1️⃣ Question: “Are you actively looking for a job?”
If YES (best professional answer)
Yes, I am actively exploring new opportunities. I’m looking for a long-term DevOps/Cloud role where I can contribute to infrastructure automation, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud architecture improvements.
Shorter version (if you prefer very direct):
Yes, I am actively looking for a stable DevOps role.
2️⃣ Question: “I see your previous job was contract. Why contract?”
Strong professional answer:
At that time, the company was hiring mostly contract DevOps engineers for a migration project. It was a long-term contract focused on cloud automation and CI/CD modernization. I joined because it gave me strong hands-on AWS and Kubernetes experience.
OR
The organization was working on a cloud transformation project and structured the DevOps team as contract-based roles. It allowed me to gain deep experience in Terraform, Jenkins, and Kubernetes.
DO NOT say:
- “I couldn’t find full-time”
- “They didn’t want to hire me full-time”
Always make it sound strategic and project-based.
3️⃣ Recruiter Follow-up: “Why are you leaving?”
Safe professional answer:
The contract project is ending, and I’m looking for a stable long-term opportunity where I can continue building scalable infrastructure and automation solutions.
4️⃣ Question: “Are you open to contract again?”
Smart answer (balanced):
I prefer full-time for long-term stability, but I’m open to strong contract-to-hire opportunities depending on the project and team.
5️⃣ Question: “What kind of role are you looking for?”
DevOps / Cloud Engineer role focused on AWS infrastructure, CI/CD automation, Kubernetes, and Infrastructure as Code using Terraform.
6️⃣ Question: “What is your salary expectation?”
Never give exact number first. Say:
I’m open to market rate based on responsibilities and total compensation package. I’d like to understand the scope first.
If they push:
Based on my experience in AWS, Kubernetes, and Terraform, I’m targeting the market range for mid-to-senior DevOps roles in Chicago.
7️⃣ Question: “Are you authorized to work in the US?”
Answer clearly:
Yes, I am authorized to work in the US.
If sponsorship needed:
I am authorized to work currently and would require sponsorship in the future.
(Be clear and honest.)
8️⃣ Question: “How soon can you start?”
If available:
I can start within two weeks.
If still working:
I would need to provide a two-week notice.
9️⃣ Question: “Why should we consider you?”
Strong DevOps answer:
I bring hands-on experience in AWS infrastructure, Terraform modules, Kubernetes deployments, and CI/CD automation using Jenkins and GitLab. I focus not only on deployment but also on reliability, security, and cost optimization.
🔟 Question: “Tell me about yourself” (30-second version)
Use this structure:
- Who you are
- What you specialize in
- What you’re looking for
Example:
I’m a DevOps Engineer with experience in AWS cloud infrastructure, Terraform automation, and Kubernetes deployments. I’ve worked on building CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins and GitLab and improving infrastructure reliability and security. Currently, I’m looking for a long-term DevOps role where I can contribute to scalable cloud architecture and automation.
🔥 Advanced Recruiter Questions
“Have you worked with GCP or Azure?”
My primary experience is AWS, but I understand cloud fundamentals and can adapt quickly to other platforms like GCP or Azure.
“Have you worked in enterprise environment?”
Yes, I’ve worked in environments with multiple AWS accounts, IAM role separation, CI/CD governance, and production Kubernetes clusters.
“What is your strongest DevOps skill?”
Infrastructure as Code with Terraform and building reliable CI/CD pipelines integrated with Kubernetes.
Perfect. I will structure this professionally for you.
First — recruiter conversation improvement.
Then — 100 DevOps recruiter + technical screening questions with short strong answers (interview style, not textbook).
✅ Recruiter Question: “Can you start within 2 weeks?”
Strong answer:
Yes, I can start within two weeks. My contract requires a two-week notice period, and I fully respect that commitment.
Short version:
Yes, two weeks is required in my contract, and I can start immediately after that.
This sounds professional and responsible.
