So you’ve decided on a career in DevOps. You understand what a DevOps Engineer does, you’ve taken programming courses to build your skills, and you’ve even taken the first steps toward getting into DevOps.
The next step? Writing a great DevOps resume. Since your resume is the key to getting an interview, it’s crucial to write a technical resume that shines a light on your most relevant DevOps skills and leaves the hiring manager thinking, “I want this person on my team.”
We’ve put together six helpful tips on how to create a stellar DevOps resume that’ll get noticed by hiring managers — even if you’re just starting out in DevOps.
1. Look up important skills in the job description
Take a few minutes to read through the job description carefully and highlight all of the key skills and requirements for the position, including “preferred” skills. To improve your chances of getting approved by either the screening software or the recruiters scanning resumes, you should find ways to include as many of these skills in your resume as possible.
If you come across a skill you haven’t learned yet, see if you can find an online course that covers it. That way you can add it to your resume with the date when you expect to complete your training or receive your certification.
2. Highlight your knowledge of container orchestration tools
The core of any DevOps role involves continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) and containerization. Some of the most popular DevOps tools include:
- Kubernetes
- Docker
- Jenkins
- Argo CD
If the job description includes other containerization or CI/CD tools, consider adding them to your resume as well. If you aren’t familiar with a particular tool, commit to learning it and provide an expected completion date.
Hiring managers don’t expect job candidates to know everything, so including a scheduled completion date sends a strong signal to employers: You clearly understand the skills needed for the role, and you’re proactive and committed enough to pick up those skills on your own.
3. Add other (relevant) technical skills
Along with containerization tools, hiring managers want to see that you have the technical skills needed to perform your day-to-day tasks. The top technical skills for DevOps Engineers include:
- Programming languages like Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and Java
- Database skills, including knowledge of SQL and MongoDB
- Agile methodologies like Scrum
- Cloud services like Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Azure, and Amazon Web Services (AWS)
If possible, try to find the specific programming languages and tools the company you’re applying to uses. That way, you can keep your resume focused on showcasing the most useful skills to the hiring manager.
4. Don’t forget about DevOps soft skills
DevOps Engineers aren’t your typical programmers. A big part of the job involves managing teams and communicating with people across all levels of the organization. They’re also responsible for promoting the DevOps culture within the company. To do so, they need soft skills like:
- Communication
- Active listening
- Leadership
- Conflict resolution
The great thing about soft skills is that they stay with you no matter where you go in your career. If you’re changing careers, consider highlighting specific situations that illustrate your soft skills so hiring managers know you can hit the ground running as a DevOps Engineer. Try to think of a time when you:
- Managed a team, whether as a line manager or as a project lead
- Helped your company implement a new software platform or a new organizational structure
- Collaborated with different teams and departments within the organization
- Overcame communication issues or internal conflicts on projects
5. Include courses, certificates, and certifications
Listing hard skills is important on any resume, but it’s hard for companies to gauge how well you know a certain programming language or tool based on experience alone. That’s why you should list online courses, certificates, and certifications to provide some proof of your expertise.
Keep in mind that soft skills can involve certificates and certifications too. If you’ve participated in any leadership seminars, conflict resolution workshops, or other similar training, include them in your DevOps resume.
6. Remember that all experience matters
Not all of your experience has to be professional. Including non-paid activities and contributions can further showcase your skills and embodiment of DevOps’ core values. Examples include:
- Internships, including unpaid projects you took on at work to gain experience
- Volunteer work
- Personal projects and projects for friends and family
- Hobbies and side-business activities
What if you’re new to DevOps?
If you’re applying to your first DevOps role, then chances are that you won’t have a lot of direct DevOps experience to add to your resume. But you can still show recruiters that you’re a great candidate — you’ll just have to get a little creative.
As you put together your DevOps resume, think about how each of your past roles and experiences have prepared you for the role. For example:
- Have you worked on a multidisciplinary team before?
- Do you have any experience managing a product from design to production to lifecycle maintenance?
- Can you point to times where you helped your company succeed in an area where you had little or no training?
These are just a few ways that new DevOps Engineers can show that their previous roles have helped them prepare for a career in DevOps.
Your DevOps resume should be well-rounded
DevOps is more than just a technical role. It’s an organizational mindset requiring a blend of hard and soft skills. Hiring managers don’t want the person with the longest list of qualifications. They want the person who has the right skills for the role, including programming knowledge, communications skills, and leadership experience.
Once you’ve submitted your resume, don’t just wait around for a response. Get yourself ready for the technical interview, and make sure you have the programming skills you need to succeed as a DevOps Engineer — if you need a refresher, you can take one of our online programming courses.
Not sure where to start? Check out our Introduction to Devops and Foundations of Cloud Computing courses.
