Top 12 Platform Engineer Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive tech landscape, a well-crafted resume is crucial for aspiring platform engineers seeking to stand out. Highlighting a mix of technical proficiencies and soft skills that align with industry demands can significantly enhance your marketability and pave the way for exciting career opportunities.

Platform Engineer Skills

1. Kubernetes
2. Docker
3. Terraform
4. AWS
5. Ansible
6. Prometheus
7. Grafana
8. Jenkins
9. Python
10. Git
11. Linux
12. Elasticsearch

1. Kubernetes

Kubernetes is an open-source platform designed to automate deploying, scaling, and operating application containers, enabling platform engineers to manage workloads and services more efficiently.

Why It's Important

Kubernetes is crucial for a Platform Engineer as it provides a scalable, automated, and standardized way to deploy, manage, and orchestrate containerized applications across different environments, enhancing operational efficiency and resource utilization.

How to Improve Kubernetes Skills

Improving Kubernetes involves enhancing cluster performance, security, and manageability. As a Platform Engineer, focus on:

1. Performance Tuning: Optimize resource allocation by adjusting requests and limits, and use Horizontal Pod Autoscaling to dynamically adjust resources based on demand.

2. Security Best Practices: Implement role-based access control (RBAC) to manage access to Kubernetes resources. Use Network Policies to control traffic flow between pods, and regularly scan containers for vulnerabilities with tools like Clair.

3. Monitoring and Logging: Deploy a monitoring solution like Prometheus with Grafana for dashboards. For logging, consider aggregating logs with Fluentd and storing them in a central location like Elasticsearch.

4. Cluster Management: Use infrastructure as code (IaC) tools such as Terraform to manage cluster deployment and configuration consistently. Implement GitOps practices for version-controlled and automated cluster management using tools like ArgoCD.

5. Continuous Learning: Stay updated with the latest Kubernetes features and practices by following the official Kubernetes blog and participating in communities like the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve the efficiency, security, and manageability of Kubernetes clusters.

How to Display Kubernetes Skills on Your Resume

2. Docker

Docker is a platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside lightweight, portable containers, enabling consistent behavior across different environments and streamlining DevOps workflows for platform engineers.

Why It's Important

Docker simplifies the deployment and scaling of applications by allowing Platform Engineers to package applications and their dependencies into containers, ensuring consistency across environments, improving development efficiency, and facilitating continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) processes.

How to Improve Docker Skills

Improving your Docker setup as a Platform Engineer involves enhancing performance, security, and manageability. Here are concise strategies:

1. Optimize Images: Use smaller base images like Alpine for reduced footprint and faster pulls. Leverage Docker's multi-stage builds to minimize final image size. Dockerfile Best Practices

2. Security: Regularly scan images for vulnerabilities using tools like Trivy or Clair, and integrate these scans into your CI/CD pipeline. Employ Docker Bench for Security to check your Docker configurations against best practices. Trivy

3. Efficient Storage and Networking: Opt for overlay2 storage driver for better performance and use custom bridge networks for container communication to ensure isolation and efficient networking. Storage drivers

4. Manage Resources: Use Docker Compose for defining and running multi-container Docker applications. Implement resource limits (CPU, memory) in your container specifications to avoid one container monopolizing host resources. Docker Compose

5. Logging and Monitoring: Integrate Docker with monitoring tools like Prometheus and visualizing tools like Grafana for real-time metrics and logs. Set up centralized logging using the ELK stack or Fluentd. Prometheus

6. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD): Automate your Docker image build and deployment process using CI/CD tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions. Jenkins with Docker

7. Use Docker Swarm or Kubernetes for Orchestration: For managing and scaling your containers efficiently across multiple hosts, consider using Docker Swarm for simplicity or Kubernetes for more complex, high-availability setups. Kubernetes

8. Keep Docker and Dependencies Up-to-Date: Regularly update Docker and your containerized applications' dependencies to the latest versions to take advantage of performance improvements, security patches, and new features.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your Docker practices, enhancing both the efficiency and security of your containerized applications.

