Making a career change into DevOps
Sven's first computer was a KC85/2. Today, he works at ZEISS on one of the most innovative medical cloud systems in the world. Sven is Team Lead & DevOps Engineer at ZEISS Digital Innovation (ZDI) - a business area at ZEISS focused on innovative digital solutions for the challenges of the future. Here, Sven is working on digital systems that help doctors make better diagnoses, help surgeons prepare for operations, and provide patients with the information they need.
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Operations manager for operating environments
Sven explains, "As a DevOps engineer specializing in operations, it's my job to monitor the operation of applications that we develop and deploy at ZDI. I also make sure they work in cloud environments." For instance he checks that cloud storage does not fill up, that existing applications can smoothly access data sets, and that this data is also secure from third-party access.
"My many years of experience as a hardware-focused IT administrator help me to understand and control complex IT infrastructures," says Sven, adding, "The cloud is a construct like an empty shelf, which we fill with the relevant required services using infrastructure-as-code. The fact that we can support doctors in treating their patients with innovative software systems makes my work even more valuable. As far as I am concerned, this is really a dream job."
My many years of experience as a hardware-focused IT administrator help me to understand and control complex IT infrastructures
It all began with a KC85/2
Computers and their operating systems have always fascinated Sven. Everything started with the old KC85/2, a computer that was commonplace in the former GDR. It had only 32 KBytes of RAM and could only display 24 colors. "In the GDR, it was hard to get access to computers.That's why this KC85/2 was a really special thing to me."
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After school, Sven completed an apprenticeship as an IT systems electronics technician and then worked as an IT technician. He then completed an additional training course to become an IT administrator. And today, 17 years on, Sven is involved in software development and operation projects at ZEISS Digital Innovation in Dresden as a DevOps Engineer and also works as a Team Lead. He personifies such career changes - that an employee without no academic background can become a manager at ZEISS. "I am grateful and proud of the opportunities I have received at ZEISS. What truly counts here is knowledge, skills and experience."
There's lots of exciting things going on at ZEISS. The next big thing is AI – Artificial Intelligence will impact our environment and our decision-making.
From technician to mentor
Sven also wants to enable his team members to do the same. He supports his colleagues in their career development, facilitates additional training and gives them the opportunity to take on more specialized tasks. "It's nice to see how people develop when they are in the right environment," says Sven. "In my team, everyone takes advantage of the training opportunities ZEISS offers. Indeed, new employees are excited about the previously unfamiliar freedoms and opportunities."
Endless options
What’s next? Sven laughs and says pensively, "There's lots of exciting things going on at ZEISS. The next big thing is AI – Artificial Intelligence will impact our environment and our decision-making. Sustainability is another major issue. And, of course, modern medical technology. We won't run out of projects nor possibilities for my team and myself."