should I Focus on to Start My DevOps Journey?

While it’s true that DevOps roles aren’t typically entry-level, what makes someone senior in DevOps isn’t just years of experience. It’s about your ability to understand system failures and manage responsibilities. Knowing about operating systems and networking is crucial, as it helps you explain potential system issues and outlines who takes charge when things break down.

One important thing to remember is that reaching a level in DevOps or Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) usually takes years of experience in areas like system administration or backend development. Many successful DevOps engineers had years under their belt before they transitioned. For instance, it's a bit unrealistic to jump straight into managing complex environments if you've never worked with basic systems first. Start with foundational concepts and build up your experience gradually.

The term 'DevOps' can mean different things depending on where you work. In some places, you'll find yourself focusing heavily on Linux systems, while in others, you might be building deployment pipelines or working with containers. It’s tough to create a one-size-fits-all learning plan. My suggestion would be to leverage certifications as frameworks for what to learn. Study for a Linux certification or Kubernetes exams to shore up your skills, but also focus on what's relevant to your current job or the role you're aiming for.