How to Display Docker Skills on Your Resume

3. Terraform

Terraform is an open-source infrastructure as code software tool that allows platform engineers to define and provision data center infrastructure using a declarative configuration language, enabling efficient management and automation of complex, scalable cloud environments across multiple service providers.

Why It's Important

Terraform is important for a Platform Engineer because it enables consistent, version-controlled, and automated provisioning of infrastructure across multiple cloud platforms, enhancing efficiency, reducing manual errors, and ensuring infrastructure scalability and repeatability.

How to Improve Terraform Skills

Improving Terraform usage and practices involves focusing on efficiency, security, maintainability, and collaboration. Here's a concise guide for a Platform Engineer:

1. Use Modules for Reusability:

   • Modularize infrastructure to promote reuse and maintainability.
   • Reference: Terraform Modules

2. Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Best Practices:

   • Follow Terraform best practices for structure, versioning, and state management.
   • Reference: Terraform Recommended Practices

3. Leverage Terraform Cloud or Enterprise for Collaboration:

   • Use Terraform Cloud for automated workflows, state management, and team collaboration.
   • Reference: Terraform Cloud

4. Incorporate Automated Testing and Linting:

   • Integrate tools like tflint and terraform-compliance for code quality and compliance.
   • Reference: TFLint, Terraform Compliance

5. Secure Sensitive Data:

   • Use Terraform's vault provider or encrypt sensitive data in state files.
   • Reference: Vault Provider

6. Optimize Terraform State Management:

   • Use remote backends like S3 with state locking for collaboration and security.
   • Reference: Terraform Backends

7. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD):

   • Integrate Terraform with CI/CD pipelines for automated plan and apply stages.
   • Reference: Terraform in CI/CD

8. Stay Up to Date:

   • Regularly update Terraform versions and providers to leverage new features and fixes.
   • Reference: Terraform Upgrades

9. Educate and Document:

   • Document code and share knowledge within the team through workshops or pair programming.
   • No direct link, but consider platforms like Confluence or GitHub Wikis for documentation.

10. Review and Refactor Regularly:

    • Periodically review Terraform code and infrastructure for optimizations and refactor as necessary.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your Terraform practice.

How to Display Terraform Skills on Your Resume

4. AWS

AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a cloud computing platform that provides a broad range of services such as computing power, storage options, and networking capabilities to help Platform Engineers build, deploy, and manage applications and infrastructure at scale.

Why It's Important

AWS is crucial for a Platform Engineer because it provides a scalable, reliable, and secure cloud computing environment, enabling rapid deployment, management, and scaling of applications and infrastructure with a wide range of services and tools tailored to meet diverse engineering needs.

How to Improve AWS Skills

Improving AWS involves enhancing security, performance, cost-efficiency, and automation. Here’s a concise guide for a Platform Engineer:

1. Security Enhancement: Use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to manage access securely. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and follow the principle of least privilege. Utilize AWS Security Hub for a comprehensive view of your security state.

2. Performance Optimization: Utilize Amazon CloudWatch to monitor and analyze resource utilization. Leverage Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) Auto Scaling to adjust resources based on demand.

3. Cost Management: Implement cost-saving strategies like Reserved Instances (RIs) or Savings Plans for EC2 instances. Use AWS Cost Explorer to analyze and identify saving opportunities.

4. Automation: Automate resource provisioning and management using AWS CloudFormation for infrastructure as code (IaC). Employ AWS Lambda for serverless computing to run code in response to events.

5. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Stay updated with the latest AWS services and best practices. Utilize the AWS Well-Architected Framework to evaluate architectures and implement designs that scale over time.

For a Platform Engineer, focusing on these areas can lead to a more efficient, secure, and cost-effective AWS environment.

