Where to start

As a platform engineer, you will be tasked with ensuring that software projects run smoothly and efficiently. This includes managing all of the various components needed to develop and launch an app or system.

This may include choosing your development platform, setting up servers for hosting, finding vendors for integrations, and more. Beyond just technology, there are also time-management strategies to manage your day.

As you can imagine, being a part of this team comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. Being a senior member of the team takes some work — but it is totally worth it!

Being a senior developer means that you know what’s going on technologically, and you’re able to teach others that knowledge. You’ll have the opportunity to make an impact by helping other engineers get things done effectively.

It’s also important to remember that not everyone has a career in tech like you do, so don’t feel like you need to take over every task.

Plan your career

As mentioned earlier, being a successful platform engineer is more than just knowing how to work in different environments having separate and distinctly different conversations with various people about what tools you use for each environment, and how to manage your time effectively between projects and departments. It also means planning your career ahead of time.

Most experienced devs will tell you that it’s impossible to become a senior developer without first becoming a team lead or manager. This makes sense, because you need to establish relationships within the department and organization that depend on you for leadership, guidance, and resources.

And since most tech companies are moving towards agile project management systems like Scrum, you need to be able to facilitate those meetings, talk about logistics, and make sure everyone has everything they need to complete their assignments on schedule.

All of these things require someone who leads by example, sets appropriate priorities, and keeps people motivated so that they feel comfortable coming to you for help when needed. You can’t expect anyone lower up the chain-of-command to do this if they don’t see you putting in the effort into developing your leadership skills.

It’s totally normal to want to move up the ladder, but making changes to your position requires proving that you’re capable of doing so while still keeping quality control over your tasks and setting realistic deadlines.

Create a good work-life balance

Being a platform engineer means having close relationships with other people in your organization that depend on you for success, so make sure you are not overworking yourself.

It is important to enjoy what you do for a living, and staying motivated requires finding time to unwind and relax. You can’t expect to be passionate about your job if you don’t take care of yourself outside of work.

You need to recognize that it takes a lot out of you, both physically and mentally, and give yourself breaks to keep up momentum. Take frequent vacations, organize social events outside of work, and try to limit how many hours you spend working every day.

In addition to taking care of yourself, use the same energy you put into your career on your personal life to promote healthy relationships and friendships.

Having friends who treat you well will help you feel more balanced and confident in your position, and they will help you stay happier at home. Try to meet someone new once a week, if possible, to maintain strong ties with family members and colleagues.

Be a creative thinker

As a platform engineer, you will be tasked with many different projects and responsibilities. This can make it hard to know what your next job is! As such, being able to think outside of the box and brainstorm new ideas and solutions to current issues is important.

You will have to use your creativity to figure out how to best solve these problems.

A great way to hone this skill is by taking part in various tech events or masterclasses. You may even get chance to present your own project or idea!

By attending events like these, not only do they give you knowledge about the field, but also lots of opportunities to improve yourself professionally.

Stay up-to-date with technology

As a platform engineer, you will be tasked with keeping up with new technologies. This is not only important for your career, but also to satisfy users’ demands for quality services they can rely on.

As more companies implement automation via software or robotics, there are always new tools being used for this process. You will need to know what these tools are and how to use them.

You will also have to stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving practices in both development and operations. For example, when developers adopt newer agile methodologies like scrum, you must understand why that approach is better than the traditional waterfall model.

Likewise, understanding lean startup methodology means knowing why it works and if it applies to your organization. These concepts help bring down the overhead of launching an app by reducing the number of steps needed to get things going.

By staying informed about such developments, you will make sure apps launch as quickly as possible while still meeting standards.

Be a good leader

As a platform engineer, you will be in charge of many different departments within your organization. You can expect that not every department in your own company or others you work with have strong leadership qualities.

If this is something that worries you, don’t worry! It’s totally normal.

It takes time to develop leadership skills, but you are never too young or old to learn them.

You can always look to those around you for examples of how to lead and learn from their mistakes. There are several books and courses available online and through educational institutions that focus on developing leadership abilities.

There are also mentorship programs where experienced leaders share knowledge and resources with younger people. By being part of these groups, you could gain some valuable lessons yourself.

Be a good team member

As a platform engineer, your success will depend on how well you collaborate with others. You can’t have successful collaborations if one party is constantly trying to get their way or take over the process.

This isn’t helpful for anyone involved in the project, and it won’t set well with leadership either. Make every effort to work with people around you using sound reasoning and evidence, and keep discussions focused on topics that are productive and positive.

Avoid gossip unless you want to deal with a lot of resentment later, and be willing to go beyond what is practical or appropriate to help someone feel better about themselves or the situation.

DevOpsPlatform EngineerSRE