Professionals who want to enter the SRE field generally need a profile that combines some technical knowledge in programming and operating systems along with curiosity about systems design and how to observe and influence the behavior of running systems. SRE is also at the intersection of multiple roles, so an interest for developing soft skills and navigating ambiguity well are must haves.

This ‘blend’ is relevant because it is common in this line of work to have to navigate organizational and software systems uncertainty while executing changes that guarantee continuous improvement of a platform without compromising its reliability.

As it is a relatively recent role, many professionals in the SRE area previously worked as network administrators, software engineers focused in other specialties and system administrators, gaining experience integrating and managing complex systems.