DevOps Engineer Resume Sample & Guide (20+ Tips)

DevOps jobs are growing like crazy. A whopping 60% of hiring managers want DevOps engineers and managers, yesterday.

The problem? It's such a new position that most managers don't know how to hire for it. But that doesn't mean it's hard to write a great DevOps resume. Show the right skills, the right way, and your DevOps engineer resume will stand out like a serverless network.

This guide will show you:

• A DevOps resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a DevOps resume that lands more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a Dev Ops resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for DevOps to get any job you want.

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• Example Resumes for 500+ Jobs in 2023

Want to see an alternative DevOps resume example? Check it out here.

1

Format Your DevOps Resume

DevOps is a swamp. You could list two dozen tools and decades of experience. Yet the hiring manager might still walk away unsatisfied.

Organize the mess instead with the best DevOps resume layout.

In most cases that's the reverse-chronological resume format. Why?

Because it boots up your most recent accomplishments first.

One caveat:

Are you moving from development to DevOps, from IT to DevOps, or from anything to DevOps? If yes, use the combination resume format.

It's a slam dunk for career changers.

It shows you've used each crucial skill, without wasting resources.

Last, should you send a DevOps resume in PDF or DOC (Word format)?

Modern PDFs are machine-readable. Use them unless the job ad says otherwise.

Pro Tip: A DevOps manager salary can pay $100K–$200K. An entry-level DevOps engineer salary sits at $70K–$90K. Spending more time on resume format could mean an extra $20K–$100K a year.

Not settled on the reverse-chronological resume format? Want to give your DevOps engineer resume more options? See our guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [Examples]

Imagine a hiring manager. His name's Paul.

He's got a mug that says, "coffee<br>." He's also got 270 DevOps resumes to read.

He'll spend seven seconds skimming each one, according to our HR statistics report.

Don't let him skim yours.

Flag it as important with a resume summary or a resume objective.

A resume summary sums up your experience. Use it if you've got servers full.

A resume objective shows your passion when you lack experience.

Let's look at both.

We'll start with two senior DevOps resume examples.

The first of our DevOps engineer resume examples crashes:

That's not a total system failure, but it won't load lots of interviews either.

Try something like this senior DevOps resume summary instead:

DevOps Resume Summary Example

That'll initiate the interview dump fast.

Can't deploy those kinds of achievements? In that case, see the entry-level DevOps engineer resume examples below.

There's no such thing as an entry-level DevOps engineer. If you've worked in IT or development, you've got enough accomplishments to fill a fresher resume for DevOps.

That candidate has passion! He might get hired as a 1940s paperboy, but not as a DevOps engineer.

But add achievements, and you'll get a junior DevOps resume objective like this:

DevOps Resume Objective Example

Snap! You just went from total noob to proto-Jez-Humble. The hiring manager is guaranteed to notice.

But how does a DevOps fresher resume show off that kind of experience?

I'll show that in the next section, on DevOps engineer resume experience.

Pro Tip: Feature your job title and years of experience in a DevOps resume summary or a resume objective. List a few key skills, and 2-3 John-Willis-worthy achievements.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

Need to write an AWS DevOps resume summary that gets an interview at Amazon? See our guides:

How To Write A Resume Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See

Resume Objective Examples - Use Them on Your Resume

Remember our DevOps hiring manager, Paul? He wants to know if you can get the job done.

You'll answer with experience.

Show your most recent job first.

Salt it with achievements. For DevOps, those are times you boosted business outcomes.

Check out the two DevOps engineer resume examples below.

They show how to list experience on a resume for DevOps.

The first of these DevOps resume samples checks out:

DevOps Experience on a Resume

Wow. The hiring manager just dropped his copy of The Phoenix Project in his stroganoff. Your DevOps Puppet resume lit him up like a server during peak demand.

The next IT resume example fails gracelessly:

That applicant has done a lot, but to what effect? Like an unmonitored system, she's missing how many, how much, and how often.

