{"id":6337,"date":"2024-02-13T23:22:07","date_gmt":"2024-02-13T13:22:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/?p=6337"},"modified":"2024-02-16T14:03:13","modified_gmt":"2024-02-16T04:03:13","slug":"career-progression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/career-progression\/","title":{"rendered":"#27 &#8211; Growing as an SRE (Part 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"gb-grid-wrapper gb-grid-wrapper-efb0c1bd\">\n<div class=\"gb-grid-column gb-grid-column-0ade35a3\"><div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0ade35a3\">\n\n<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/episode\/62HFIz89fzJ9fJGb45wGHC?utm_source=generator&#038;t=0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"152\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Now that you&#8217;re warmed up on the truths of career progression, let&#8217;s explore how to do it well.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In&nbsp;parts&nbsp;1&nbsp;and 2, we covered the 3 lesser known&nbsp;truths of career progression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was just to whet your appetite to think more about your own growth journey.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s now get practical and explore ways for you to grow as an SRE&nbsp;\ud83d\udc50\ud83c\udffd&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The first thing we will explore is the mindset difference between a junior and senior SRE<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"difference-between-how-a-junior-sre-and-a-senior-sre-think\">Difference between how a junior SRE and a senior SRE think<\/h2>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-a-junior-sre-thinks\">How a <strong>Junior SRE thinks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p><em>I have skills and can learn and do tasks,<\/em> <em>but lack a deep understanding of any specific area.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I&#8217;ll perform well as long as I stick to the task list.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I need a little or a lot of help from senior SREs.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how-a-senior-sre-thinks\">How a <strong>Senior SRE thinks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<p><em>I can do all that a junior SRE can do\u2026 and much more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>But I shouldn\u2019t do what they do, because there\u2019s so much more else to do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I often deep-dive business and platform critical areas, that are essential to how we do things here.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>I build the tasks for junior SREs to execute, while I think about how to improve the system.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-more-senior-sre-differs-from-an-earlycareer-sre-in-terms-of\"><strong>A more senior SRE differs from an early-career SRE in terms of:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Scope of work<\/strong> \u2014 senior SREs will always have a broader scope of work, not finite tasks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foresight <\/strong>\u2014 senior SREs have a longer timespan view of the work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Business value <\/strong>\u2014 senior SREs need to drive business value in their decision-making<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that it\u2019s not a jump step from entry-level SRE to senior SRE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are multiple grade levels that SRE can and will experience in their career progression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This depends a lot on the organization and will involve an increase in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Responsibility<\/strong> (the type and scope of work you do)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Realm of influence<\/strong> (how many people you communicate with and impact)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Leadership traits<\/strong> (self-explanatory)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Capabilities<\/strong> (a value-driver from combining abilities, skills, and resources)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>I will share links to frameworks from Dropbox and Gitlab that cover these in more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But you should not jump into them directly. You have to plan your progression as a foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a quick aside, check out the conversation I had with Rajesh Reddy N who is a Staff Engineer in DevOps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.srepath.com\/rising-to-staff-engineer-devops-sre-rajesh-reddy-n\/\">He shared great advice for SREs seeking career progression<\/a>. A lot of his thinking revolves around having the right mindset to focus on the value drivers in your work context \ud83e\udd2f<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"planning-your-progression-through-frameworks\">Planning your progression through frameworks<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a saying that <em>failing to plan means planning to fail<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&#8217;s avoid that pitfall and map out our journey to career success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of it like having a GPS for your professional growth \u2013 and that&#8217;s where frameworks come in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These trusty tools can be your guiding stars as we explore how to navigate the ever-changing world of work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, let&#8217;s dive in and discover how these frameworks can be your secret to making strides in your career!<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"below-is-my-original-sre-capability-map-from-mid2021-%25f0%259f%2591%2587%25f0%259f%258f%25bc\">Below is my original SRE capability map from mid-2021 \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffc<\/h3>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"869\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sre-capability-map-2021.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sre-capability-map-2021.png 869w, https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sre-capability-map-2021-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/sre-capability-map-2021-768x377.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 869px) 100vw, 869px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My thinking on it has evolved a lot and I kept notes aside for future paid consulting work (not happening anymore) to cover my costs of doing this advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It will stay under wraps because this takes a huge mental and time expense to create and I can\u2019t justify it without getting paid!