Interview a DevOps Engineer

By Aizhan Azhybaeva June 27, 2023

Interviewing a DevOps engineer requires assessing their technical skills, experience, and cultural fit in Dubai, UAE. Here are some key aspects to consider during the interview process.

Interviewing a DevOps engineer

Ask about their experience with various DevOps tools, such as CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD), configuration management (e.g., Ansible, Chef, Puppet), containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP). Pose scenario-based questions to evaluate their problem-solving abilities, troubleshooting skills, and knowledge of infrastructure management, automation, and monitoring. Assess their proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python, Bash) and their understanding of version control systems (e.g., Git) and infrastructure-as-code concepts.

Experience and project evaluation

Inquire about their previous DevOps projects, the size and complexity of the environments they managed, and the tools and technologies they utilized. Assess their experience with scalability, high availability, disaster recovery, and security practices. Ask about their involvement in cross-functional collaboration with development, operations, and quality assurance teams.

Cultural fit and collaboration

Evaluate their communication skills and ability to work in a team environment. Determine their adaptability, willingness to learn, and commitment to continuous improvement. Discuss their experience with Agile methodologies, such as Scrum or Kanban, and their ability to prioritize tasks and meet project deadlines.

Problem-solving and critical thinking

Present real-life scenarios or hypothetical challenges and assess how the candidate approaches problem-solving, identifies root causes, and proposes solutions. Evaluate their ability to make data-driven decisions, analyze performance metrics, and optimize systems for efficiency.

Continuous learning and industry knowledge

Inquire about their methods for staying updated on industry trends, new tools, and best practices in the DevOps field. Assess their participation in professional communities, conferences, or open-source contributions. Remember to tailor the interview questions to align with your company’s specific needs and objectives. Additionally, consider including practical exercises, coding challenges, or take-home assignments to further evaluate a candidate’s technical skills and problem-solving abilities.