How to Write a DevOps Engineer Resume (Step-by-Step With Examples)

DevOps engineering is a growing career option with lots of opportunities, so it’s important that your resume highlights your most valuable experience, skills, and education. While browsing the internet for resume resources, you may have noticed that many resume templates require a subscription, download, or purchase. In the following article, we’ll provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to choose, use, and fill out a free DevOps resume template. Read on to browse example sections for different DevOps job titles, in-demand skills, and action verbs to enhance your resume’s vocabulary.  

You can also enhance your resume and accelerate your career growth with a Coursera Plus subscription. When you enroll in either the monthly or annual option, you’ll get access to over 10,000 courses you can use to sharpen in-demand DevOps skills and earn recognized credentials.

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Step 1: Create a DevOps engineer resume template.

The template you choose for your resume is very important because how your information is presented affects the likelihood of a recruiter reading it. It needs to be clear, concise, and easy to follow. The template you choose ultimately depends on what you want to highlight most. 

You may consider any of the following templates:

• Chronological: Chronological resume templates list your education and professional experience in reverse chronological order, with your most recent at the top. This option is great for seeing your progression and to quickly view your latest credentials. A chronological resume is a good choice if you have lots of experience, with the most recent being the most important. 

• Functional: Functional, or skills-based, resumes highlight your skills and achievements rather than focusing on a clear line of progression or individual employers. It’s a useful template if you are changing careers and your strengths and skills are more relevant than your most recent experience. 

• Combination: A combination resume is a hybrid of the two above. It has a skills section and also delves into your career history. This is a great option for highlighting relevant skills you’ve gained outside of traditional education and employment.

Read more: Types of Resumes: Choosing the Right Format for Your Needs

Free DevOps resume templates

Google Docs has free-to-use resume templates that can be edited from directly inside the web application. If you decide to choose from this platform, you’ll need an account if you don’t already have one. Once on Google Docs, you’ll select “Template gallery” when creating a new document to see available templates. All you need to do is fill in your details on the existing template. Keep in mind that you can swap the titles for each section depending on your personal needs. For example, you might replace the “awards” section with “tools and technologies” for a dedicated place to share the DevOps platforms and software that you’re proficient in. Here’s one Google Docs resume template recommendation for each resume format:

• Coral (functional). Choose this template to emphasize your skills and experience before moving on to your education and awards.  

• Serif (chronological). Select this template to showcase your career path, from academic history to work experience to skills. 

• The Muse’s template (combination). None of the built-in resume templates in Google Docs match the combination resume style. This template, created by The Muse, is also free to use and accessible via Google Docs. It’s also the only template that includes a dedicated space for your summary. We recommend always including a summary at the top of the page, below your information and above the first section. 

Step 2: Fill in your contact information.

Start your DevOps resume by including your contact information. Include a full address or city and state as well as a mobile number, email address, and links to any portfolios or your LinkedIn profile. Here's an example:

Judith Gonzales

New York, NY

(212) 555-1212

myname@email.com

linkedin.com/in/myprofile

myname.portfolio.com

Step 3: Add a resume summary.

Resume summaries are brief, professional introductions. Usually, summaries are in the first part of your resume, after your contact details. They are contained to two to three sentences, and highlight the skills, experience, or credentials that you’re most proud of. When deciding which points to include in your summary, keep in mind that employers will use it to quickly determine whether your background matches their requirements. Highlight your most relevant and impressive experience, skills, and anything that sets you apart from other candidates.

If you haven’t yet gained any experience, consider writing a resume objective. An objective, similar to a summary, is a brief introduction. It should focus on your career goals and mention any academic accomplishments or projects that help demonstrate your skill set. This option is ideal for recent graduates or professionals transitioning out of a related field. 

Example DevOps engineer summaries

Motivated DevOps engineer with four years of experience designing, developing, and implementing cloud infrastructure. Proficient with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform and languages Python and JavaScript. Extensive experience supporting large-scale automation and integration projects.

Senior DevOps engineer with over 15 years of expertise in infrastructure management. Highly adept at leading, developing, and implementing complex infrastructure, including automation activities, software development, and IT operations. Winner of “Employee of the Year” at a leading tech company.

Example DevOps manager summary (release managers, product managers)

People-oriented DevOps manager with five years of experience designing, implementing, and monitoring CI/CD pipelines. Proven ability to reduce deployment time and increase productivity by 33 percent. Well-versed in DevOps culture and proficient in facilitating cross-department collaboration between development and operations teams.

Example resume summary for DevOps infrastructure roles (architects, automation)

Driven DevOps architect with three years of experience analyzing and optimizing DevOps systems and infrastructure. Skilled in best practices for automation, release, and configuration management. Strong knowledge of CI/CD and DevOps tools and vendors, JQuery, and AngularJS. 

Step 4: Showcase your DevOps engineer skills.

