10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming an SRE (2025)
Stepping into the world of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) is exciting, but like many others, I wish someone had handed me a roadmap before I began. SRE is more than just DevOps on steroids — it’s a mindset, a culture, and a critical business function. If you're planning to become an SRE or are early in your journey, this SRE career guide is exactly what you need.
Here are 10 things I wish I knew before becoming an SRE in 2025 — insights that could save you time, energy, and frustration.
1. it’s Not Just About Uptime
Many people think SREs just sit around watching dashboards. In reality, you're expected to build, automate, and manage systems to ensure reliability at scale. It's not just firefighting — it's proactive engineering.
You’ll need a deep understanding of software development, infrastructure, and business impact. Visualpath’s SRE online training emphasizes this balance with real-time projects and hands-on learning.
2. SLOs and SLIs Are Your New Best Friends
Service-Level Objectives (SLOs) and Service-Level Indicators (SLIs) are the backbone of the SRE approach. Before I became an SRE, I had barely heard of them. Now, they guide every decision I make.
If you want to master these concepts quickly, the SRE career guide from Visualpath covers SLOs, SLIs, and error budgets in real-world scenarios.
3. Coding Is a Must — Not Optional
Unlike traditional sysadmin roles, SREs are expected to write production-grade code. Think Python, Go, or even Java — scripting won’t be enough. You’ll also work with CI/CD pipelines, version control, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools like Terraform or Ansible.
Visualpath’s in-depth training includes coding exercises so you build confidence from day one.
4. Soft Skills Matter Just as Much
You’ll be collaborating with developers, product teams, and management. Explaining technical outages in plain language or convincing teams to prioritize reliability — these require strong communication skills.
This isn’t something you’ll find in every tutorial, but real-time projects at Visualpath simulate cross-functional teamwork, preparing you for the real world.
5. On-Call Is Part of the Job
Becoming an SRE often means being part of a rotating on-call schedule. It can be draining if your systems aren’t robust or if alerts are poorly configured. Learning alert hygiene early can save your sanity.
Pro tip: During Visualpath’s SRE training, you’ll work with real-time incident response simulations — a game-changer for on-call readiness.
6. Monitoring and Observability Are Crucial
Good monitoring tools like Prometheus, Grafana, and Datadog are essential, but understanding how to interpret data is even more critical. Observability isn’t just tools — it’s how well you can understand your system’s internal state from the outside.
This is a major focus in Visualpath’s SRE curriculum and a cornerstone of any successful SRE career guide.
7. Cloud Is Non-Negotiable
AWS, Azure, or GCP — pick one and dive deep. SREs today must be cloud-native. You’ll be working with Kubernetes, serverless platforms, and hybrid environments.
Visualpath doesn’t just stop at SRE — we provide all Cloud and AI courses online, helping you build a full-stack skill set for 2025 and beyond.
8. Automation Is Your Superpower
Manual tasks are the enemy. SREs live by the rule: “If you do something more than twice, automate it.” Whether it’s deployment, monitoring, or testing, automation saves time and reduces errors.
Learning tools like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Rundeck is vital. Visualpath’s projects focus heavily on this real-world automation experience.
9. You will fail (and that’s Okay)
System failures happen. Post-mortems are a big part of the SRE world, and the goal is learning — not blaming. Understanding how to write a good post-mortem and contribute to blameless culture is a core skill.
Visualpath’s hands-on labs teach how to recover from outages and write insightful incident reports — a must in any true SRE career guide.
10. Career Growth is Exponential
With the right training and mindset, your growth as an SRE can skyrocket. Roles like Staff SRE, SRE Manager, or Principal Engineer are within reach. Plus, the cross-disciplinary skills you gain are in high demand across industries.
Why Choose Visualpath for SRE Training?
If you’re ready to accelerate your career journey, Visualpath provides in-depth online training designed especially for real-world SRE challenges.
In-Depth Online Training – Learn concepts like incident response, automation, monitoring, and observability.
Real-Time Projects & Hands-On Learning – Apply your skills on practical projects, not just theory.
100% Placement Assistance – Get guided support to land your dream role in reliability engineering.
At Visualpath, we provide SRE training worldwide. Along with this, Visualpath offers online training in Cloud, DevOps, and AI courses to help you stay ahead in the tech industry.
FAQ Questions about Becoming an SRE
1. What is the primary role of an SRE?
An SRE (Site Reliability Engineer) ensures the reliability, scalability, and performance of production systems using software engineering practices.
2. Do I need a computer science degree to become an SRE?
Not necessarily. With the right skills, certifications, and hands-on training (like Visualpath’s online courses), you can break into SRE from various tech backgrounds.
3. Is coding mandatory for an SRE role?
Yes, SREs need strong programming skills to automate processes, build tools, and manage infrastructure efficiently.
4. What tools should an aspiring SRE learn?
Start with tools like Prometheus, Grafana, Kubernetes, Terraform, Jenkins, and cloud platforms like AWS or GCP.
5. How long does it take to become a skilled SRE?
With consistent effort and practical training like Visualpath’s SRE online course, most learners can become job-ready within 4–6 months.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, these 10 lessons shaped my growth in Site Reliability Engineering. If you’re working toward becoming an SRE, know that it’s not just about technical excellence but also about mindset, collaboration, and ongoing learning.
With the right training path and projects, you can avoid the beginner mistakes I made and move confidently into a high-demand career. And if you need structured learning, Visualpath has the courses and guidance to get you there.
Visualpath is a leading online training platform offering expert-led courses in SRE, Cloud, DevOps, AI, and more. Gain hands-on skills with 100% placement support.
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