Cyvora Career Hub
DevOps Engineer Roadmap
Become a job-ready DevOps Engineer from scratch.
Overview
How to use this roadmap
Built for beginners
Start with no prior DevOps background and move through each month in order.
Focus on practice
Every month includes a checkpoint, projects, and resources so learning stays hands-on.
Track your progress
Mark each month complete and keep your progress saved in the browser.
Job-ready outcome
Build enough Linux, cloud, IaC, CI/CD, Kubernetes, and interview confidence to apply with clarity.
Timeline
Interactive Timeline
Each month expands into a compact learning module with topics, checkpoints, and completion tracking.
Month 1
Linux + Networking
Start here
Topics
- Linux filesystem, CLI, permissions, processes
- Networking basics, DNS, ports, SSH, HTTP
- Package managers, logs, services, cron
Estimated Hours
60-70 hours
Projects
Set up a Linux VM, configure SSH, analyze logs, and script a system health check.
Resources
Linux Journey, TLDP, networking basics videos, and man page practice.
Checkpoint
Explain file permissions, inspect a running service, and identify traffic ports.
Month 2
Git + GitHub
Version control
Topics
- Git basics, branching, merge conflicts
- Pull requests, releases, tags, workflows
- GitHub collaboration and repo hygiene
Estimated Hours
30-40 hours
Projects
Create a portfolio repo, branch workflow demo, and release notes template.
Resources
Pro Git book, GitHub Skills, and command line exercises.
Checkpoint
Use branching confidently and resolve a simple merge conflict.
0%
Month 3
Python + Bash
Automation basics
Topics
- Python syntax, modules, files, exceptions
- Bash variables, loops, functions, exit codes
- Simple automation scripts and parsing text
Estimated Hours
50-60 hours
Projects
Write log parsing, backup, and system health scripts.
Resources
Python for Everybody, Bash scripting references, shell practice labs.
Checkpoint
Automate a repetitive admin task with one Python script and one Bash script.
0%
Month 4
Docker
Containers
Topics
- Images, containers, registries, volumes
- Dockerfile best practices and multi-stage builds
- Compose for local development
Estimated Hours
35-45 hours
Projects
Containerize a web app and run it with Compose.
Resources
Docker docs, Docker 101 labs, and BuildKit practice.
Checkpoint
Explain the difference between images, containers, and volumes.
0%
Month 5
AWS Cloud
Cloud foundations
Topics
- EC2, S3, IAM, VPC basics
- Security groups, key pairs, and regions
- Core cloud cost and availability concepts
Estimated Hours
50-60 hours
Projects
Deploy a static website and secure access with IAM.
Resources
AWS Skill Builder, Cloud Practitioner materials, hands-on labs.
Checkpoint
Launch and secure a small cloud environment from scratch.
0%
Month 6
Terraform
Infrastructure as Code
Topics
- Providers, resources, variables, outputs
- State files, modules, workspaces, remote backends
- IaC best practices
Estimated Hours
40-50 hours
Projects
Provision a VPC, EC2, and security groups with Terraform.
Resources
HashiCorp Learn, Terraform registry, and state management guides.
Checkpoint
Write a reusable module and plan an infrastructure change safely.
0%
Month 7
CI/CD
Delivery pipelines
Topics
- Pipeline stages, artifacts, environments
- Secrets, runners, approvals, rollback flow
- GitHub Actions and Jenkins fundamentals
Estimated Hours
40-50 hours
Projects
Build a pipeline that tests, builds, and deploys a containerized app.
Resources
GitHub Actions docs, Jenkins docs, and sample repos.
Checkpoint
Describe a pipeline from commit to production with rollback.
0%
Month 8
Kubernetes
Orchestration
Topics
- Pods, deployments, services, ingress
- ConfigMaps, secrets, namespaces, HPA
- Helm and cluster operations basics
Estimated Hours
60-70 hours
Projects
Deploy an application to a cluster with config and service exposure.
Resources
Kubernetes Basics, interactive labs, and kubectl practice.
Checkpoint
Explain how a deployment is rolled out and exposed.