Don't have accomplishments? Check out the two entry-level DevOps Ansible resume examples below.

How to Write a Resume for DevOps with No Experience

Need to write a DevOps resume with no experience?

If you're a software engineer, you've got experience in software development.

If you're in IT, you've got experience in networking.

The key is to show accomplishments in the areas where you're not strong. Get those from:

• Side projects in IT, development, scripting, Agile, or automation
• Side tasks from past jobs
• Development tasks
• Volunteer work
• Projects in Chef, Ansible, Salt, or Puppet
• Linux/Unix projects
• Scripting in Perl, Python, Ruby, or Bash
• Work done with AWS, VMWare, Jenkins, Maven, etc.

Even if you've never held a DevOps title, you can show accomplishments that prove your DevOps skills.

See that work in the two entry-level DevOps resume examples below.

Pew! Hello World, right?

But add accomplishments that fit the DevOps philosophy, and you're in the Gene Kim zone:

DevOps Sample Resume with No Experience

That's straight from the DevOps Handbook. It'll make a great DevOps resume indeed.

Pro Tip: What's the key to showing DevOps experience on a resume? Proving you can run development and deployment. So, cite organizational goals you've helped achieve.

Want to hold the hiring manager's attention like a spaceborne Tesla roadster? Build your DevOps consultant resume with action words. See our guides: +80 Examples of Resume Action Words for Every Profession and Resume Headline Examples.

In a DevOps engineer resume, education takes a backseat to experience.

But don't just list it. That's like having a full Jenkins install and only using it to post cat videos.

With one change, you can make your resume stand out like an AWS Cloud Watch alarm.

First, show:

• College Name and Location
• Years in School
• Degree

Then add accomplishments that fit the job.

The next two cloud DevOps resume examples show how:

DevOps Engineer Resume Examples [Education]

Check out these two sample DevOps resume education sections.

They target a DevOps manager job description that seeks programming, network management, security, and leadership.

Plug, meet play. Your DevOps engineer resume education section just socketed you into the job.

The next of our DevOps architect resume examples is buggy:

That's like an unconfigured tarball. Without details, the hiring manager will fail to connect.

Pro Tip: Do you need a bachelor's degree on a DevOps resume? In most cases, experience is enough. Without experience though, a degree becomes a requisite.

What honors should you add to a resume for DevOps? See our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

What's the most important part of a DevOps resume?

It's skills. But not the way you think.

Most applicants show a skills list longer than the human genome project. They think the hiring manager will find something she likes in there.

The problem? Managers know spam when they see it.

So, prove your skills instead, like in our next DevOps engineer resume example.

This sample DevOps resume clip takes the "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" approach:

That won't impress anyone. It's the skills equivalent of, "My number's in the phone book."

So, select the top skills from the job offer, then prove them in your professional DevOps resume, like this:

Skills shown in the job offer: Server Management, Continuous Deployment, Speed of Deployment, and Jenkins.

That's not just a DevOps resume skills list. It hooks you to the job like continuous deployment to an agile team.

This sample DevOps engineer resume skills list will get you started. All the skills in it make great DevOps resume keywords.

Again, just focus on the ones shown in the job ad.

DevOps Skills for a Resume

• Collaboration Skills
• Operating Systems
• Unix/Linux
• Communication Skills
• Networking Protocols
• GIT
• Problem Solving
• Build and Release
• Jenkins
• Creative Thinking
• Source Control
• Puppet/Chef
• Critical Thinking
• Deployment
• Salt/Ansible
• Adaptability
• Configuration Management
• Docker
• Active Learning
• Containers
• AWS/VMWare/Cisco
• Perceptiveness
• Monitoring
• Python/Perl
• Leadership Skills
• Programming
• Apache/Nginx
• Interpersonal Skills
• Agile
• Zabbix/Sensu

Pro Tip: DevOps tools are always evolving. Tailoring your resume for DevOps to the job description puts you miles above the rest.

