As a DevOps engineer, one of the most rewarding aspects of your work is the opportunity to make a real impact on the organization and the projects you work on. But finding those high-impact projects can be a challenge, especially in a rapidly changing field like DevOps. Here are some tips for identifying and landing those impactful projects:
Look for projects that address key business objectives
These are the projects that are most likely to have a significant impact on the organization. For example, if the company is looking to improve customer satisfaction, a project that streamlines the deployment process for new features or fixes could make a big difference. To find these types of projects, it can be helpful to stay up to date on the business objectives of your organization and to actively seek out opportunities to contribute to their achievement. This may involve working with business leaders, product managers, and other key stakeholders to understand their priorities and challenges, and to identify ways that DevOps can help address them.
Seek out projects that involve new technologies or approaches
Being an early adopter can be risky, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. By taking on projects that involve new technologies or approaches, you have the opportunity to learn and grow, and to make a significant contribution to the organization’s technology roadmap. These types of projects can be especially impactful if they involve technologies or approaches that are likely to become widely adopted in the industry. For example, if you are able to successfully implement a new continuous delivery platform, it could set your organization up for long-term success.
Focus on projects that have the potential for scale
Projects that can be rolled out across the organization or to a large number of users are likely to have a bigger impact. Look for projects that can be automated or that can be easily replicated in other areas of the organization. For example, if you are able to develop a set of reusable deployment pipelines for a particular application, it could save time and effort for other teams that are working on similar projects.
Don’t be afraid to take on big, complex projects
While taking on a large, complex project can be intimidating, the payoff can be huge. By tackling these types of projects, you can make a big impact and demonstrate your skills and capabilities as a DevOps engineer. These types of projects can be especially impactful if they involve integrating multiple systems or technologies, or if they require significant collaboration with other teams.
Keep an eye on industry trends and emerging technologies
As a DevOps engineer, it is important to stay up to date on industry trends and emerging technologies. By doing so, you can identify opportunities to leverage new technologies or approaches to solve problems and drive results. For example, if you are aware of a new container orchestration platform that is gaining traction in the industry, you may be able to propose a project to implement it in your organization.
Conclusion
Overall, finding impactful projects as a DevOps engineer requires a combination of business acumen, technical expertise, and a willingness to take on new challenges. By focusing on projects that address key business objectives, involve new technologies or approaches, have the potential for scale, and involve key stakeholders, you can position yourself to make a real difference in your organization.
–
The author generated this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.