Last year, our long-time friend and volunteer, Serhii Sallo, launched the first DevOps course at School++. Now he is preparing to earn an AWS certification and plans to return with a new, even more powerful program. We talked with him about the path into IT, choosing DevOps, and what a specialist in this field actually does.
What it all started with
— How did you get into IT?
— It all began with computer clubs in the 2000s. We practically lived there: played computer games, and each of us had a favorite machine where we kept our files, music, and personal configs. One day the admin installed a new program that blocked users from accessing the file system. I was told: if you can get to your folder, you play for free. Not knowing much at the time, I found a loophole through Internet Explorer, typed “C:\” into the URL bar, and reached my files. That day I played for free the whole day. It was my first “hack” — the moment I felt I could do something more than just play.
Then came game configurations, OS installs, networking... That’s how I gradually became a system administrator.
By the way, this profession even took me to Antarctica: I spent a year working as a system administrator with the 28th Ukrainian Antarctic Expedition at the Akademik Vernadsky station. I had to set up communications and equipment in conditions where the internet is a luxury and system stability depends on the weather.
Why DevOps
— How did you choose your direction?
— It’s like in a game: you level up your character. At first I was a “fighter” — setting up computers — then I leveled up into OS and networks. I was a system administrator for a long time, but over time I had to move further into cloud technologies. Essentially, DevOps is a continuation of the system administrator role. You configure the same network and OS, but at a higher level of abstraction.
Why teaching
— Serhii, why take on the hassle of teaching students? You could just relax after work...
— It’s actually very simple: I love my job and I love talking about it. But few of the people close to me understand what I do, so teaching becomes a great opportunity to share what I know and talk about what I love.
It’s even a bit funny: I’ve explained to my partner many times what I do for work, and they’ve even memorized it. But when asked, they said: “He works in IT.” It’s good there’s a universal word that fits everyone (laughs).
What updates are coming to the course this year
— The biggest novelty is access to Amazon’s learning resources. I’m currently pursuing AWS instructor certification to create classes for students. This means that during the course they will work with up-to-date materials, labs, and technologies used by global companies right now. And upon completing the course, they’ll be able to take the international Cloud Practitioner certification, which will be a real bonus for their CV. The cost of one attempt is $100, but for graduates of this course the first certification attempt will be free.
Who this course is for
— It’s an opportunity for newcomers as well as web developers, especially those on a full‑stack path. The course is designed for anyone who wants to deploy projects in the cloud. Even those who’ve only completed basic CS can learn this if they’re motivated. We don’t “train junior DevOps.” We provide DevOps practices and methodology in a way that enables effective work on real projects the very next day. It’s not dry theory but a highly practical approach.
Waiting for the course to start? Follow our announcements on social media and in Discord!