🎯 PART 1 — 20 COMMON RECRUITER QUESTIONS (WITH ANSWERS)
1. Are you actively looking?
Yes, I am exploring stable long-term DevOps opportunities.
2. Why contract?
The role was project-based cloud migration, structured as contract.
3. Why leaving?
Project is ending. I’m looking for long-term growth.
4. Are you open to contract again?
Prefer full-time, but open to strong contract-to-hire.
5. Current role?
Cloud/DevOps engineer working with AWS, Terraform, CI/CD, Kubernetes.
6. Biggest strength?
Infrastructure as Code and CI/CD automation.
7. Weakness?
Sometimes I go deep into optimization — I’ve learned to balance speed and perfection.
8. Salary expectation?
Open to market rate based on role scope.
9. Work authorization?
Authorized to work in the US.
10. Remote or onsite?
Open to hybrid or remote depending on role.
11. Team size?
Worked in cross-functional teams with developers and QA.
12. Production experience?
Yes — managed CI/CD and AWS infrastructure in production.
13. Leadership?
Mentored junior engineers and led automation initiatives.
14. Tools?
AWS, Terraform, Jenkins, GitLab, Kubernetes, Docker.
15. Monitoring?
Prometheus, Grafana, CloudWatch.
16. Logging?
CloudWatch Logs, ELK.
17. Security?
IAM roles, least privilege, security groups.
18. Incident handling?
Root cause analysis + rollback strategy.
19. Availability for interview?
Flexible this week.
20. Can you start in 2 weeks?
Yes, required by my contract.
🚀 PART 2 — 80 TECHNICAL DEVOPS SCREENING QUESTIONS (SHORT STRONG ANSWERS)
I will keep answers short and interview-ready.
🔹 AWS (15)
What is EC2?
Virtual server in AWS.Difference between S3 and EBS?
S3 is object storage; EBS is block storage attached to EC2.What is IAM?
Access control service for users, roles, policies.What is VPC?
Isolated virtual network in AWS.What is Security Group?
Stateful firewall for EC2.NACL vs SG?
NACL is stateless; SG is stateful.What is EKS?
Managed Kubernetes service in AWS.What is ALB?
Layer 7 load balancer.What is Auto Scaling?
Automatically adjusts EC2 count.What is Route53?
DNS service.What is CloudWatch?
Monitoring and logging service.S3 versioning?
Keeps multiple versions of objects.What is RDS?
Managed relational database.Multi-AZ?
High availability setup.IAM role vs user?
Role is temporary, user is permanent.
🔹 Terraform (10)
What is Terraform?
Infrastructure as Code tool.State file?
Tracks infrastructure resources.Plan vs Apply?
Plan previews, Apply executes.Remote state?
Stores state in S3 backend.Module?
Reusable Terraform code block.terraform init?
Initializes project.terraform destroy?
Deletes infrastructure.Variables?
Dynamic configuration input.Output?
Exports values.Drift detection?
When infra differs from state.
🔹 Docker (10)
What is Docker?
Containerization platform.Image vs container?
Image is blueprint, container is running instance.Dockerfile?
Instructions to build image.EXPOSE?
Documents port.CMD vs ENTRYPOINT?
CMD default command; ENTRYPOINT fixed.Docker volume?
Persistent storage.Docker network?
Connects containers.docker build?
Builds image.docker run?
Starts container.Multi-stage build?
Optimized image build.
🔹 Kubernetes (15)
Pod?
Smallest deployable unit.Deployment?
Manages replica pods.Service?
Exposes pods.NodePort vs ClusterIP?
NodePort external access; ClusterIP internal.Ingress?
HTTP routing.ConfigMap?
Stores configuration.Secret?
Stores sensitive data.HPA?
Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.Liveness probe?
Checks if pod alive.Readiness probe?
Checks if ready for traffic.Namespace?
Logical cluster separation.Rolling update?
Gradual deployment.kubectl get pods?
Lists pods.CrashLoopBackOff?
Container failing repeatedly.EKS vs self-managed?
EKS is managed control plane.
🔹 CI/CD (10)
CI?
