Why Aren’t There More DevOps Certs?

There are more IT certifications than most of us can keep up with. For example, aspiring network engineers can look into earning certifications like Cisco's CCNA, CompTIA's  Network+ , Wireshark's WCNA, and Juniper's JNCIA. Similarly, server administrators can look to earn CompTIA's Server+, a Microsoft MCSA, or Red Hat's RHCSA.

However, when it comes to DevOps, it can be a little harder to rattle off common certs a DevOps pro should earn. This can make it seem like there aren't many DevOps certifications. Here, we'll take a look at why that is the case and explore some of the options available to aspiring DevOps engineers.

Why Aren't There More DevOps certs?

The short answer to the question is: there are plenty of DevOps-related certifications, but not too many that stand out. That is, there are plenty of certifications that deal with tools, platforms, and skills related to DevOps, but there aren't many that are broad and deep enough to be the CCNA or A+ of DevOps.

To drive that point home, let's list a few certs that could be called "DevOps certifications":

• Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer

• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer

• Docker Certified Associate

• Cloud Native Computing Foundation Certified Kubernetes Administrator

• Microsoft DevOps Engineer Expert

• Red Hat Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation

• Puppet Certified Professional

Then of course we also have Cisco's DevNet offering.

All of these are DevOps-related, but many are too narrow in focus to be a cert that covers DevOps thoroughly. Of course, covering DevOps thoroughly is a tall order and the term "DevOps" even means different things to different people. In the next four sections we'll explain why it is so difficult for certs to stand out as "DevOps" certs.

DevOps is About Culture and People, but What About all These DevOps Tools?

The reason certs like CCNA and Network+ are well-known networking certs is that enough people recognize them as useful for validating networking skills. That starts with a general consensus around what networking is. The same holds for server administration and the MCSA or Server+. There is a general consensus around what server administration is.

Unfortunately, with DevOps, it's a bit less clear. Exactly what DevOps is and isn't is still argued at times. Therefore, getting enough people in the know to agree on a few go-to DevOps certs isn't easy

As we mentioned in our DevOps vs. SecDevOps vs. SecOps: Why It Matters post, there are multiple definitions and interpretations of the word DevOps. It is commonly said that DevOps isn't about tools and processes, it's about people and culture. However, it's also common to have people tell you all about DevOps tools and processes. Simply put: it's hard to get a single, authoritative, and standardized definition of DevOps everyone agrees and adheres to.

With that context, imagine how hard it would be to write an exam that certifies DevOps professionals. Nailing people skills and culture in an IT exam isn't exactly easy. Neither is covering all the different tools that are useful to DevOps. Which leads us to our next point — the sheer range of DevOps skills.

DevOps Covers a Broad Range of Skills

People skills, collaboration, breaking down silos, automation, scripting, continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD), configuration management, Git, cloud computing… there is a LOT that you could  lump under the umbrella of things a foundational DevOps cert should cover. However, they don't all exactly fit together nicely in a way that makes it easy for a single exam to cover them.

Suppose you want to learn about Agile practices and automation. It might make more sense to get two separate certs like the Project Management Institute's  Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) and Red Hat's Certified Specialist in Ansible Automation. The logic here is simple: PMI and Red Hat have different areas of expertise. Getting certified by them in domains they are considered experts in makes sense. Organizations that have expertise in everything you could lump under the DevOps umbrella are few and far between.

DevOps is Relatively New

The DevOpsDays conferences that lead to the term DevOps began in 2009. While it isn't exactly new in 2020, DevOps is nowhere near as mature as other IT domains. This means there has been less time for standardization and for industry leaders to emerge. As a result, creating certifications that focus on the dominant technology like Cisco or Microsoft or relevant industry standards and best practices is harder.

As we see DevOps mature, it's reasonable to expect more standardization. As that standardization occurs, we can expect certs to focus on it. As certs begin to validate these relevant skills, they become more valuable. As they become more valuable, more people look to earn them. And as more people look to earn them, they gain recognition in the DevOps space. From there, it's likely that some certs become the Network+ and CCNA of DevOps.

We can see some early examples of this today. For example, Azure and AWS certifications are already making strides in the world of DevOps certs. Many of their certs have proven valuable in large part because they are popular vendors in the space.

Certs are More of an Ops Thing

DevOps, as the name implies, combines development and IT operations. Certifications are very common in the world of IT operations. IT operations professionals often boast a laundry list of certs and certifications are a common method tool for career progression.

For example, you can effectively map out a network engineer's career path against Cisco's certifications. CCNA early on. CCNP a few years later. Then, CCIE when you're an expert. You can take a similar approach with Microsoft certs and the path from MTA to expert-level Microsoft certifications.

However, while there are certifications related to development, they don't seem to carry as much weight as they do in the Ops world. Sure, a Python certification is nice, but a quality portfolio on GitHub may mean more.

If you find yourself going through job boards like Indeed or Glassdoor, you can observe this difference for yourself. It's common for job listings for roles like sysadmin, network engineer, or server administrator to include references to certifications. However, for developer job listings, references to certifications don't seem to be as common.

With that in mind, it makes sense that a domain that has a development influence might place less emphasis on certification than traditional IT ops.

Things You can do to Develop DevOps-Related Skills

If you're interested in DevOps certifications, there's a good chance it's because you want to validate DevOps skills. Just because there isn't a single one-size-fits-all cert we can point you to, doesn't mean there aren't options. If you're an aspiring DevOps pro, here are some things you can do today to sharpen your soft and hard skills:

• Pick a relevant cert and earn it. As we mentioned earlier, there are several good DevOps certification options. They won't cover everything but they can provide valuable knowledge.

• Learn a scripting language. Scripting languages play a big role in enabling automation. Being skilled with one or more can greatly enhance your DevOps-related skills. If you're having trouble deciding on a language to start with, we'd suggest taking a look at Python.

• Read up on how DevOps came about. Okay, we realize this one may seem like a stretch. You probably didn't come here looking for a recent history lesson. However, learning how DevOps grew organically can help you appreciate and understand the fundamentals. It can also help you understand what processes and procedures are and are not consistent with DevOps philosophies.

Final Thoughts: Finding Your Path

We hope this article helped you get a feel for the DevOps certification landscape. Even if no one has the market cornered, there are some good options out there. Additionally, a cert isn't always a must. For example, you can pickup Python without a cert and that would have DevOps-related benefits.

A certification can help boost your resume and sharpen your skills, but it isn't the only thing that matters. If you want to become a DevOps professional, learn the right skills, gain relevant experience, and understand the mindset behind DevOps culture.

As you go, it may make sense to earn certs from different vendors. Alternatively, a single certification may emerge as the only one you need. The key here is to focus on making yourself marketable.