Need to upgrade your DevOps manager resume skills section? See our guide: +30 Best Examples of Skills to Put on a Resume

What beats hands-on experience in a DevOps resume?

Nothing.

The hiring manager won't blink if you're not certified.

Still, certs can sprint an entry-level candidate ahead of other junior applicants.

AWS certs are the most respected. If you've got one and the job ad asks for it, show it prominently in your DevOps engineer resume.

Add it right after your name and in your summary. Then, put it in a special section near the top, like this:

Not sure whether to put certifications on a resume for DevOps? If they're not AWS and they're not in the job description, consider skipping them.

Pro Tip: IT certifications like the CCNA can help a DevOps resume. Even so, a solid GitHub portfolio or personal website can beat any cert.

Not sure what else to put on a DevOps consultant resume? See our guide: Things to Put On a Resume to Make It Perfect

Like a good captcha, a resume for DevOps has to show you're not a robot.

The way to do that is with other sections that prove your worth.

Don't add a lot of "long walks on the beach" type stuff. It's a resume, not Match.com.

See the two DevOps engineer resume examples below.

DevOps Engineer Resume Examples [Other Sections]

That applicant seems fun. Not sure why I'd hire her as a DevOps engineer.

But check out this superior DevOps resume example:

Wow, right? Who let James Turnbull into the stack? Even the half marathons help, because they show both discipline and fitness. But it takes very little effort to make a DevOps engineer resume like that.

Pro Tip: Are you adding "other" accomplishments to a resume for DevOps? Scrutinize the DevOps job description. If your achievement doesn't make you a better fit, delete it.

Can't scrape up relevant achievements for a DevOps Chef resume or Ansible resume? Learn how to integrate key components to your pitch. Use this guide: Resume Sections to Include on Your Resume: Guide (+20 Examples)

Do you need a cover letter for a DevOps resume?

Yes.

A DevOps cover letter can take you from "one in 300" to "very interesting" in a couple paragraphs.

Sound hard? It's not.

First, start your cover letter with the hiring manager's name. That makes it personal.

Next, prove you understand the need for this DevOps position.

Finally, show you can help by adding one or two CloudMunch-worthy achievements.

This shortened DevOps engineer cover letter shows how.

DevOps Cover Letter Example

Add a couple more achievements. Then end your cover letter with an offer. Use something like, "Can we set up a time to discuss increasing customer satisfaction by 20%?"

Pro Tip: Consider ending your cover letter with a P.S. It'll draw the manager's eye like a Falcon Heavy launch.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

Create my cover letter now

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Write the best DevOps engineer cover letter since Katharina Probst applied to Netflix. See our guide: How To Write a Professional Cover Letter in 8 Steps

Here's a simple trick to add contact info to a DevOps resume.

Of course you'll include:

• Full Name
• Updated Phone Number
• Professional Email Address

Like this:

Jessica Zackowitz, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, jesszackowitz@gmail.com, 410-279-0218

But also, add a LinkedIn profile and an online portfolio.

Nowadays, more than 87% of recruiters search for talent on LinkedIn.

Portfolio sites go a step further, sharing all the great projects you can't show in a resume for DevOps.

Pro Tip: Need a winning LinkedIn profile to match your great DevOps Java resume? See our guide to optimizing LinkedIn profiles here.

Still need help initializing your resume for DevOps? See our guide: How to Make a Great Resume: the Guide

That's how to write a great DevOps engineer resume. Remember:

• Focus on business outcomes you've improved. Stuff your DevOps resume with accomplishments that prove how valuable you are.
• List the skills shown in the job ad. Prove them in your work experience bullet points, with measurable achievements.
• Add "other" sections that show you're more than just a bot with meal requirements. A professional resume for DevOps has to show you as a person.

Do you have questions on how to write a great resume for a DevOps? Not sure how to describe your skills or achievements? Give us a shout in the comments! Let's get the conversation going.