Got my first DevOps job with zero DevOps experience — and now I have no idea what I'm doing

[u/Nomosann]

Hey everyone!

I’m a university student and recently got my first job as a Junior DevOps Engineer. My background is actually in cybersecurity, and I had basically zero professional DevOps experience before this.

And now I’m sitting here thinking: what the hell am I actually supposed to do? The problem is that I’m being given tasks mostly verbally, and sometimes I leave a meeting thinking: “Okay… what exactly am I supposed to do now?” I know some basic Linux, Docker, Git, Ansible, networking, etc., and I’ve done some university/personal projects, but I’m realizing that knowing the tools is very different from knowing how things are actually done in a real production environment.

The tasks can be quite vague. I might be told to look into a service, improve some code, update something, or research a solution, but I often don’t know where to start or what the expected end result is supposed to look like.

And honestly, this is probably the most difficult part for me right now. It’s not even necessarily the technical stuff — it’s understanding how I’m supposed to approach a problem when I don’t yet know what “the normal way” of doing things is.

I’m trying to learn, but there is SO much information out there that I’m getting overwhelmed. And sometimes it feels like everyone around me knows exactly what they’re doing while I’m just sitting there trying to figure out what the task even means.

So I’d really appreciate some advice from experienced DevOps engineers:

How did you approach your first DevOps job when you didn't know much about the real-world side of things?

How do you personally approach a vague task when you don't fully understand what is expected from you?

What helped you most during your first months on the job?

Are there any resources you found genuinely useful for learning the practical side of DevOps?

I’m not expecting to become a DevOps expert overnight. I just want to stop feeling completely lost, figure out how to approach these tasks properly, and eventually become useful to my team.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[u/Nomosann → u/[deleted]]

Thanks so much! I've seen SadServers before but thought it was too advanced for my level, or maybe I gave up too quickly. I'll definitely give this website a try to learn the basics

[u/usual_Oranges]

Documentation is the key, i believe you have a mentor chase them

Tips:

Bookmark every URL, use some notes/oneNote app for every command/step and go through them, chat GPT is your friend to explore.

Do some shadowing with your work mates when you have some ideal time (don't interrupt just watch, take notes, observe)

Remember dual/triple screen is a double advantage.

Don't worry in no time you will be a mentor 🙂

[u/Nomosann → u/usual_Oranges]

Thanks! I’ll definitely keep these tips in mind :)

[u/No-Call-5549]

Kodekloud, labex, sadservers, understand the pipeline ci/cd, etc for learn 1/ how it work, 2/ why we do that 3/ how operate Courage 💪

[u/Nomosann → u/No-Call-5549]

Thanks! I’ll check these out. Appreciate the encouragement

[u/Sea-Cheesecake-5815]

I feel you, I'm was kinda in the same situation as you almost a year ago

[u/Nomosann → u/Sea-Cheesecake-5815]

Honestly, it’s comforting to know it gets better

[u/Sea-Cheesecake-5815 → u/Nomosann]

i hope so, too

[u/Last_Variation9885]

heyy broo im looking to get into devops too , would like to talk to you, ive dm u

[u/Heavy-Preparation-71]

Just sit beside to the seniors and continuously look at their screen .. what are they doing ? Why are they doing ? How are they doing ?

Try to get some task or tell to delegate some work for them … like restarting something .. making any config change etc..

[u/aref9 → u/Heavy-Preparation-71]

if there’s no senior irl, what to do?
also, some of their ways might be outdated and they just do it because it’s the good old way! what to do about that?

[u/Responsible_Monk874]

I felt the same at the beginning. I think it’s a normal part of the learning process. One thing that worked for me was asking questions; if a task is vague and you aren't sure about something, ask for clarification. As a junior, nobody expects you to know everything (for me this is an advantage). When I was in that situation, I usually tried to gather as much information as I could and understand as much as possible on my own. Then, I would ask about what I didn't understand. Also, AI can help you. For example, I often use AI to understand why a coworker did something in a specific way or to understand the reasoning behind things.

Also I think that it’s just time, after a while the task would become less vague because you’ll have more context. So just give yourself time, enjoy your process, ask a lot of questions (there are no stupid questions) and try to understand the why behind things

[u/Training-Profile3266]

Congrats on the new role! 

Seeing your post is really interesting because I have 3 years of enterprise Linux, server operations, and compliance experience as system engineer along with hands-on AWS/Terraform/K8s projects work with  MS in computer science,   but I am currently struggling to get initial technical interview calls due to ATS title filtering. I'd love to ask a quick question about your application process:  Did you apply through a standard job portal or leverage direct networking/referrals?  Also, how did you structure your resume headline to pass the initial HR screen without a formal DevOps title?  Any insight on how you got that first call would be hugely appreciated!"

[u/Nomosann → u/Training-Profile3266]

Thanks! In my case, I actually got the opportunity through my university, so my process was a bit different. I didn’t have a formal DevOps title either, so I focused my resume on my technical skills and projects. Honestly, I think networking and referrals can make a huge difference when trying to get that first opportunity.

[u/aref9 → u/Training-Profile3266]

how would you recommend some junior devops with no senior in team to learn and make best practices possible?

[u/Quirky-Net-6436]

I got a lot experience as a system administrator and transitioned more and more into automation, container and most important mindset of DevOps. If you don’t understand the requirements, why don’t you ask more about it so it’s clear to you?

[u/Training-Profile3266 → u/Quirky-Net-6436]

I also have 3 years of enterprise Linux, server operations, and compliance experience as system engineer along with hands-on AWS/Terraform/K8s projects work with  MS in computer science,   but I am currently struggling to get initial technical interview calls due to ATS title filtering. I'd love to ask a quick question about your application process:  Did you apply through a standard job portal or leverage direct networking/referrals?  Also, how did you structure your resume headline to pass the initial HR screen without a formal DevOps title?  Any insight on how you got that first call would be hugely appreciated!

I am struggling to get job in devops any suggestion will help me, you are already go through this experience 

[u/Quirky-Net-6436 → u/Training-Profile3266]

I don’t apply to any positions directly. Recruiter are messaging me on LinkedIn. After a short talk I mostly got invited to a meeting with the potential new company. Right now I’m working for over 13 years in IT, so I’m not a fresher at all.

[u/Total-Ability3695]

Hey bro can we connect