0%
Month 9
Monitoring
Observability
Topics
- Logs, metrics, traces, alerts
- Prometheus, Grafana, and alert routing
- SLIs, SLOs, and incident awareness
Estimated Hours
35-45 hours
Projects
Create a dashboard and alert rule set for an app and server.
Resources
Grafana dashboards, Prometheus docs, and logging tutorials.
Checkpoint
Explain the difference between alerts, logs, metrics, and traces.
0%
Month 10
Security
Secure by default
Topics
- Secrets, least privilege, image scanning
- IAM, network controls, patching, hardening
- Threat awareness and compliance basics
Estimated Hours
30-40 hours
Projects
Harden a deployment, scan images, and lock down IAM access.
Resources
AWS security docs, image scanning tools, and hardening checklists.
Checkpoint
List the top five ways you would secure a production app.
0%
Month 11
Production Projects
Portfolio builder
Topics
- Designing end-to-end DevOps workflows
- Documentation, demos, and troubleshooting
- Portfolio-ready project presentation
Estimated Hours
50-70 hours
Projects
Ship one strong portfolio project using cloud, IaC, CI/CD, and monitoring.
Resources
Templates, deployment notes, architecture diagrams, and README samples.
Checkpoint
Present your project as if you were explaining it in an interview.
0%
Month 12
Interview Preparation
Apply with confidence
Topics
- Resume preparation and portfolio review
- Scenario questions, troubleshooting stories
- Mock interviews and job application strategy
Estimated Hours
30-40 hours
Projects
Build your final resume, case study, and interview notes.
Resources
Interview question sets, STAR framework, and mock interview practice.
Checkpoint
Confidently explain your projects, tool choices, and architecture decisions.
0%
Skills
Skill Tree
Expand each node to inspect the knowledge layer beneath it.
Computer Basics
Understand files, processes, hardware, operating systems, and how machines execute software.
↓
Linux
Navigate the terminal, manage permissions, inspect services, and automate routine tasks.
↓
Networking
Learn DNS, ports, HTTP, SSH, routing, firewalls, and how services communicate.
↓
Git
Use branching, pull requests, version history, and collaboration workflows with confidence.
↓
Python
Write scripts for automation, data handling, API calls, and daily DevOps tasks.
↓
Docker
Create portable environments, package apps, and run reproducible local development setups.
↓
Cloud
Build a secure and scalable foundation on AWS, Azure, or another major cloud platform.
↓
Terraform
Describe infrastructure in code and manage repeatable, reviewable environment changes.
↓
CI/CD
Automate test, build, and deployment stages so delivery is reliable and traceable.
↓
Kubernetes
Orchestrate workloads, manage services, and understand the patterns behind modern platforms.
↓
Monitoring
Track health with logs, metrics, traces, dashboards, and alerting practices.
↓
Security
Protect cloud accounts, secrets, images, servers, and deployment pipelines.
↓
Projects
Combine everything into portfolio-ready systems that show real DevOps capability.
↓
Interview
Turn your knowledge into clear explanations, troubleshooting stories, and job-ready answers.
Courses
Free Learning Resources
Choose a topic tab and open the best starter resource for that layer of the roadmap.
Platform: Linux Journey
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Beginner
Focus on filesystem, shell, permissions, services, and command line confidence.
Want to try out your linux skills in terminal use these websites for free terminals:
Platform: Cisco Networking Academy
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Beginner
Learn IPs, ports, DNS, routing, and how to think about traffic flow.
Want to learn more on networking? Check out these websites:
Freecodecamp
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Beginner
Branching, merging, GitHub actions and collaboration fundamentals with practical examples.
Freecodecamp
Duration: 4-6 weeks
Difficulty: Beginner
You can learn the python program from scratch with use cases, with syntax and projects
If you feel you have the basic knowledge of Python check out the below links for intermediate courses useful for devops
Platform: Freecodecamp
Duration: 1-2 weeks
Difficulty: Beginner
Learn about docker from scratch: Containers, images, volumes, and Compose with hands-on walkthroughs.
Platform: AWS
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Beginner
Start with EC2, S3, IAM, and VPC concepts before deeper cloud topics.
Check out the free course enroll it and learn.
