- Linux fundamentals
- Networking basics
- Git & version control
- Scripting: Bash + Python (Python is key for AI integrations)
- CI/CD basics: GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Jenkins
- Linux Journey
- Pro Git Book
- Codecademy: Python / Bash scripting
- Docker (Build, run, manage containers)
- Kubernetes (K8s essentials + Helm + Operators)
- Cloud platforms:
- Pick one: AWS, Azure, or GCP
- Focus on compute, networking, IAM, storage, serverless
- IaC (Infrastructure as Code): Terraform
- Kubernetes: Kubernetes The Hard Way by Kelsey Hightower
- Terraform: HashiCorp tutorials
- Free cloud cert courses: AWS Cloud Practitioner
- Advanced CI/CD: Jenkins, ArgoCD, Tekton
- Monitoring & Logging:
- Prometheus, Grafana, ELK/EFK stack, Loki
- Secrets & Config Mgmt: HashiCorp Vault, SOPS, GitOps patterns
- Observability: OpenTelemetry, tracing
- Platform Engineering: Build internal dev platforms using Backstage or Crossplane
- Secure pipeline design
- Software Composition Analysis (SCA)
- Secrets scanning (e.g., TruffleHog)
- Container security (e.g., Trivy, Aqua Security)
- Cloud IAM policies and secure access
- Policy-as-code: Open Policy Agent (OPA)
- AIOps tools: Dynatrace, Moogsoft, IBM Instana
- Anomaly detection with ML (basic models with Python)
- LLMs & GPT in DevOps workflows:
- Generating scripts
- ChatOps with GPT bots (Slack/Discord integrations)
- GitHub Copilot / Codeium for DevOps automation
- Automate documentation, monitoring alerts, playbooks
Pick one or more advanced paths:
- Kubernetes Operators (with Go or Python)
- Crossplane, Pulumi
- Build internal developer platforms
- High availability design
- Multi-cloud strategy
- Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) principles
- Cloud security audits
- SOC2 / HIPAA / ISO27001 knowledge
- Security toolchain integration
- Deploy a multi-cloud Kubernetes cluster using IaC
- Build a full CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions + ArgoCD + Helm
- Create a self-healing app with Prometheus alerts + K8s autoscaling
- Use Python + OpenAI API to create a “ChatOps” bot for Slack
- Monitor infra with OpenTelemetry + Grafana
- Build a platform for internal dev teams with Backstage
| Area | Cert |
|---|---|
| Cloud | AWS Solutions Architect / Azure AZ-104 / GCP Associate |
| Kubernetes | CKA (Certified Kubernetes Admin) |
| DevOps | HashiCorp Terraform Associate |
| Security | CompTIA Security+ / CCSK |
| SRE | Google SRE Foundations / Uptime Institute |
- Start small, build often, and document everything.
- Contribute to open-source DevOps tools or write tech blogs.
- Network with others on DevOps Discords, Reddit, or LinkedIn.
- Don’t chase hype — build durable skills, especially in automation, cloud, and security.