How to Display AWS Skills on Your Resume

5. Ansible

Ansible is an open-source automation tool used by platform engineers for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation across multiple servers and environments.

Why It's Important

Ansible is important for a Platform Engineer because it provides a simple, yet powerful, automation tool for managing and configuring servers, applications, and infrastructure across various environments, improving consistency, efficiency, and scalability of platform operations.

How to Improve Ansible Skills

Improving your Ansible skills and usage as a Platform Engineer involves a few key practices aimed at enhancing efficiency, maintainability, and scalability of your automation tasks. Here are concise tips:

1. Learn Ansible Best Practices: Familiarize yourself with Ansible Best Practices to write efficient, scalable, and maintainable playbooks.

2. Utilize Ansible Roles and Collections: Break down your playbooks into roles for reusability and leverage community collections for pre-built solutions.

3. Implement Dynamic Inventory: Use dynamic inventory to automatically adjust your inventory to the changing environment, especially useful for cloud resources.

4. Use Ansible Vault for Secrets Management: Secure sensitive data with Ansible Vault to keep your credentials and secrets safe.

5. Continuous Learning and Community Engagement: Stay updated with the latest features and practices by following the Ansible Blog and participating in AnsibleFest, a great way to learn from the community.

6. Leverage Ansible Lint: Use Ansible Lint to analyze your playbooks for potential issues and ensure you're following best practices.

7. Automate Testing with Molecule: Employ Molecule for developing and testing your Ansible roles to ensure reliability.

8. Performance Optimization: Optimize your playbooks for performance by following guidelines outlined in the Performance Tuning Guide.

9. Documentation and Comments: Ensure your playbooks and roles are well-documented and commented for ease of understanding and maintenance.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve your Ansible practices, contributing to more efficient and effective automation projects.

How to Display Ansible Skills on Your Resume

6. Prometheus

Prometheus is an open-source monitoring and alerting toolkit designed for reliability and scalability, primarily used by platform engineers to collect and process metrics from various systems within a software infrastructure.

Why It's Important

Prometheus is important for a Platform Engineer because it provides a powerful monitoring and alerting toolkit, enabling efficient system performance tracking, issue detection, and reliability improvement for large-scale, complex infrastructures.

How to Improve Prometheus Skills

Improving Prometheus for a Platform Engineer involves enhancing its performance, reliability, and ease of use. Below are concise strategies with external links for deep dives:

1. Optimize Scraping and Targets: Ensure scraping configurations are efficient by adjusting scrape intervals and timeout settings. Avoid overloading Prometheus with too many targets or metrics. Scrape Configuration.

2. Use Recording Rules: Implement recording rules to preprocess and store frequently needed or complex queries. This reduces load and query time. Recording Rules.

3. Implement High Availability: Run Prometheus in a high-availability setup to ensure reliability. Use a clustered approach with tools like Thanos or Cortex for long-term storage and global querying. Thanos | Cortex.

4. Optimize Storage: Use local SSDs for storage and tune storage retention policies. Consider remote storage options for long-term data retention. Storage.

5. Manage Alerts Wisely: Utilize Alertmanager effectively by grouping, deduplicating, and routing alerts properly to reduce noise. Alertmanager.

6. Monitor Prometheus Itself: Keep an eye on Prometheus's performance by monitoring its resource usage and error rates. Monitoring Prometheus.

7. Use Relabeling and Filtering: Wisely use relabeling to dynamically modify labels and filter targets to ensure only relevant metrics are collected. Relabeling.

8. Leverage Federation: Use federation cautiously for scaling, by aggregating data from multiple Prometheus instances to a global one. Federation.

9. Continuously Update and Educate: Keep Prometheus and its ecosystem components updated. Stay informed about best practices and features. Prometheus Blog.

10. Secure Your Prometheus Setup: Implement security measures like encryption, authentication, and authorization. Security.

Improving Prometheus is an ongoing process of tuning, optimization, and learning. Always test changes in a staging environment before production deployment.

