#Build and Release Engineering
As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. A few weeks ago, we talked about how tech hiring managers can’t get enough DevOps engineers.
We’ve also looked at how QA Engineering jobs are on the rise, as tech hiring managers look for the best engineers.
The other side of that equation is that Build and Release Engineering is enjoying increased popularity on the tech jobs front. It’s all well and good to have managed the development process perfectly and tested the software to within an inch of its life, but someone has to deliver the goods and make sure they integrate well with the rest of the software. Which makes Build and Release Engineering a very good tech career choice right now.
Skilled Build and Release Engineers are able to build software as well as integrate applications into existing systems and projects. Patience and enjoying troubleshooting come with the territory. We took a tour through some of many build and release engineer job descriptions out there to look for the common, core competencies and soft skills hiring managers look for:
Work both ways:
You need to be a good, process-driven team player. But hiring managers also want to see candidates who can work autonomously, with minimal supervision. That way, when the build fails after hours and there aren’t many people around, they know they can trust you to be on it and over it before the testers have had their morning coffee.
Take ownership:
Exceptions, bugs and all sorts of problems are part of your job – if you’re able to at least try to resolve these before throwing them back at development, you’ll make a lot of friends. Especially if you hand it back with a detailed analysis/report of the problem.
Communicate:
If this one comes up a lot, it’s because it sits at the heart of every effective team. If you can’t articulate a plan, a problem, a process, you won’t work your way up the tech career ladder.
Document:
Closely related to communication, you need to be able to document/oversee the documentation of processes, tool usage, release audits and other aspects your role, such as process definitions and evaluations.
Explain yourself:
Can you help train and support other technical staff on software configuration or integration tools? It makes you a more valuable team member if you can.
Think about the end user:
You’re the last line of defense between the user and the software you’re about to unleash upon them. Give them a little consideration at least. Maybe every once in a while…
Be patient:
Automation is your friend, but there’s no escaping the reality that release build engineers often have to perform some pretty repetitive, tedious tasks. Your ability to remain meticulous and enthusiastic on the less than exciting days or projects will earn you career brownie points, respect and probably a promotion.
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Build and Release Engineers are in demand because they fulfill a sort of ‘floating expert’ role within fast-paced tech companies. Your ability to think on your feet, solve problems, be flexible and demonstrate a good understanding of what the other IT experts working around you – such as DevOps and QA – are trying to achieve, will make you a fitting Engineer for such roles.
