Stepping into the world of DevOps: My journey as a junior engineer at Zenjob
As a recent graduate in embedded telecommunications engineering, landing my first job — as a junior DevOps engineer at Zenjob — has been an exhilarating experience. However, it hasn’t been without its challenges. Leaving my home country, family, and friends for the first time in my life to move to Europe was a daunting experience: I was faced with a new life in a new city with unfamiliar people and customs.
However, I consider myself lucky to have joined a company with such a welcoming and supportive team. The people at Zenjob have been extremely friendly and accommodating, helping me settle into Berlin and make new friends.
I’ve also been fortunate to work with a team of experienced professionals. The senior members of my team have been instrumental in helping me navigate my role as a junior DevOps engineer, providing guidance and assistance whenever I needed it. This has helped me feel more confident and comfortable.
During my first few months at Zenjob, I was involved in a range of projects that exposed me to different aspects of DevOps. Working in a real-world DevOps environment has allowed me to learn new skills at a rapid pace. Overall, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made in a very short period of time, and I hope to inspire others who are just starting their careers in DevOps.
The onboarding month
On my first day at the office, I experienced a mix of both nervousness and excitement. I received a warm welcome from my colleagues and was amazed by the modern office environment.
Throughout my onboarding month, I had the opportunity to meet with team members from various departments, gaining insight into how everything is interconnected. Additionally, my mentors helped me with different informative sessions that introduced me to the diverse technologies utilized by our different teams at Zenjob, allowing me to familiarize myself with the technology stack.
Overall, my onboarding month was a transformative experience, setting the stage for my success. It fostered a strong sense of belonging, enthusiasm, and dedication within me, and it provided me with crucial support and connections. These elements have shaped my journey and fueled my motivation.
Encountering challenges
In spite of the positive experience, I also encountered several difficulties that prevented me from performing my tasks effectively. Initially, this stemmed from trying to determine the appropriate starting point for each task, necessitating frequent assistance from my team. Furthermore, the amount of information to learn often overwhelmed me, causing me to forget or overlook important details.
At times, I even hesitated to ask for clarification for fear of looking incompetent. This hesitation caused me to make mistakes that could’ve easily been avoided if I had been more direct in my questions.
My shyness often caused me to avoid seeking help. I often spent an inordinate amount of time trying to solve a problem on my own instead of asking more experienced people on my team. When I did ask for help, I would sometimes downplay my lack of understanding to avoid looking foolish.
Initially, I was unaware of how detrimental this was to my growth as a team member. However, after seeking feedback from my colleagues, I realized they were well aware of my struggles. I began to reflect on my approach and realized how much easier it would be for everyone if I asked more questions and discussed my challenges more openly.
As a younger team member working alongside more experienced seniors, I realized that this dynamic could be an asset or a liability, depending on my approach. If I was proactive and open to learning, it could be an invaluable opportunity to develop my skills. On the other hand, if I let my insecurities get the best of me, I might miss out.
Ultimately, I learned that recognizing my limitations and seeking help is important, even if it means admitting that I don’t know something. Additionally, I started to work on how to overcome my fear of being judged and focus more on learning from my mistakes. As a result, I began to ask more questions confidently, and I gained more knowledge. I also discovered that taking the time to research is acceptable, but it’s better to ask for help when someone has the answer and can save you time.
My first project
As part of my onboarding, I was given my first real task: working on an infrastructure improvement project.
What did I learn?
This project consisted of multiple subtasks, each requiring a different technology that I would work with in the future. The main challenge was how quickly I could grasp and utilize each new technology to solve the task.
Because this project involved a little bit of everything, it offered me an invaluable opportunity to explore and familiarize myself with a wide range of technologies. However, it was also just the tip of the iceberg, and I recognized the need to dive deeper into each technology to prepare for upcoming tasks. My learning and development are ongoing processes, and I realized I needed to remain committed to constantly expanding my knowledge base.
The project proved to be an invigorating endeavor while also posing some manageable stress. However, it was through these challenges that I experienced substantial personal and professional growth as a junior. Not only did it provide me with a clearer sense of my desired trajectory for the future, but it also afforded me the opportunity to discover my affinity for specific technologies, namely AWS and Terraform.
My second project
Once I finished with the infrastructure improvement project, my next project was to define Backstage templates.
What is Backstage?
Backstage is an open source project that serves as a centralized hub for software development teams. It offers a collaborative environment where developers, operations teams, and stakeholders can manage projects, streamline workflows, and access tools and services needed for the software development process. By enhancing productivity and collaboration, Backstage aims to facilitate efficient delivery of high-quality software.
What did I learn?
When I joined Zenjob, my initial training introduced me to the basics of using Backstage to create, display, and manipulate services. However, it wasn’t until I began this project that I truly understood what was happening behind the scenes. It involved defining a new Backstage template that is now used by our teams to define tiers for the different services at Zenjob.
This task required me to, at first, explore how to define Backstage entities and what inputs and outputs were necessary.
As I progressed, I encountered several challenges and initially found it difficult to understand how Backstage actually works, but with the guidance of my team and my willingness to learn more about this technology, I gradually began to grasp the necessary concepts.
Over time, I gained a proper understanding of the underlying technology behind Backstage, which is React, and I began to make progress in my project. I edited the Backstage backend to add the required actions and modified the frontend to have the user interface that met the project’s needs.
Overall, this experience was a valuable lesson in the importance of seeking guidance and asking questions when confronted with new and unfamiliar technologies. Through perseverance and the support of my team, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of Backstage and its workings and complete the project successfully.
Conclusion
Throughout my journey, I learned the importance of embracing life’s experiences and being open to trying new things. When I made the decision to leave my country, I was initially filled with fear and uncertainty. Leaving behind my entire life and venturing into the unknown seemed scary. However, I realized that I would regret it even more if I didn’t seize the opportunity that was offered to me. So I found the courage within myself to take that leap for my own good.
Since then, life has become a constant teacher, presenting me with valuable lessons every day. The biggest lesson I’ve learned on this journey is the importance of making the most of every opportunity that comes my way. I realized that taking on challenges and experiencing new things is essential for personal development. Even if things don’t go perfectly, the lessons learned and experience gained are invaluable. Therefore, I encourage anyone who is going through a similar experience to approach life with an open mind, and to be willing to explore and learn.
In addition, it’s crucial for young professionals to overcome the fear of asking for help and feedback, conduct in-depth research, and undertake projects regardless of the current level of knowledge. The invaluable knowledge and experience gained from these projects surpasses the benefits gained from coursework or theoretical learning alone.
My first months at Zenjob were a period of transformation and growth, where I learned the importance of adaptability and resilience in navigating the work environment. I consider myself fortunate to have secured this position as the initial step in my career journey. Given this chance, I am fully committed to working hard and capitalizing on this opportunity to further develop my professional and technical skills, with the aim of advancing my career. I am excited to continue building upon what I have learned and contribute to the success of Zenjob.