How to Display Prometheus Skills on Your Resume

7. Grafana

Grafana is an open-source analytics and monitoring solution that allows platform engineers to visualize, query, and alert on metrics and logs from multiple sources in real-time, facilitating system performance and health monitoring.

Why It's Important

Grafana is important for a Platform Engineer because it provides a powerful, unified way to visualize and analyze metrics, logs, and traces across various sources, enabling efficient monitoring, troubleshooting, and performance optimization of platforms and applications.

How to Improve Grafana Skills

Improving Grafana as a Platform Engineer involves enhancing its performance, security, and usability for better monitoring and visualization of data. Here are concise ways to achieve this:

1. Optimize Performance: Scale Grafana by using Grafana Loki for efficient log aggregation and queries, and consider load balancing Grafana instances for high availability. Implement Grafana caching to reduce load on data sources.

2. Enhance Security: Follow Grafana's best security practices including enabling HTTPS, using data source permissions, and configuring OAuth authentication. Regularly update Grafana to the latest version to mitigate vulnerabilities.

3. Customize Dashboards: Utilize Grafana plugins to extend Grafana’s functionality. Create dynamic and interactive dashboards using variables and scripted dashboards for a tailored user experience.

4. Automate Configuration: Use Grafana provisioning to automate the setup of data sources and dashboards, ensuring consistent configurations across environments.

5. Monitor Grafana’s Performance: Implement monitoring for Grafana itself using Prometheus and Grafana’s internal metrics to track its performance and health. Refer to the Grafana ObservabilityCON for insights on best practices.

6. Educate and Collaborate: Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous learning within your team. Share knowledge on Grafana enhancements and encourage team members to contribute to Grafana’s GitHub repository or write plugins.

By focusing on these areas, you can significantly improve the efficiency and security of Grafana, making it a more powerful tool for your organization’s monitoring and visualization needs.

How to Display Grafana Skills on Your Resume

8. Jenkins

Jenkins is an open-source automation server used by platform engineers to automate the building, testing, and deployment of software applications.

Why It's Important

Jenkins is crucial for a Platform Engineer as it automates the integration and delivery pipeline, significantly enhancing code deployment speed and reliability, while ensuring consistent build and test processes.

How to Improve Jenkins Skills

Improving Jenkins involves enhancing its performance, security, and maintainability. As a Platform Engineer, focus on the following areas:

1. Performance Optimization: Scale Jenkins horizontally by adding more nodes to distribute the load. Utilize the Jenkins Performance Tuning guide to adjust JVM options for better efficiency.

2. Security Practices: Regularly update Jenkins and its plugins to their latest versions to mitigate vulnerabilities. Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) and follow the Jenkins Security Recommendations.

3. Pipeline as Code: Use Jenkinsfile for pipeline automation, making builds reproducible and easier to update. This approach also facilitates version control and collaboration.

4. Monitoring and Logging: Integrate Jenkins with monitoring tools like Prometheus and centralized logging solutions (e.g., ELK stack) for real-time insights and troubleshooting. See Monitoring Jenkins for more details.

5. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Implement a robust backup strategy using tools like thinBackup and plan for disaster recovery to minimize downtime.

6. Plugin Management: Regularly review and update plugins, removing unused ones to improve system performance and reduce potential security risks. Use the Plugin Usage Plugin to identify unused plugins.

7. Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Manage Jenkins configurations using IaC tools like Terraform or Ansible, allowing you to automate and replicate environments easily.

8. Containerization: Consider running Jenkins in containers using Docker and Kubernetes for improved scalability and easier environment management. The Jenkins on Kubernetes guide offers comprehensive instructions.

Focusing on these areas will significantly improve the performance, security, and maintainability of your Jenkins environment, ultimately leading to a more robust and efficient CI/CD pipeline.

