

Ask HN: Should I work in DevOps or as a BA/PM? - hn_graduate

I&#x27;m a recent IT university graduate who has offers for a job as a DevOps Engineer and as a Business Analyst and&#x2F;or Project Manager.<p>As a first job, and as a future career path, which does the HN community value the most? Would it be wisest to do a more low-level technical job like DevOps before getting into the business side of things?<p>Starting salaries are roughly the same, but my research suggests that more experienced DevOps Engineers can earn more than BAs and PMs.
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brudgers
Once you get out of school, structured progression is over. The wisest choice
is to choose the one that will make you happier.

If there's any sort of ruthless logic to be had, it's that it's probably
easier to gain access to the business side coming from a technical background,
than to the technical side after entering the field on the business end. But
if your childhood dream was to be a project manager or a business analyst,
then that's the way to go.

Good luck.

~~~
HenryTheHorse
> if your childhood dream was to be a project manager or a business analyst

That's a rather well-concealed tongue in that cheek, sir.

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MichaelCrawford
I'm puzzled that Project Management would be offered as an entry-level
position. Among the more-important tasks of a PM is to estimate the time
required to complete the project. I assert that requires someone with
experience in the industry.

Project Managers work with people. It's helpful for them to know how to write
code but they really don't have to.

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hn_graduate
Well it's more of a graduate programme where you'll be trained to be a PM, not
necessarily being the sole manager of a huge project to begin with!

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desidio
If your long term plans are to keep growing into management, I'll say take the
PM job. Those kind of graduate PM programs help you grow quickly than starting
as an engineer and then make your way up.

It all depends on what you want to do in the future. I started working as a
developer/consultant and now I'm moving into PM because I don't want to code
forever. However, I have friends that only wish to code all their live and
that is okay also. Just go for what you want and like and you will be happier.

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SQL2219
If you like building stuff, then stay away from the BA/PM jobs. If you would
rather work with things than people go with development.

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atsaloli
What do you desire to produce? What makes you happy? That is the first
question. What ties closer into your passion?

I'd like to recommend two titles to you: "do what you love the money will
follow" and "what color is your parachute".

Good luck and enjoy your career. Well done on having multiple offers. Keep up
the good work.

~~~
hn_graduate
I don't know if this sounds kind of unimportant/irrelevant, but knowing I will
be able to use a Mac in the DevOps role seems to be swaying me that way. I
really dislike using Windows/PCs, and I am almost certain that's what I'd be
using all the time in the other company.

~~~
atsaloli
Hey, if it's important to you, then it's important. "Above all else, to thine
own self be true."

Again, I recommend [http://www.amazon.com/What-Love-Money-Will-
Follow/dp/0440501...](http://www.amazon.com/What-Love-Money-Will-
Follow/dp/0440501601) \-- it's very well written deep book.

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SQL2219
One of the issues I see with being a project manager - your success depends
upon other people doing what they're supposed to do. Other people have their
own agendas which may not be aligned with what you need done.

~~~
matt_s
The same could be said for developers, devops or any other role. At any
company nothing is really done solo any more and all people have "agendas" or
their own ideas of the path forward.

If you think writing software or doing sysadmin/operations work doesn't
involve working with people then you are in the wrong trade sir.

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grumps
Hey PM here - once you go PM it's going to be harder to back to DevOps if you
want to.