Showing off your relevant DevOps engineering skills is an essential part of your resume. You can do this throughout the resume in the summary and experience sections. It’s important that you tailor this to the role you’re applying for. An excellent way to determine relevant skills for your resume is to browse job listings for positions you’re interested in. Consider making a note of any matching qualifications or competencies. Below, we’ve compiled a list of in-demand technical and non-technical skills (also known as workplace skills, interpersonal skills, or soft skills) to get you started.

Read more: Resume Keywords: How to Find the Right Words to Beat the ATS

Step 5: Include your professional experience.

Professional experience is vital to being a qualified candidate. You can find employer expectations in the job description, so it’s important to highlight that you meet the requirements. First include your recent employment in the experience section if you’re using a chronological or combination resume template. Include details of the employer, job title, dates, as well as bullet points showcasing your responsibilities and achievements. Remember, experience isn’t only paid work. Include volunteer work, personal projects, and anything else that demonstrates your relevant experience and expertise.

You can start showcasing your communication skills right away by using effective language to describe your experiences. It can be challenging to describe similar job duties without reusing the same action verbs over and over. Consider using this list to brainstorm vocabulary words that best match your work history. 

Instead of saying “I led…” 

• Guided

• Coordinated

• Orchestrated

• Managed

• Oversaw

• Supervised

• Directed

Instead of saying “I worked on…”

• Performed

• Implemented

• Contributed

• Produced

• Administered

• Operated

• Monitored

Instead of saying “I made/changed/improved”

• Enhanced

• Optimized

• Refined

• Advanced

• Generated

• Consolidated

• Expanded

Instead of saying “I supported…”

• Mentored

• Coached

• Collaborated

• Aided

• Reviewed

• Advised 

• Corresponded

Instead of saying “I researched…”

• Investigated

• Analyzed

• Reported

• Quantified/qualified

• Visualized

• Tracked

• Compiled

DevOps engineer resume experience example

Hanson and Vaughen 

DevOps engineer

January 2021-July 2024 

• Improved development process time through automation technologies by 53 percent

• Consulted with clients and management to design and implement procedures for disaster recovery

• Optimized 20 websites using JavaScript

• Designed and managed software applications for multiple clients

• Migrated customer database of 50,000 to central customer relationship management (CRM) system

• Lead monitoring for the DevOps team, including testing systems and networks

• Created a solution to monitor and improve the performance of containerized workloads

• Coordinated the resolution of technical issues by aiding junior developers and reviewing code

Step 6: Feature your certifications and professional affiliations.

DevOps engineering is a technical role, so it’s likely you have some training, certifications, and professional affiliations to include. This warrants its own section, or you can add it to your education section. Make sure to include details of the course/certification and the dates you completed it. 

Here is an example of a certification and professional affiliation section:

Certifications and affiliations 

• AWS DevOps Engineer Professional Certification - Issued by Amazon AWS in March 2023

• Certified Jenkins Engineer (CJE) Certification - Held since December 2022

• Docker Certified Associate (DCA) - Held since October 2020

• Member - DevOps Institute

5 relevant certificate programs for DevOps professionals

Continued education is essential for tech professionals. The fast-paced nature of technology requires lifelong learning. By earning certificates, you can demonstrate your ability to keep pace in the DevOps field and highlight special skills to potential employers. In the following list, you’ll find a few recommendations for DevOps-focused online certificate programs.

1. IBM DevOps and Software Engineering Professional Certificate

2. DevOps on AWS Specialization

3. IBM Applied DevOps Engineering Professional Certificate

4. Introduction to DevSecOps offered by Johns Hopkins University

5. DevOps Culture and Mindset offered by the University of California Davis

Step 7: Include your education.

A bachelor’s degree is usually the minimum requirement for a DevOps engineer, so it’s important to include it, along with any other formal education, such as a master’s degree. Include any relevant projects or minors if it makes you stand out for the position you're applying for. List your education in reverse chronological order.

If you haven’t yet graduated or have completed some school but don’t plan to graduate, include any relevant credits or coursework. If you have alternative credentials such as certificates or special training, you can add them alongside your academic achievements. 

Read more: How to List Education on a Resume

Key takeaways

• Choose a resume template that suits your experience level and career history.

• Use Google Docs to simplify the process of formatting your resume.

• Tailor your resume to the role you’re applying for.

• Use your summary to highlight all your top selling points briefly.

• Use keywords from job ads when listing your skills.

• Add voluntary work and personal projects when relevant.

Resources for general resume-building tips

• How to Write a Resume With No Experience

• 16 Resume Tips for your Job Search

• Resume Sections: How to Organize Your Resume

• How to Make a Resume: Resume Writing Guide

You can learn job-ready skills from industry leaders like Google, Microsoft, and IBM with a Coursera Plus subscription—available in monthly and annual tiers. You’ll get a certificate for every program you finish, which you can add to further enhance your resume.

Build job-ready skills with Coursera Plus

Start 7-day free trial

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