In contrast to all those tip-providing lists that usually start with salary-related talks, I have something different to offer. In fact, I believe the salary is at the bottom of the DevOps career pyramid.
So, the following Coding as Creating paper is going to be an attempt to show you what matters when seeking a job in this realm—other than the salary of course.
The Benefit of the Doubt Matters to Your DevOps Career
The mutual feeling of trust between you and the employer is the key to having a successful career. You will not be able to add to the success of the project when no one offers a chance. So, it’s vital to sign a contract as an active DevOps—not the one who’s going to be the couch potato of the team.
When there’s no trust between you and the employer, the chances are not much to face a satisfying result. You’ll either become an avid follower or a depressed engineer thinking about how nihilistic life is.
So, find a place that accepts you as a trustworthy person. And sign a contract only with a company that you have faith in.
You Have to Be Carried into the Effect
You may simply be the greatest developer or DevOps engineer in the world—and it’s good for you. But hey, being such a top-notch specialist would mean nothing when you don’t have the chance to be effective.
There are Software Development Teams out there who are seeking for an engineer to follow the orders—and that’s it. So, assuming that you’re a member of such a team, being a GOAT in the realm of IT would be beside the question.
If you want a career that fits the DevOps job description, opt to work only with professional companies/teams. These are people who care about your talent and would create an environment where you can express yourself and take necessary actions.
You Need Some Heeders Not Leaders
As discussed above, a professional company/team would offer you a chance to be effective. But that’s not all you need, right? Having a kind leader who likes to be a populist boss from time to time is fine. However, it’s only a good-listener type of boss that would lead you to have a successful DevOps career.
“If you need to borrow the spotlight once a while to express your ideas, find a job that has a good-heeder type of spotlight operator.”
Being heard is amongst the most vital needs of an engineer. And an environment that encourages you to quiet down is just toxic.
Your DevOps Career Is Dependent on the Technology
Software Development is a field of technology—and it’s not a mega-fact. But unfortunately, there’re some companies out there who try to cut back on the budget by utilizing outdated technologies!
It may sound funny at first, but in fact, it’s a tragic comedy when you observe the details.
No one can claim to be working in the field of technology when the operating systems are XP and people refer to the mouse as the X-Y Position Indicator!
So, in short, don’t opt to work in an IT company that is not aware of the actual meaning of Information Technology. Instead, try to find a place that cares about the growth rate of technology and is open-minded when it comes to the application of new knowledge/tools.
You Should Have Some Friends and a Healthy Environment – and They Are Complementary
Bear in mind that even Google has some specific office break rooms to encourage the employees to take a nap or play games with colleagues. So, you can be sure that it’s scientifically proven that having a friendly atmosphere increases the ROI.
On the other hand, being in a healthy environment where the competition is not set on employees to work harder, is vital to guarantee your well-being.
So, you should opt to find a job that offers both factors.
That said, you must sign a contract with a company that cares about the well-being of its workers and provides them with a friendly-and-safe environment where everyone has an equal chance to proceed.
Working in an atmosphere where everything is based on result-oriented ideologies will ruin your DevOps career in no time. So, don’t judge the book by its cover and try to gain more information about the principles of the company prior to finalizing your decision.
Remember: “Alone We Can Do So Little; Together We Can Do So Much”
Simply put, no teamwork, no success. So, don’t be a member of a team that forces you to work individually. It’s ironically harmful to your career and would cause only more harm than good in the future.
You may feel like contributing to the team as an individual would prove that you’re a professional engineer. But it’s just so not true!
You should have a defined position in the structure of the team just like everyone else. So, bear in mind that you’re going to work ‘with’ the team and not ‘for’ the team.
Customer Care Is the Front-End of Employee Care
We’re all customers of various companies in our real life, right? I believe we are, and that’s why I suggest customer care as a vital factor in choosing the best company to work with.
When a company has a professionally designed plan to keep its customers satisfied, you can be 100% sure that they have the same thing for their employees as well.
Since having happy clients is a goal that would be achievable only if the workers are happy, you can use it as an indicator of finding the finest company to work with.
In brief, having happy employees creates happy customers. And such customers indicate that the company is trustworthy.
Finally; Bear in Mind That “You Cannot Become Great by Working for Salary”
I postponed the salary-talk because it would be an effective factor when you have previous conditions. That is, money—although being vital—would come in handy when you’re happy about the overall working conditions.
However, you should know that the money you earn is a sign of the value of your position in the company. So, it’s not possible to call it an insignificant factor when choosing the right company.
In case you believe in your skills, asking for a high salary is A-Okay. So, don’t be shy to indicate that you need a reliable paycheck by the end of the month.
But bear in mind that any industry has its own rules for determining the salaries. And the IT or Software Development industry is no exception to that. Therefore, try to keep things logical and do not ask for a paycheck that would satisfy Bill Gates!