How to Display Jenkins Skills on Your Resume

9. Python

Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language known for its simplicity, readability, and versatility, widely used in software development, scripting, automation, and data analysis, making it a valuable tool for Platform Engineers in managing and automating infrastructure tasks.

Why It's Important

Python is important for a Platform Engineer because it offers a versatile, high-level language with a vast ecosystem of libraries and tools, enabling efficient automation, infrastructure management, and development of scalable platform solutions.

How to Improve Python Skills

Improving your Python skills as a Platform Engineer involves focusing on areas critical to infrastructure, automation, and system management. Here’s a concise guide:

1. Master Python Basics: Ensure a strong foundation in Python syntax, data structures, and OOP principles. Automate the Boring Stuff with Python is a great starting point.

2. Learn DevOps Tools Integration: Familiarize yourself with using Python to interact with and automate DevOps tools (e.g., Docker, Ansible). Python for DevOps explores this extensively.

3. Understand System Programming: Delve into system programming to manage processes, filesystems, and networks. The Python documentation itself is a valuable resource for this.

4. Explore Web Frameworks for API Development: Learn Flask or Django for developing APIs crucial for platform engineering tasks. The Flask Mega-Tutorial offers a comprehensive guide.

5. Get Comfortable with Cloud Services: Practice using Python SDKs for AWS, Azure, or GCP to manage cloud resources programmatically. AWS’s Boto3 documentation is a good start.

6. Implement CI/CD Pipelines: Understand how to use Python in CI/CD pipelines for automated testing and deployment. GitHub Actions documentation provides insights into automating your workflows.

7. Contribute to Open Source Projects: Enhance your skills and give back to the community by contributing to Python projects. First Timers Only is a friendly place to start.

8. Stay Updated and Network: Engage with the Python community through forums, meetups, and conferences. PyCon is an excellent venue to learn from experts and network.

9. Practice, Practice, Practice: The best way to improve is by constantly challenging yourself with new projects. LeetCode and HackerRank offer programming challenges that can help sharpen your skills.

Focusing on these areas, leveraging the provided resources, and consistently applying what you learn in practical projects will significantly enhance your Python capabilities as a Platform Engineer.

How to Display Python Skills on Your Resume

10. Git

Git is a distributed version control system used for tracking changes in source code during software development, enabling multiple engineers to collaborate efficiently.

Why It's Important

Git is crucial for a Platform Engineer as it facilitates version control and collaboration on infrastructure code, ensuring reliable, consistent deployment and management of platform environments.

How to Improve Git Skills

Improving your Git skills as a Platform Engineer involves enhancing both your technical expertise and workflow efficiency. Focus on:

1. Master Advanced Git Features: Dive deep into advanced features like rebase, cherry-pick, bisect, and worktrees for better code management. Atlassian's Advanced Git Tutorials is a great place to start.

2. Automate with Git Hooks: Utilize Git hooks for automating workflows and ensuring code quality. Git Hooks Guide provides a comprehensive overview.

3. Implement GitOps: Adopt GitOps principles for efficient CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure management. What is GitOps? offers insights into its methodology.

4. Strengthen Security Practices: Enhance security by signing commits, using Git-secrets, and regularly auditing access. GitHub's Security Best Practices are essential.

5. Leverage Git Extensions: Explore extensions like Git LFS (Large File Storage) for handling large files and Git Flow for workflow optimization. Git LFS and Git Flow provide detailed information.

6. Stay Updated and Network: Follow the latest Git releases and community best practices. Engage with the community via GitHub and GitLab forums.

By focusing on these areas, a Platform Engineer can significantly enhance their Git proficiency and contribute to more efficient, secure, and effective development workflows.

How to Display Git Skills on Your Resume

11. Linux

Linux is an open-source, Unix-like operating system kernel that serves as the foundation for various distributions. It is widely used in server environments due to its stability, security, and flexibility, making it a fundamental platform for system and network administration, development, and containerization technologies crucial for a Platform Engineer.

