Engineering Your IT/DevOps Career Pathway: Certifications and Training You Need

DevOps is still young enough that its certification landscape continues to evolve. The industry has not yet converged on a single definitive credential, which means engineers who plan thoughtfully can build a genuinely differentiated skill set. The guidance below maps out a logical certification and training pathway for anyone looking to enter or advance in DevOps.

What Is DevOps and Why Does the Career Path Look Different?

DevOps emerged as a direct response to the chronic friction between siloed Development and IT Operations departments. When these two groups work in isolation, handoffs break down, deployments become risky events, and accountability for the health of the product gets diffuse. DevOps tears down those silos by establishing shared ownership of the full software delivery lifecycle — from code commit to production monitoring.

The rise of cloud computing and software-defined infrastructure (virtual servers, software-defined storage, infrastructure-as-code) has accelerated the adoption of DevOps practices, making cross-disciplinary skills more valuable than ever. A DevOps engineer therefore needs a working command of both traditional operations concepts and modern development tooling.

Recommended Formal Certification Pathway

The list below is ordered to build knowledge progressively — start with networking and server fundamentals before moving into cloud platforms and advanced architecture topics. A strong foundation in core infrastructure makes cloud and DevOps concepts far easier to absorb.

1. CompTIA Network+ — establishes essential networking knowledge that underpins every cloud and on-premises environment.
2. Microsoft MCSA: Windows Server — builds server administration skills relevant to hybrid and Windows-centric environments.
3. AWS Technical Essentials — provides a vendor-neutral introduction to core AWS services and cloud concepts.
4. LPI LPIC-1 / CompTIA Linux+ — Linux is the dominant OS in cloud and container environments; these entry-level credentials confirm your command-line fluency.
5. MCSD: Azure Solutions Architect — validates the ability to design and implement solutions on Microsoft Azure.
6. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate — one of the most widely recognised cloud credentials; demonstrates the ability to design resilient, cost-effective AWS architectures.
7. LPI LPIC-2 — advances Linux skills into multi-system administration and enterprise-grade configurations.
8. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate — focuses on deployment, management, and operations of workloads on AWS.
9. Microsoft MCSE: Private Cloud — covers on-premises and hybrid cloud infrastructure management with Microsoft technologies.
10. Google Cloud Platform Fundamentals — introduces GCP services and architecture; note that Google periodically revises its certification portfolio, so verify current exam names before enrolling.
11. Google Cloud: Associate Cloud Engineer or Professional Cloud Developer — more advanced GCP credentials for those working primarily on the Google platform.

Important: Google has revised its certification structure since this pathway was first published. Always check the official Google Cloud certification page for the current list of available exams before planning your study schedule.

Critical Skills and Tools (With or Without a Formal Certification)

Several of the most important DevOps competencies do not map neatly to a vendor certification — or the available certifications lag behind the market. Treat the following areas as mandatory learning regardless of whether you sit a formal exam:

• Docker and container fundamentals — containers are the atomic unit of modern application deployment; understanding images, registries, networking, and volumes is non-negotiable.
• Configuration management with Chef or Puppet — these tools automate infrastructure provisioning and enforce consistent state across fleets of servers. Learning either (or both) gives you practical experience with infrastructure-as-code principles.
• PowerShell scripting — essential for automating Windows Server and Azure tasks; PowerShell is increasingly cross-platform.
• Python programming — the scripting language of choice for automation, tooling, and a wide range of DevOps utilities including Ansible playbooks and AWS Lambda functions.
• JavaScript frameworks (AngularJS, ReactJS) — DevOps engineers who understand the front-end build pipeline can collaborate more effectively with development teams and debug CI/CD pipeline issues faster.
• Java essentials — many enterprise applications are Java-based; understanding the build and packaging process (Maven, Gradle, JAR/WAR files) helps when building deployment pipelines.

Advice for New DevOps Professionals

Historically, most IT professionals arrived in DevOps roles by accident — a sysadmin who learned scripting, or a developer pressed into managing production systems. Today, you can take a more deliberate route. The key attributes that define a successful DevOps career are:

• Commitment to continuous learning. The tooling, practices, and platforms in this space evolve faster than in almost any other IT discipline. Staying current is not optional.
• Breadth alongside depth. DevOps requires you to understand networking, servers, cloud platforms, scripting, and software delivery processes. Specialise where you can, but maintain working knowledge across all these domains.
• A culture of shared responsibility. DevOps is as much a cultural shift as a technical one. Internalise the idea that everyone on the team is accountable for the reliability and quality of the product in production.
• Hands-on practice. Certifications demonstrate knowledge; practical projects demonstrate competence. Build pipelines, run containers, automate infrastructure, and break things safely in a lab environment.

Planning Your Next Steps

Start with networking and Linux fundamentals if you do not already have a solid operations background. Layer in a cloud platform — AWS is the largest by market share, making it a pragmatic first choice — then build upward toward architecture-level certifications. Simultaneously, invest time in containers, configuration management, and at least one scripting language.

DevOps rewards engineers who treat their career as a product: iterate frequently, gather feedback from the market (job postings, community forums, conference talks), and continuously refine your skills. The engineers who thrive in this space are those who genuinely enjoy the act of learning.

This article draws on guidance originally published by CBT Nuggets. Certification names, exam structures, and vendor portfolios change regularly — always verify current requirements directly with the certifying body before committing to a study path.