DevOps / Cloud Engineer Path
CI/CD, containers, cloud platforms. The infrastructure tools that get you hired.
Your Path to Hired
WSL or Ubuntu
FreeEvery server runs Linux. Get comfortable with the terminal, ssh, file permissions. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
Git + GitHub
FreeBranching, merging, PRs, GitHub Actions. CI/CD starts here. If you can't manage code, you can't manage infrastructure.
Docker
FreeContainerize applications. Understand Dockerfiles, images, compose. Used everywhere. This is the single most important DevOps skill right now.
AWS or Cloudflare
Free tiersAWS for breadth, most jobs require it. Get AWS Cloud Practitioner certified. Cloudflare for modern edge infrastructure at zero cost.
Terraform
Free · Open SourceDefine infrastructure in code. The skill that separates junior from mid DevOps. Version-controlled, repeatable, reviewable infrastructure.
GitHub Actions
FreeAutomate tests, builds, deployments. Set up pipelines for your portfolio projects. Every project you build should have a CI/CD workflow.
Grafana + Prometheus
Free · Open SourceDashboards, alerts, observability. Shows you think about production, not just deployment. The skill that proves you're ready for real infrastructure.
Your Complete Stack
WSL / Ubuntu
Linux. Free
Git + GitHub
Version control. Free
Docker
Containers. Free
AWS / Cloudflare
Cloud. Free tiers
Terraform
IaC. Free
GitHub Actions
CI/CD. Free
Grafana + Prometheus
Monitoring. Free
What Hiring Managers Actually Look For
Get AWS certified
AWS Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate. It's the single highest-ROI certification in DevOps. Most job listings mention it explicitly.
Build a home lab
Deploy a real app with full CI/CD pipeline, monitoring, and infrastructure as code. One well-documented project proves more than years of "experience".
Docker first, Kubernetes later
Kubernetes is important but don't start there. Master Docker and docker-compose first. K8s builds on containerization, skip ahead and you'll struggle.
Blog your infrastructure
Document your setups, decisions, and troubleshooting in a blog. Shows communication skills, the #1 thing separating good from great DevOps engineers.
Average Salary Range
Mid-level DevOps / cloud engineer · varies by certifications and location
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