Why Most DevOps Engineers Panic During Incidents

Hello “👋”

Welcome to another week, another opportunity to become a great DevOps and Software Engineer

Today’s issue is brought to you by TheEngineeringLadder→ A great resource for devops and software engineers. We break down career-changing lessons in DevOps and Software Engineering to help you level up fast.

💡 PS: Before we dive into today’s topic, I have something special to share with you...

If you’ve been following TheEngineeringLadder, you know I always talk about one thing —
Proof of skill is more powerful than potential.

And that’s exactly why I created something game-changing for Software and DevOps Engineers who want to stand out in the job market:

The 90-Day Career-Ready Engineer Challenge
A fully practical, build-focused program where you’ll engineer 15 real-world portfolio projects that recruiters, employers, and clients can’t ignore.

This isn’t another “watch and learn” experience.
It’s a build-and-show experience. It’s designed for engineers who are ready to create undeniable EVIDENCE.

Here’s what you’ll get:
✅ 15 projects you can add to your portfolio and resume
✅ Hands-on guidance and accountability for 90 days
✅ Systems you can deploy, document, and showcase internationally
✅ A competitive environment with a prize for the top engineer

Whether you want remote roles, better offers, global visibility, or stronger confidence — this challenge gives you the evidence to make it happen.

🔥 I’m taking only 10 engineers. Once the seats are gone, it’s closed.
Send me a message here if you want in.

Build proof. Build leverage. Build your career.

The first time I was involved in a real production incident, my heart was racing.

Alerts were firing.
Messages were coming in from everywhere.
Someone asked, “What’s going on?”

And the honest answer in my head was:

That moment taught me something important:
DevOps isn’t just technical. It’s emotional.

Most engineers panic during incidents not because they’re incompetent, but because they haven’t trained for pressure.

The Real Reason Incidents Feel Overwhelming

When something breaks in production, three things happen at once:
1️⃣ You feel responsible
2️⃣ You feel rushed
3️⃣ You feel watched

That combination makes even smart engineers freeze or make rushed decisions.

But here’s the truth:
Incidents are not exams. They’re investigations.

Your job isn’t to be fast.
Your job is to be clear.

How Strong DevOps Engineers Handle Incidents

Over time, I noticed a pattern with experienced engineers.
They don’t panic.
They slow things down.

Here’s what they focus on:

1️⃣ Stabilize first, explain later
Stop the bleeding before searching for the perfect root cause.
Rollback. Scale. Disable the failing part.

2️⃣ Narrate what you’re doing
Silence creates panic.
Simple updates like “Investigating logs now” or “Rolling back deployment” calm everyone.

3️⃣ Change one thing at a time
Random fixes create new problems.
Small, deliberate steps create clarity.

4️⃣ Use evidence, not intuition
Logs, metrics, dashboards — feelings don’t fix outages. Data does.

This Week’s Challenge

The next time something breaks (even in a lab):
Before acting, write down:

• What changed?

• What evidence do I have?

• What’s the safest next move?

Practicing this before real incidents makes all the difference.

Final Thoughts

Great DevOps engineers aren’t calm because they don’t care.
They’re calm because they’ve trained their thinking.

Incidents will happen.
What matters is how you respond when they do.

Calm engineers earn trust.
And trust accelerates careers.

PS:

If you want to document your incident work, projects, and wins in a way that actually helps your career, check out my Notion template:
🎯 Resume Mastery for Software & DevOps Engineers
https://excelintech.com/b/SE7wA

It helps you turn real production work into clear, impact-driven evidence recruiters care about.