Platform: Spacelift
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Intermediate
Learn providers, modules, variables, and state management from the source.
Platform: Kubernetes.io
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Intermediate
Pods, services, deployments, ingress, and cluster navigation.
Platform: GitHub
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Beginner
Automate tests, builds, and deployments with simple pipelines.
Platform: Prometheus / Grafana
Duration: Self-paced
Difficulty: Intermediate
Build dashboards, alerts, and health signals that help you operate systems well.
YouTube Learning
Video Recommendations
What is Devops?
Recommended Playlist: DevOps / Kubernetes / Docker series
Duration: 2 Hrs
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Watch PlaylistfreeCodeCamp
Recommended Playlist: Linux, cloud, Docker, and full-stack ops
Duration: 1-10 hours
Skill Level: Beginner
Watch PlaylistNetworkChuck
Recommended Playlist: Networking and infrastructure intuition
Duration: Mixed
Skill Level: Beginner
Watch PlaylistTraversy Media
Recommended Playlist: Docker, deployment, and practical tooling
Duration: Mixed
Skill Level: Beginner
Watch PlaylistFireship
Recommended Playlist: Cloud and platform concepts in fast format
Duration: Short-form
Skill Level: Beginner
Watch PlaylistProgramming with Mosh
Recommended Playlist: Python and developer tooling fundamentals
Duration: Mixed
Skill Level: Beginner
Watch PlaylistGoogle Cloud Tech
Recommended Playlist: Cloud architecture and GCP fundamentals
Duration: Mixed
Skill Level: Intermediate
Watch PlaylistAWS
Recommended Playlist: AWS official tutorials and deep dives
Duration: Mixed
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Watch PlaylistJavascript Mystery
Learn DevOps fast in this crash course covering Git & GitHub, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Kubernetes, IaC, and API deployment. Everything you need to automate dev and deployment.
Duration: 5 Hrs
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
Watch PlaylistProjects
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Projects
Beginner Projects
Linux Server Setup
Estimated Time: 4-6 hours
Skills Practiced: Linux, SSH, permissions, services
Set up a Linux VM, create users, configure SSH, and inspect logs.
Expected Outcome: A managed Linux environment you can explain clearly.
Technologies: Ubuntu, SSH, Bash
Dockerize an Application
Estimated Time: 5-7 hours
Skills Practiced: Docker, Compose, image builds
Package a small app into a container and run it locally.
Expected Outcome: A reproducible container-based project.
Technologies: Docker, Docker Compose
Git Portfolio
Estimated Time: 3-4 hours
Skills Practiced: Git, branching, README writing
Build a small repo with branches, tags, and a polished README.
Expected Outcome: A portfolio repo that shows workflow understanding.
Technologies: Git, GitHub
Static Website Deployment
Estimated Time: 4-6 hours
Skills Practiced: AWS, storage, DNS basics
Deploy a static site and document the steps.
Expected Outcome: A live website with deployment notes.
Technologies: S3, CloudFront
Intermediate Projects
CI/CD Pipeline
Estimated Time: 8-12 hours
Skills Practiced: CI/CD, testing, releases
Automate build, test, and deploy steps for an app.
Expected Outcome: A pipeline you can demo end to end.
Technologies: GitHub Actions, Jenkins
Terraform Infrastructure
Estimated Time: 8-12 hours
Skills Practiced: Terraform, networking, modules
Provision reusable cloud infrastructure with Terraform.
Expected Outcome: Infrastructure code with clear module structure.
Technologies: Terraform, AWS
AWS Deployment
Estimated Time: 8-10 hours
Skills Practiced: AWS, IAM, storage, compute
Deploy an application with secure cloud permissions.
Expected Outcome: A cloud-hosted app with documented architecture.
Technologies: AWS, EC2, S3, IAM
Monitoring Dashboard
Estimated Time: 6-10 hours
Skills Practiced: Monitoring, dashboards, alerts
Create a dashboard for app and server health.
Expected Outcome: Observability visualized in one place.
Technologies: Prometheus, Grafana
Jenkins Automation
Estimated Time: 8-12 hours
Skills Practiced: Automation, pipelines, secrets
Automate repeated release steps with controlled environments.