Continuous Integration.CD?
Continuous Delivery/Deployment.Jenkins?
Automation server.GitLab CI?
Pipeline automation tool.Runner?
Executes CI jobs.Pipeline stages?
Build, test, deploy.Artifact?
Build output file.Blue-green deployment?
Two environments switch.Canary?
Gradual rollout.Rollback?
Revert deployment.
🔹 Linux (10)
chmod?
Change permissions.chown?
Change owner.ps?
Process list.top?
Live process view.netstat/ss?
Network connections.systemctl?
Manage services.grep?
Search text.tail -f?
Follow log.SSH?
Secure remote login.Cron?
Scheduled tasks.
🔹 Monitoring & Troubleshooting (10)
What is latency?
Response delay.500 error?
Server-side error.Pod not running?
Check logs + describe.High CPU?
Scale or optimize.Memory leak?
App not releasing memory.ELK?
Logging stack.Prometheus?
Metrics collection.Grafana?
Visualization tool.Root cause analysis?
Identify true failure source.Incident response?
Detect, fix, prevent.
🔥 20 ADVANCED SCENARIO QUESTIONS
Pipeline failing after Docker build — what do you check?
Logs, registry auth, image tag.Pod running but not accessible?
Check service, ingress, SG.Terraform apply fails — what next?
Check error, state, provider config.S3 event not triggering Lambda?
Check permissions + trigger config.Load balancer not routing?
Target group health check.High AWS bill?
Check EC2, EBS, NAT, logs.Git conflict?
Rebase or merge resolve.Kubernetes node NotReady?
Check kubelet.Jenkins agent offline?
Check connectivity + credentials.Docker port already in use?
lsof -i :portIAM access denied?
Check policy + role.Auto scaling not scaling?
Check metrics + policy.Application slow?
Check CPU, DB, network.Multi-env deployment?
Use separate namespaces + pipelines.Secret exposed?
Rotate immediately.How ensure zero downtime?
Rolling updates + readiness probe.How secure CI/CD?
Use secrets manager + least privilege.How handle prod failure?
Rollback + RCA.Disaster recovery?
Backups + multi-AZ.Why DevOps?
Automation, reliability, faster delivery.
🔥 50 Behavioral DevOps Interview Questions + Sample Answers
1. Tell me about a challenging production issue you handled.
In one incident, our Kubernetes pods were crashing in production due to memory limits. I analyzed logs, checked metrics in CloudWatch, identified memory misconfiguration, adjusted resource limits, and redeployed using rolling updates. The issue was resolved without downtime.
2. Tell me about a time you improved a process.
Our deployments were manual and error-prone. I automated the process using GitLab CI and Terraform modules, reducing deployment time by 60% and eliminating configuration drift.
3. Describe a time you worked under pressure.
During a production outage caused by misconfigured security groups, I quickly reviewed network paths, identified blocked ports, corrected rules, and restored service within 20 minutes.
4. Tell me about a conflict with a developer.
A developer wanted direct production access. I explained security risks and implemented role-based IAM access with approval workflow. We improved security without slowing development.
5. How do you prioritize tasks?
I prioritize production-impacting issues first, then automation improvements, then optimization tasks.
6. Describe a failure you learned from.
I once deployed without validating Terraform plan carefully, which caused resource recreation. Since then, I always review plans and use remote state locking.
7. Tell me about a time you automated something manually done before.
I automated EC2 provisioning using Terraform modules instead of manual console setup, ensuring repeatability and consistency.
8. How do you handle tight deadlines?
I focus on core deliverables first, avoid over-engineering, and communicate progress clearly.
9. Tell me about mentoring someone.
I guided junior engineers in writing proper Dockerfiles and Kubernetes manifests, explaining best practices for health checks and resource limits.
10. Describe a time you reduced cost.
I identified unused EBS volumes and idle EC2 instances, implemented auto-scaling policies, reducing AWS monthly cost significantly.
11. How do you handle mistakes?
I take ownership, fix quickly, communicate transparently, and document preventive measures.
