How to Become a DevOps Engineer with an IT Background: Complete Guide 2026

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced software world, DevOps engineers bridge the gap between development and operations, enabling faster, more reliable releases. If you already have an IT background, working in system administration, networking, or support, leveraging that experience to become a DevOps engineer can accelerate your career growth in 2026’s competitive tech landscape. This guide shows you exactly how to build on your IT foundation, master DevOps tools and practices, and secure your first DevOps role.

Why Transition to DevOps Engineering?

Traditional IT roles focus on maintaining infrastructure, but DevOps engineers take a proactive, collaborative approach, automating workflows, integrating development pipelines, and optimizing cloud environments. This shift offers:

• Higher Demand & Salaries: DevOps expertise is among the most sought-after skill sets, with average salaries 20–30% above traditional IT roles.
• Broader Impact: Influence software release cycles, performance, and reliability across entire organizations.
• Continuous Learning: Work with cutting-edge tools in cloud computing, automation, and containerization.

Step 1: Leverage Your IT Foundation

Your existing IT skills give you a head start:

• System Administration: Proficiency in Linux/Windows server management translates directly into configuring and maintaining build agents and production servers.
• Networking & Security: Understanding of firewalls, VPNs, and access control informs secure CI/CD pipeline setups.
• Scripting & Automation: If you’ve automated tasks using Bash, PowerShell, or Python, you’re already comfortable writing DevOps scripts.

Map your current expertise to key DevOps responsibilities to identify learning gaps.

Step 2: Master Core DevOps Principles

DevOps is built on continuous integration, continuous delivery (CI/CD), and infrastructure as code (IaC). Begin by understanding:

• CI/CD Pipelines: Learn how automated build, test, and deployment pipelines accelerate software delivery.
• Version Control: Gain advanced Git skills—branching strategies, pull requests, and merge workflows.
• Infrastructure as Code: Study declarative configuration tools like Terraform or AWS CloudFormation.
• Monitoring & Logging: Familiarize yourself with Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), and cloud-native monitoring services.

Step 3: Get Hands-On with Essential Tools

Build practical experience by installing, configuring, and using the tools at the heart of DevOps:

• Containerization: Docker—create, manage, and optimize containers.
• Orchestration: Kubernetes—deploy and manage container clusters.
• Automation Servers: Jenkins or GitLab CI—design and run automated pipelines.
• Configuration Management: Ansible, Puppet, or Chef—automate server configuration and application deployments.
• Cloud Platforms: AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud—launch infrastructure, use managed services, and practice security best practices.

Set up a home lab or use free tiers on cloud providers to build real-world skills.

Step 4: Earn Industry-Recognized Certifications

Certifications validate your DevOps expertise and boost credibility:

• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
• Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert
• Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
• HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
• Docker Certified Associate (DCA)

Pair certifications with portfolio projects like a CI/CD pipeline that builds a sample web app, or an automated infrastructure deployment on AWS.

Step 5: Build a DevOps Portfolio

Showcase your practical skills with projects:

• Host your code on GitHub with readme files that explain your CI/CD workflow.
• Create Terraform modules for deploying a three-tier application in the cloud.
• Demonstrate a Kubernetes cluster deployment with Helm charts.
• Document infrastructure diagrams, scripts, and monitoring dashboards on a personal blog or portfolio site.

A strong portfolio sets you apart in interviews and on platforms like LinkedIn or DevOps job boards.

Step 6: Gain Real-World Experience

Transition into a DevOps role by:

• Volunteering for DevOps tasks within your current organization—automating backups, writing deployment scripts, or building monitoring alerts.
• Contributing to open-source DevOps projects on GitHub to refine collaboration skills.
• Securing internships or freelance gigs focused on CI/CD or cloud infrastructure.

Even small contributions to DevOps processes demonstrate initiative and competence to prospective employers.

Step 7: Prepare for DevOps Interviews

DevOps interviews often cover both theory and practice:

• Be ready to explain CI/CD concepts, container networking, and IaC principles.
• Solve hands-on tasks like writing a Dockerfile, troubleshooting a broken Jenkins pipeline, or designing a scalable infrastructure diagram.
• Practice common DevOps scenarios, rolling updates, blue-green deployments, infrastructure rollback strategies.

Mock interviews and coding challenges on platforms like HackerRank or LeetCode can sharpen your responses.

Career Outlook for DevOps Engineers in 2026

The DevOps engineer role will continue to evolve, integrating AI/ML for predictive monitoring, GitOps for declarative operations, and edge computing deployments. Organizations across finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and IoT sectors will demand DevOps talent to drive digital transformation.

How Career Plan B Helps

At Career Plan B, our mission is simple: Right to Quality Education and Career, hence Quality Life!
With over 16 years of expertise, we provide:

• One-on-One Counselling Support – Personalized guidance for your architectural career path
• Career Roadmaps – Strategic plans aligned with your strengths and goals
• Backup Strategies – Alternative options so you never miss opportunities

Have any doubts?

  Book your free session today and get all your questions answered!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the typical background required to become a DevOps engineer?
A background in IT, software development, system administration, or networking is ideal. Understanding operating systems, scripting, and cloud technologies helps in transitioning to DevOps.

2. Which programming or scripting languages should I learn for DevOps?
Commonly used languages include Python, Bash, Ruby, and Perl. Knowledge of these languages helps in automation and managing infrastructure as code.

3. What are the most important tools for a DevOps engineer in 2026?
Key tools include Docker (containerization), Kubernetes (orchestration), Jenkins/GitLab CI (CI/CD), Ansible/Puppet (configuration management), Terraform (IaC), and cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP.

4. How important are certifications for a career in DevOps?
Certifications like AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, and Docker Certified Associate enhance your credibility, especially if you’re transitioning from IT.

5. Can I become a DevOps engineer without prior coding experience?
Basic scripting knowledge is necessary, but many IT professionals pick this up while learning DevOps tools. Coding is not typically as extensive as in software development roles.

6. How do I gain practical experience in DevOps?
Set up personal projects or home labs with CI/CD pipelines, containerized apps, and cloud resources. Internships and contributing to open-source projects also help.

7. What is the job outlook for DevOps engineers in 2026?
Very strong, with increasing adoption of cloud computing, automation, and agile practices across industries driving high demand globally.

Conclusion

With a solid IT background, becoming a DevOps engineer in 2026 is a natural and rewarding career progression. By mastering DevOps methodologies, tooling, certifications, and hands-on projects, you can position yourself as a valuable asset in any tech team.