Expected Outcome: A production-style automation workflow.
Technologies: Jenkins, Docker
Advanced Projects
Production Kubernetes Cluster
Estimated Time: 16-24 hours
Skills Practiced: Kubernetes, networking, cluster ops
Deploy an app across multiple services with scaling and exposure.
Expected Outcome: A realistic platform deployment showcase.
Technologies: Kubernetes, Helm
Microservices Deployment
Estimated Time: 14-20 hours
Skills Practiced: Architecture, orchestration, deployment
Coordinate multiple services with CI/CD and cloud tooling.
Expected Outcome: A resilient distributed application demo.
Technologies: Docker, Kubernetes, AWS
GitOps Workflow
Estimated Time: 12-18 hours
Skills Practiced: GitOps, deployment, Git workflows
Drive environment changes through Git as the source of truth.
Expected Outcome: A clean GitOps deployment pipeline.
Technologies: Argo CD, Git, Kubernetes
Blue Green Deployment
Estimated Time: 12-16 hours
Skills Practiced: Release safety, routing, rollback
Switch traffic safely between two versions of the app.
Expected Outcome: A low-risk deployment strategy demo.
Technologies: Cloud, Load Balancer, CI/CD
High Availability Infrastructure
Estimated Time: 16-24 hours
Skills Practiced: HA, scaling, reliability
Design infrastructure that survives common failures.
Expected Outcome: A platform architecture with resilience choices.
Technologies: AWS, Terraform, Kubernetes
Observability Dashboard
Estimated Time: 12-18 hours
Skills Practiced: Tracing, logs, metrics, alerts
Tie together signals for incident response and reliability work.
Expected Outcome: A platform health cockpit with alerting.
Technologies: Grafana, Prometheus, Loki
Certifications
Recommended Certifications
AWS Cloud Practitioner
Difficulty: Beginner
Prerequisites: None
Preparation: 2-4 weeks
Recommended After Month: 5
Official WebsiteAWS Solutions Architect Associate
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prerequisites: AWS basics
Preparation: 4-8 weeks
Recommended After Month: 5-6
Official WebsiteAzure Fundamentals
Difficulty: Beginner
Prerequisites: None
Preparation: 2-4 weeks
Recommended After Month: 5
Official WebsiteGoogle Associate Cloud Engineer
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Cloud basics
Preparation: 4-8 weeks
Recommended After Month: 5-6
Official WebsiteTerraform Associate
Difficulty: Intermediate
Prerequisites: Terraform basics
Preparation: 3-6 weeks
Recommended After Month: 6
Official WebsiteCKAD
Difficulty: Advanced
Prerequisites: Kubernetes experience
Preparation: 4-8 weeks
Recommended After Month: 8
Official WebsiteCKA
Difficulty: Advanced
Prerequisites: Kubernetes ops knowledge
Preparation: 6-10 weeks
Recommended After Month: 8-9
Official WebsiteInterview
Interview Preparation
Switch between topics and open the questions you want to practice.
How do you inspect a system that is running slowly?
Look at CPU, memory, disk, and logs. Use top, free, df, journalctl, and ps to narrow the issue before changing anything.
How do Linux permissions work?
Explain read, write, and execute for user, group, and others, plus ownership and sudo behavior.
What is the difference between an image and a container?
An image is the immutable template; a container is the running instance that uses that template.
How would you reduce Docker image size?
Use multi-stage builds, slim base images, fewer layers, and keep only what the app needs.
What happens when a Kubernetes deployment is updated?
The deployment creates a controlled rollout, replacing pods according to the strategy and replica rules.
How do you troubleshoot a failing pod?
Check events, describe the pod, inspect logs, confirm image pull, probes, and resource limits.
What is IAM and why does it matter?
IAM controls access to cloud resources. Least privilege is essential for secure operations.
How do VPCs help with cloud architecture?
They isolate networks and let you control routing, access, and segmentation at the cloud layer.
What is Terraform state?
State maps real infrastructure to configuration and allows Terraform to plan changes accurately.
Why use modules?
