Site reliability engineer (SRE)
Also called: SRE, Platform engineer
Keeps large apps and websites fast, online and recovering quickly when something breaks.
What the work is
Site reliability engineers use software engineering to run systems at scale. They set reliability targets, build monitoring and alerting, automate deployments and recovery, plan capacity for traffic spikes such as big sales or cricket matches, and lead the response when there is an outage, then make sure it does not happen again.
Payment apps, e-commerce, streaming, banks and global capability centres in India all run SRE teams, and it is one of the better-paid infrastructure roles.
A typical week
- Build monitoring dashboards and alerts
- Automate deployments and recovery
- Respond to incidents and write post-mortems
- Plan capacity and performance
It suits people who
- Like keeping complex systems healthy
- Stay calm during outages
- Enjoy automation and coding
Your path to get there
School (Class 8-10)
- Take Maths and Computer Science if you can
Class 11-12
- B.Tech CS or IT, BCA or B.Sc CS
College or fresher
- Learn Linux, networking, Python or Go, and one cloud
- Learn Docker, Kubernetes and monitoring tools
- Build and run a small app in the cloud with alerts
Working or switching
- DevOps engineers, system admins and backend developers move into SRE
- Start with a skills refresh of 6 to 12 weeks: one short course and one TalentMeter assessment to show where you stand today.
- Use returnship and second-career programmes; many large employers in India run them for people back after a break.
- Explain the gap in one honest line on your CV and LinkedIn, and list what you did in it (caregiving, freelancing, courses, volunteering).
- Contract, part-time and freelance roles are a common way back in; they turn into full-time offers often.
Exams and certifications
| Name | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud and Kubernetes certifications | AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, CKA | Any time |
Exam names, eligibility and dates change. Always check the official website for this year's notice.
Job market
Job titles to search
Who hires
Where the jobs are
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Outlook
High demand as more Indian services run at huge scale. Strong Linux and automation skills are the key.
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