DevOps is a fast-paced, dynamic field where theoretical knowledge alone is rarely enough to succeed. To truly master the skills needed in this industry, hands-on experience is essential.

Hands-on lab training offers a practical, immersive way for DevOps engineers to accelerate their learning curve and become job-ready faster.

In this article, we’ll explore why hands-on labs are so effective and how they can drastically improve your DevOps skills.

1. Real-World Problem Solving

Learning by Doing

In DevOps, engineers face complex, real-world challenges daily. Hands-on labs simulate these real-life tasks, such as configuring a Kubernetes cluster, troubleshooting cloud infrastructure, or setting up CI/CD pipelines. This experience allows engineers to actively solve problems rather than passively learn concepts.

Why It Matters

Theoretical knowledge can only take you so far. Working on actual infrastructure and handling real problems solidifies what you’ve learned, ensuring you can apply those skills when it matters most—on the job.

Example: Many engineers use Brokee’s hands-on labs to practice AWS, Azure, and DevOps tasks that mirror real job environments.

Whether you’re an entry-level engineer or preparing for a new role, Brokee’s labs provide practical experience that accelerates your job readiness.

2. Builds Confidence for Day-One Readiness

Hands-On = Confidence

Many engineers struggle with confidence during their first few months on the job because they’ve never had the chance to apply what they learned in real scenarios. Hands-on labs give engineers the opportunity to practice these skills repeatedly until they are fully confident in their abilities.

Why It Matters

Confidence in your DevOps skills from day one can drastically shorten onboarding time and increase your productivity early in your career.

Companies often prefer candidates who have hands-on experience with the tools and technologies they use.

3. Mastering Tools and Platforms

Get Familiar with Industry-Standard Tools

Hands-on labs allow engineers to get comfortable using critical DevOps tools like Terraform, Ansible, Docker, Jenkins, and cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP.

Lab environments replicate real job tasks, so engineers can focus on mastering specific tools while understanding how they integrate into larger workflows.

Why It Matters

Becoming proficient with tools is crucial for DevOps roles. Hands-on labs provide the chance to not only learn new tools but to also understand how they function in complex environments.

Example: Engineers can practice setting up a continuous integration pipeline using Jenkins, deploy a containerized application with Kubernetes, or automate infrastructure with Terraform in a lab environment before applying these skills in production.

Read More: The Top DevOps Tools in 2024

4. Safe Environment to Make Mistakes

Learning Without the Pressure

One of the greatest advantages of hands-on lab training is the ability to make mistakes without real-world consequences.

In an actual job setting, errors can lead to downtime, security risks, or financial losses. In a lab, engineers can experiment, fail, and learn without the pressure of damaging live environments.

Why It Matters

The freedom to experiment helps engineers learn faster. They can try different approaches, discover what works, and learn from failures—all without impacting actual projects.

Read More: The Best DevOps Bootcamps in 2024

5. Speeds Up the Learning Curve

Accelerating Skill Development

Hands-on labs enable faster learning by giving engineers instant feedback. Instead of reading through documentation and theory, they can immediately see the results of their actions in the lab environment.

This kind of real-time feedback significantly speeds up the learning process, as engineers can adjust their approach on the fly.

Why It Matters

Learning by doing accelerates mastery of concepts and tools. Engineers gain a deep understanding of how different DevOps practices work together, which ultimately helps them become proficient more quickly than with theoretical learning alone.

6. Preparing for Certifications

Practical Experience for Exams

Certifications like AWS DevOps Engineer, Microsoft Azure DevOps, or Google Cloud Professional DevOps Engineer require not just theoretical knowledge, but also practical understanding. Hands-on labs prepare engineers for these exams by allowing them to practice the exact scenarios they’ll be tested on.

Why It Matters

While studying for certifications is important, real-world practice is what truly prepares you to pass the exams and apply the knowledge in the workplace. Hands-on labs give you the confidence and experience to tackle even the most challenging certification questions.

Example: In an AWS hands-on lab, engineers can set up auto-scaling groups, configure CloudWatch for monitoring, and use Lambda for automation—real-world tasks that they’ll likely face on the AWS DevOps Engineer certification exam.

Read More: AWS DevOps Interview Questions and Answers for 2024

7. Gaining Practical Job Experience

Simulate the Job Environment

Hands-on labs not only prepare engineers for exams but also simulate day-to-day job tasks.

These labs mirror the exact work you’ll do in a DevOps role, such as deploying cloud infrastructure, setting up monitoring systems, or configuring secure environments. The more practice you get, the more comfortable you’ll be when performing these tasks in a live environment.

Why It Matters

This kind of real-world experience is what hiring managers look for. By practicing in labs, engineers can demonstrate they are ready to step into a role without needing extensive on-the-job training.

Conclusion

Hands-on lab training is an invaluable tool for accelerating the DevOps learning curve.

Whether you're mastering tools, preparing for certifications, or gaining real-world job experience, these labs provide the perfect environment to learn by doing.

We currently offer 3 free labs for engineers (no credit card needed!), and after that, you can have access to our unlimited testing library for only $9 per month. Try Brokee risk-free today!

The practical experience gained from our labs will significantly boost your confidence, shorten onboarding time, and make you job-ready from day one.