Modules keep infrastructure reusable, readable, and easier to maintain across environments.
What is the difference between merge and rebase?
Merge keeps history and adds a merge commit; rebase rewrites history for a linear path.
How do you resolve a merge conflict?
Inspect both changes, decide the correct final content, test it, and commit the resolution.
How would you use Python in DevOps?
Use Python for automation scripts, API calls, parsing logs, and small tooling tasks.
What is a virtual environment?
It isolates dependencies so project packages do not conflict with other Python projects.
What happens when you type a domain name into a browser?
DNS resolves the name, a connection is established, and HTTP or HTTPS transfers the content.
What is the purpose of a load balancer?
It spreads traffic across healthy targets and improves reliability and scaling.
Tell me about yourself.
Use a short story that covers background, transition, strengths, and why DevOps fits you.
Why should we hire you?
Connect your projects, learning discipline, troubleshooting mindset, and communication skills.
A deployment broke production. What do you do first?
Reduce impact, confirm scope, roll back if needed, and gather evidence before deeper changes.
Latency is increasing but the app is still up. How do you think about it?
Check recent changes, resource usage, dependencies, and observability signals before guessing.
Resources
Career Progression
A simple trajectory from student to platform-focused roles.
Student
Experience: None
Salary Range: Learning stage
Responsibilities: Build fundamentals and habits
Skills Required: Linux, Git, Python basics
Intern
Experience: 0-1 year
Salary Range: Stipend
Responsibilities: Shadow teams and automate small tasks
Skills Required: Scripting, tooling, curiosity
Junior DevOps Engineer
Experience: 0-2 years
Salary Range: Entry level
Responsibilities: Support pipelines, deployments, and ops work
Skills Required: Docker, CI/CD, cloud basics
DevOps Engineer
Experience: 2-4 years
Salary Range: Mid level
Responsibilities: Own automation, reliability, and deployment flow
Skills Required: Kubernetes, Terraform, monitoring
Senior DevOps Engineer
Experience: 4-7 years
Salary Range: Senior level
Responsibilities: Improve platform scale, security, and delivery speed
Skills Required: Architecture, IaC, observability
Lead DevOps Engineer
Experience: 6+ years
Salary Range: Lead level
Responsibilities: Guide standards, reviews, and delivery strategy
Skills Required: Mentoring, systems thinking, planning
Cloud Architect
Experience: 7+ years
Salary Range: High level
Responsibilities: Shape cloud foundations and platform direction
Skills Required: Cloud design, governance, reliability
Platform Engineer
Experience: 7+ years
Salary Range: High level
Responsibilities: Build internal tooling and developer platforms
Skills Required: Automation, APIs, product thinking
Career Insights
Career Insights
Who should become a DevOps Engineer?
People who enjoy systems, automation, problem solving, and making delivery more reliable.
Daily responsibilities
Support deployments, maintain pipelines, improve observability, and remove operational friction.
Pros
Strong demand, broad skill growth, real impact, and exposure to architecture and tooling.
Challenges
Lots of moving parts, on-call pressure, and a need to keep learning across layers.
Work-life balance
Healthy teams create predictable operations, but the role can still be high-responsibility.
Remote opportunities
Very common, especially for cloud, automation, and platform-focused teams.
Demand in 2026
Still strong because teams need faster delivery, stability, and cloud expertise.
Future scope
Platform engineering, reliability, cloud security, and internal developer platforms are growing fast.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need coding?
Yes, but not advanced software engineering on day one. Start with Python and Bash fundamentals.
Can I become DevOps without experience?
Yes. A strong project portfolio and disciplined learning path can get you started.
Should I learn AWS first?
Linux and networking first is usually better. Then learn cloud with more context.
Linux or Docker first?
Linux first. Docker becomes easier once the command line and processes make sense.
Is Kubernetes mandatory?
Not to start, but it matters a lot once you move beyond the basics.
Do I need certifications?
They help, but strong projects and clear understanding matter more than badges alone.
How long does it take?
For most beginners, 8-12 months of steady effort is realistic for job readiness.
Can I become DevOps without a degree?
Yes. Practical skills, projects, and interview readiness can carry a lot of weight.