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You get the idea and can probably make your own. I highly encourage you to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A capability map shouldn\u2019t be too technical, as it can detract from the full value drivers that support the organization\u2019s and subsequently your role\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I found an example that will satisfy some of the stack-centric minds reading this\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"elliot-graeberts-devops-responsibilities-table-%25f0%259f%2591%2587%25f0%259f%258f%25bc\">Elliot Graebert\u2019s DevOps responsibilities table \ud83d\udc47\ud83c\udffc<\/h3>\n\n\n<p>Elliot has a more nuanced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fi\/u4qifwc70n0wzxwp401wb\/Facets-of-Infrastructure.pdf?rlkey=81pzltrwyi1vmtoo8j3368w4b&amp;dl=0\">technical view on DevOps and infra work. His spreadsheet gives a more technical overview<\/a> of what you should know like the back of your hand<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"existing-career-progression-frameworks\">Existing career progression frameworks<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>Dropbox and Gitlab famously released their SRE career progression frameworks for everyone to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dropbox.github.io\/dbx-career-framework\/ic1_reliability_engineer.html\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"318\" height=\"134\" src=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-sre-progression-guide.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5908\" style=\"aspect-ratio:2.373134328358209;width:318px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-sre-progression-guide.png 318w, https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/dropbox-sre-progression-guide-300x126.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 318px) 100vw, 318px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/handbook.gitlab.com\/job-families\/engineering\/infrastructure\/site-reliability-engineer\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"656\" height=\"186\" src=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/gitlab-sre-progression-guide.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5909\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/gitlab-sre-progression-guide.png 656w, https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-content\/uploads\/gitlab-sre-progression-guide-300x85.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 656px) 100vw, 656px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:36px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>I would not rely on these as a sole source of truth if you are outside of these organizations, as every workplace emphasizes different abilities at different grade levels.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"8step-process-to-plan-your-career-growth\">8-step process to plan your career growth<\/h2>\n\n\n<ol>\n<li>put your ear to the ground<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>understand what the team\u2019s and organization\u2019s priorities are<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>synthesize your findings into an analysis<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>look at the technical capabilities that are rewarded<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>look at the non-technical capabilities that are rewarded (they don\u2019t change as much)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>map out what you are at right now<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>work out the gaps between your current state and the required future state<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>start working on the skill and ability development<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the process I&#8217;ve used over the years&nbsp;to develop fairly green individual contributors into experienced leads. It works.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"wrapping-up\">Wrapping up<\/h2>\n\n\n<p>So, there you have it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Career progression in Site Reliability Engineering isn&#8217;t just about how long you&#8217;ve been around or collecting certifications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s more of a steady journey than a sudden campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More advanced certifications are great but they are only part of the promotion\/progression equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You now know that junior and senior SREs think <em>very<\/em> differently, with seniors focusing on bigger scopes and business value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That&#8217;s the kind of mindset and skillset you need to nurture to be a solid senior role candidate in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Planning your career growth involves understanding your team&#8217;s needs, technical and non-technical capabilities, and closing the skill gaps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And hey, there are cool frameworks like Dropbox and Gitlab&#8217;s to check out. They&#8217;re helpful, but remember, one size doesn&#8217;t fit all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by listening, synthesize what you find, and analyze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See what skills matter, know where you are now, figure out what&#8217;s missing, and then get to work on leveling up those abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The journey may have its ups and downs, but that&#8217;s what makes it exciting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stay committed to learning, and you&#8217;ll go far in your SRE career!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--large)\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>That&#8217;s all for this 3-part&nbsp;series on&nbsp;Growing as an SRE.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>I&#8217;ll be covering more specifically on observability for the next few issues, so keep an eye out for my emails.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you are a friend who cares, share it with your SRE friends&nbsp;\ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now that you&#8217;re warmed up on the truths of career progression, let&#8217;s explore how to do it well. In&nbsp;parts&nbsp;1&nbsp;and 2, we covered the 3 lesser known&nbsp;truths of career progression.&nbsp; That was just to whet your appetite to think more about your own growth journey.&nbsp;&nbsp; Let&#8217;s now get practical and explore ways for you to grow [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[53],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6337"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6337"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6386,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6337\/revisions\/6386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6337"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6337"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sysmit.com\/cf22\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}