12. Tell me about a time you disagreed with a decision.
I once disagreed with using static credentials in pipelines. I proposed IAM roles instead, explaining security benefits. The team adopted it.
13. Describe your biggest achievement.
Building a fully automated CI/CD pipeline integrating Docker, Kubernetes, and Terraform from scratch.
14. Tell me about cross-team collaboration.
Worked with QA and developers to standardize build and deployment pipelines across environments.
15. How do you stay organized?
I track tasks using structured backlog, prioritize by impact, and document everything.
16. Describe handling production rollback.
During a faulty deployment, I rolled back to previous Docker image tag immediately using Kubernetes deployment rollback.
17. Tell me about handling ambiguity.
In cloud migration, requirements were unclear. I gathered stakeholders, clarified infrastructure needs, then designed modular Terraform code.
18. Describe learning new technology quickly.
When introduced to ArgoCD, I set up a test cluster, deployed apps, and documented GitOps workflow within a week.
19. Tell me about handling multiple environments.
I separated dev/stage/prod using Terraform workspaces and Kubernetes namespaces.
20. How do you ensure security?
Least privilege IAM roles, encrypted S3 buckets, secret management, network isolation.
21. Describe time when automation failed.
Pipeline failed due to expired token. I implemented secret rotation reminders and monitoring.
22. Tell me about documentation.
I document architecture diagrams and deployment instructions for future maintainability.
23. Describe handling monitoring alerts.
I analyze metrics, confirm root cause, fix issue, then tune alert thresholds.
24. Tell me about scaling application.
Implemented HPA in Kubernetes based on CPU metrics.
25. Describe a time you improved reliability.
Added readiness and liveness probes to prevent traffic to unhealthy pods.
26. How do you handle feedback?
I take it constructively and improve processes.
27. Tell me about infrastructure migration.
Migrated manually provisioned EC2 to Terraform-managed infrastructure.
28. Describe working with remote teams.
Clear communication, detailed documentation, and async updates.
29. Tell me about managing secrets.
Used Kubernetes Secrets and AWS IAM roles instead of hardcoding credentials.
30. Describe troubleshooting networking issue.
Checked SG, NACL, route tables, and ALB health checks.
31. Tell me about a time you prevented downtime.
Implemented blue-green deployment strategy.
32. How do you manage stress?
Structured troubleshooting and prioritization.
33. Describe improving deployment speed.
Introduced Docker caching and parallel CI jobs.
34. Tell me about enforcing best practices.
Standardized Terraform modules across teams.
35. Describe handling miscommunication.
Clarified requirements in writing and confirmed expectations.
36. Tell me about disaster recovery planning.
Designed multi-AZ architecture with backups and restore testing.
37. Describe monitoring strategy you built.
Integrated Prometheus with Grafana dashboards for real-time metrics.
38. Tell me about log management.
Centralized logs using ELK stack.
39. Describe improving pipeline reliability.
Added automated tests and validation stages before deployment.
40. Tell me about on-call experience.
Responded to alerts, resolved incidents, documented RCA.
41. How do you handle unknown issues?
Gather logs, isolate variables, test hypotheses systematically.
42. Describe leadership moment.
Took initiative to redesign CI/CD architecture.
43. Tell me about securing cloud infrastructure.
Enabled encryption at rest and in transit.
44. Describe balancing speed vs quality.
Implement minimum viable solution first, then optimize.
45. Tell me about handling multiple production incidents.
Prioritized based on business impact.
46. Describe introducing new tool.
Introduced Terraform modules for infrastructure standardization.
47. Tell me about reducing manual errors.
Replaced manual deployments with automated pipelines.
48. Describe auditing access.
Reviewed IAM policies and removed unused permissions.
49. Tell me about maintaining stability.
Implemented auto-scaling and health monitoring.
50. Why DevOps?
Strong answer:
DevOps combines automation, cloud architecture, and reliability engineering. I enjoy building scalable systems that improve deployment speed while maintaining security and stability.
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