The demand for DevOps engineers has skyrocketed in recent years as companies continue to embrace cloud technologies, automation and agile methodologies. DevOps, a combination of “Development” and “Operations,” is more than a role it is a culture and set of practices aimed at unifying software development (Dev) and software operation (Ops). For beginners who want to enter this dynamic field, the path can seem overwhelming. But with a clear roadmap, you can make a smooth transition and set yourself up for a successful DevOps career.

In this article, we’ll walk through the steps and skills you need to become a DevOps engineer, starting from scratch.

Steps to Follow to become DevOps Engineer

1. Understand What DevOps Really Is

Before diving into tools and technologies, it’s important to grasp what DevOps actually means. DevOps is not just a job title—it’s a mindset. It emphasizes collaboration between development and IT operations teams to improve the speed and quality of software delivery.

Core principles include:

• Automation of repetitive tasks
• Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD)
• Monitoring and feedback loops
• Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
• Collaboration and communication

Understanding these principles will guide your learning journey and help you choose the right tools and practices.

2. Learn the Basics of Software Development

While you don’t need to be a full-fledged developer, having a good grasp of programming fundamentals is essential. Start with a scripting language like Python, Bash or PowerShell, which are heavily used in automation tasks.

Core principles include:

• Basic syntax and scripting
• Writing automation scripts
• Understanding source code versioning (e.g., Git)

Familiarity with Git is especially important since version control is a core part of DevOps workflows.

3. Get Comfortable with Operating Systems

DevOps engineers often work directly with servers, which means a solid understanding of operating systems—especially Linux—is critical. Linux is the backbone of most cloud and server environments.

Core principles include:

• Navigate the file system
• Use the command line
• Manage services and processes
• Work with system logs
• Perform basic networking tasks

Once you’re comfortable with Linux, you’ll be able to work more effectively with the servers and environments DevOps engineers manage.

Also Read: What are the basics of Proxy Servers? What They Do and How They Function

4. Master Networking Fundamentals

DevOps requires an understanding of how systems communicate over networks. Networking knowledge helps with setting up servers, troubleshooting connectivity issues and working with cloud infrastructures.

Core principles include:

• IP addressing and subnets
• DNS and HTTP
• Firewalls and VPNs
• Load balancers
• Ports and protocols (TCP/UDP)

You don’t need to become a network engineer, but a foundational understanding goes a long way.

5. Get Hands-On with CI/CD Tools

One of the hallmarks of DevOps is Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). These practices help teams release software faster and with fewer errors.

Popular CI/CD tools include:

• Jenkins
• GitLab CI/CD
• CircleCI
• Travis CI
• GitHub Actions

6. Learn About Configuration Management

Configuration management tools automate server and environment provisioning and management. They provide consistency between environments and minimize the risk of configuration drift.

Some popular tools are:

• Ansible
• Chef
• Puppet
• SaltStack

Pay special attention to Ansible if you’re new to it—it’s agentless and easier to learn for beginners. Understand how to create playbooks and automate routine infrastructure tasks such as installing software or handling users.

7. Explore Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

IaC enables you to provision and manage infrastructure using code rather than manual procedures. It’s a central component of contemporary DevOps processes, particularly in cloud settings.

Important tools and concepts:

• Terraform: Well-known IaC tool for provisioning resources on AWS, Azure, GCP and more.
• AWS CloudFormation: AWS-specific IaC tool.
• YAML and JSON: Frequently used to write configuration files.

Learn how to define and deploy infrastructure with code and practice by building environments in a cloud sandbox or with free tiers.

8. Dive Into Cloud Platforms

DevOps and cloud computing are two peas in a pod. Knowledge of at least one of the big cloud providers is necessary. Begin with:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)
• Microsoft Azure
• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
• Learn foundational services:
• Compute (e.g., EC2, Azure VM)
• Storage (e.g., S3, Blob Storage)
• Networking (e.g., VPC, Subnets)
• Identity and access management (IAM)

Most of them provide free tiers or trial credits to practice hands-on.

9. Master Containerization and Orchestration

Containers are a central piece in contemporary DevOps. They enable you to bundle applications and their dependencies into one, portable package.

Tools to master:

• Docker: For creating, executing and managing containers.
• Kubernetes: For orchestrating containers on multiple hosts.

Begin by learning how to write Dockerfiles, execute containers and then proceed to deploying simple applications on a local Kubernetes cluster using Minikube or Kind.

10. Add Monitoring and Logging

Monitoring is essential for maintaining system reliability and performance. DevOps engineers need to implement tools to monitor application health, resource utilization and errors.

Popular tools:

• Prometheus and Grafana: For monitoring and visualization.
• ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana): For centralized logging.
• Datadog, New Relic or Splunk: Commercial monitoring solutions.
• Learn how to gather metrics, configure alerts and visualize system behavior in real-time.

11. Practice Security Best Practices (DevSecOps)

Security must be woven into the development process, not tacked on at the end. This is called DevSecOps.

Important practices:

• Handling secrets (e.g., with HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
• Security scanning (e.g., Snyk, Trivy)
• Least privilege principles
• Secure communication (SSL/TLS, SSH) enablement

Knowing basic cybersecurity principles ensures you’re deploying secure infrastructure and applications.

12. Work on Real-World Projects and Build a Portfolio

Begin to put your learning to use on projects:

• Implement a CI/CD pipeline from scratch
• Deploy a containerized application to the cloud
• Set up monitoring and alerting for a web app
• Use IaC to deploy a complete application stack

Write these projects up in a GitHub portfolio to demonstrate your skills to prospective employers.

13. Stay Up-to-Date and Keep Learning

DevOps is a rapidly changing discipline. Stay up to date by:

• Reading blogs (e.g., DevOps.com, AWS Blog)
• Participating in DevOps communities (e.g., Reddit, Stack Overflow, LinkedIn groups)
• Viewing YouTube tutorials or DevOps-related presentations
• Obtaining certifications (e.g., AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, CKA, HashiCorp Terraform Associate)
• Certifications can attest to your proficiency and help you stand out in the employment market.

Conclusion: 

It is tough to become a DevOps engineer from the ground up, but it’s definitely possible. Having a growth mindset, regular practice and a systematic process, you can move from the novice level to that of a proficient DevOps engineer.

Keep in mind: Begin small, remain inquisitive and construct daily.