Why It's Important

Linux is crucial for Platform Engineers due to its stability, security, and flexibility, allowing for efficient management of infrastructure and deployment of applications across diverse environments.

How to Improve Linux Skills

Improving Linux as a Platform Engineer involves enhancing system performance, security, and manageability. Here are concise strategies with external resources:

1. Kernel Tuning: Adjust kernel parameters to optimize performance for specific workloads. Kernel.org provides documentation and resources for understanding kernel options.

2. Performance Monitoring: Utilize tools like top, htop, and nmon for real-time monitoring. For more detailed analysis, consider Perf and Sysstat.

3. Security Enhancements: Implement SELinux or AppArmor for mandatory access control, and regularly scan for vulnerabilities using tools like Lynis.

4. Automation with Ansible: Automate repetitive tasks, configuration management, and deployment processes with Ansible, to ensure consistency and efficiency.

5. Containerization with Docker: Use Docker to create, deploy, and run applications in containers, improving scalability and isolation.

6. System Backup and Recovery: Implement robust backup and recovery strategies using tools like rsync and Bacula, to safeguard data.

7. Network Optimization: Fine-tune network settings and use tools like iperf3 for network performance testing.

8. File System Choices: Choose the right file system (e.g., XFS, ext4) based on your workload requirements. Linux File System Hierarchy offers guidance on file system structure and management.

9. Regular Updates and Patching: Keep the system updated to ensure security and performance enhancements. Use your distribution's package manager (e.g., apt, yum, dnf) for updates.

10. Documentation and Community: Engage with the Linux community through forums and documentation. The Linux Documentation Project (TLDP) is a valuable resource for comprehensive Linux guides and manuals.

By focusing on these areas, a Platform Engineer can significantly improve the performance, security, and manageability of Linux systems.

How to Display Linux Skills on Your Resume

12. Elasticsearch

Elasticsearch is a highly scalable, distributed, open-source search and analytics engine designed for horizontal scalability, reliability, and real-time search and data analysis. It allows for storing, searching, and analyzing big volumes of data quickly and in near real-time.

Why It's Important

Elasticsearch is crucial for a Platform Engineer as it provides a scalable, fast, and advanced search and analytics engine, enabling efficient data indexing, retrieval, and real-time analysis across large datasets, essential for monitoring, troubleshooting, and improving platform performance and user experience.

How to Improve Elasticsearch Skills

Improving Elasticsearch performance involves a few key strategies that focus on optimizing both the infrastructure and the data handling processes. As a Platform Engineer, consider the following concise tips:

1. Hardware Optimization: Start by ensuring that your Elasticsearch cluster is running on hardware that matches your performance needs. Use SSDs for faster IO, and ensure you have enough RAM and CPU to handle your workload.

2. Index Management: Properly manage your indices by defining appropriate shard and replica counts based on your data volume and access patterns. Consider implementing Index Lifecycle Management (ILM) for automating index maintenance.

3. Query Optimization: Optimize your search queries to avoid deep pagination, and use filters wisely to cache frequent searches. Review and optimize heavy queries.

4. Monitoring and Tuning: Utilize Elasticsearch's monitoring tools to identify bottlenecks. Adjust your JVM settings, thread pools, and cache sizes based on your specific workload.

5. Use Best Practices for Data Modeling: Design your data schema and indexing strategy to support efficient searches. This might involve denormalizing your data or using nested objects judiciously.

For detailed guidance and best practices, refer to the following resources:

• Elasticsearch Hardware: Elasticsearch Hardware Recommendations
• Index Management: Index Lifecycle Management (ILM)
• Query Optimization: Tune for Search Speed
• Monitoring and Tuning: Monitoring Elasticsearch
• Data Modeling Best Practices: Data Modeling

Adapting these strategies to your specific use case and continually monitoring and adjusting based on performance feedback are key to maintaining an efficient Elasticsearch environment.

How to Display Elasticsearch Skills on Your Resume