Cloud Computing Career Path (Step-by-Step) Guide [Cloud Engineer]

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Are you interested in making a career in cloud computing and want to know; where to start and how to start a career in cloud computing? If so, this article going to help you to achieve your goal.

This article would also be helpful for those who are curious to know about the cloud computing career path as it provides you with some necessary information about cloud computing.

This “cloud computing career path” article helps you in every aspect to provide every possible knowledge about cloud computing step-by-step.

Before going through this article, I want to confabulate some of the essential things which you will get to know

And much more this article is packed with lots of information that one has to know if they want to start their career in cloud computing.

All the related technical information is defined understandably. So if you are a novice in this field, this article will also be useful for you.

First, we get to know some necessary information about cloud computing then we will talk about how to become a Cloud Engineer and other essential steps you need to take to get into cloud computing career path.

If you already know all the basic information, you can skip the introduction part.

So Let’s Hop Right In

What Is Cloud Computing All About?

If you are using the internet to watch and read to get the information like everyone else; it might be possible you have heard the word “Cloud.” It’s a buzzword nowadays; everyone is talking about this technology.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing is an information technology (IT) paradigm that enables ubiquitous access to shared pools of configurable system resources and higher-level services that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort, often over the Internet. – Wikipedia

Alright, let’s decode that to English; here’s my go at it

Cloud computing is a platform to provide computing-related solutions (such as; storing, managing, and data processing) to the user, from anywhere in the world and wherever the user needs.

(Or) You can say that cloud computing is a method, which gives a platform for outsourcing and sharing computer resources with others.

So it is clear that a cloud computing provider uses the internet to provide the services to the clients. Without the internet cloud computing is not possible.

So unlike the traditional way where the boundary is limited. It breaks the whole fence and creates lots of possibilities for the future.

Using the cloud, we can store and manage the data rather than save it to the local server or on the personal hard drive.

But, What is the Cloud?

According to natural science: Cloud is a floating mass in the sky, contains lots of little water vapours.

A Digital Cloud is similar to a natural cloud the only difference is the meaning here the water vapor is defined as a Hard Disk & The floating mass in the sky is the Internet.

Real Cloud in the sky = water vapor + Floating mass in the sky (Simple we say Cloud)

Digital  Cloud = Hard disk + Internet (By relating to mathematics: 100000 (or any value) + Infinity = Infinity)

Digital Cloud = Internet

That is the reason why most people referred the word cloud as the internet. So we can also say the cloud is the internet. But now you know the exact meaning of the cloud. So don’t be confused.

Do you know? In today’s techy world, we all are using cloud services (maybe you don’t become aware of that like other people, but it is 100% true). Whether you are consuming a tiny amount of cloud services or a significant amount, eventually everyone is taking benefits from this technology. You are probably using cloud computing right now.

Let’s understand with an example

Everybody uses Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter) & Email-Services. But do you ever think? Where all the data (photos, documents, etc.) have been stored. And How I am able to access the data wherever I am. All this thing is only possible because of cloud computing.

Even if you don’t realize it. But you are using cloud computing services right now to read this article on “cloud computing career path”

I hope you understand the meaning of cloud computing. So now let’s move into further steps to know the essential points, which are required if you want to start a career in cloud computing.

Features Offered By Cloud Providers

Most people think cloud computing gives the storage space to store the data. But the wording is half correct. Yes! It provides the storage feature for the remote location client (or any location), but cloud computing is a lot more than that.

Cloud computing companies (or cloud providers) offer the following services and solutions…

  • Storage Space with backup and recovery option
  • Dedicated servers
  • Networking Solutions
  • Data for analysis
  • Software Development
  • Data Security and Identity
  • Application services

Advantages Of Cloud Computing Technologies

10 to 15 Years ago, if you want to develop a mobile app or build your website (like this one) or want to make an online portfolio (resume) or any computing services, you had to buy and install a dedicated stack of servers or else rent the server from your nearby providers.

Compared to now it’s never been so easy before.

There are lots of benefits of using cloud computing for businesses such as…

  • Management: If you are running a small or medium-level business you don’t have to be anxious about the management of servers and other computing resources.
  • Cost-Effective: No need to install hardware and software for individual projects. Free from Electricity Consumption. Eventually, it saves the capital expense. So No more buying expenses.
  • Pay per usage:  Pay for the resources you only used. Rent servers and computing services as per your company requirements.
  • Migration: Easy to migrate your data to the cloud from other sources (Either immigration is from your own data center or another cloud provider).
  • 100% Uptime: No worry of power cuts and other (software + hardware fault) issues. 100% redundancy.
  • Reliable: In case you have accidentally lost your whole data. Cloud computing services give the option of data recovery and backup.
  • Portability: You can use your data securely from any place.
  • On-demand: You can use as much as resources you need 24X7. On-demand provisioning is one of the best features and benefits of using cloud computing.
  • Flexibility: Based on your project requirements you can increase or decrease your computing needs.

The above benefits made cloud computing so popular. Therefore many organizations decide to move to cloud computing services and forget the traditional way of business (storing and managing the devices).

I hope you got your answer; why you should learn cloud computing technology. 

Why Cloud Is Necessary For Every Growing Company

Suppose you are a developer in XYZ Company and with great dedication, you develop a fantastic application with an excellent concept.

So now you want this application to run on a real-time basis in the public domain. Therefore you have to discuss with your boss for further app development procedures, and even your boss finds the idea of the app is fantastic and new in the market and gives you an approval to implement the concept.

But the problem is company XYZ doesn’t have sufficient hardware and software resources to implement this fantastic application of yours.

Therefore your boss has to place an order to get the required hardware after researching the product specs and the cost. As we know, there are lots of vendors making the same product with some specification changes.

So it is also a hectic process to choose the best one keeping the project budget in mind.

Now you have your hardware, but there is no software (Operating system) installed on it, so you have two options either you can install the software by yourself (including the IT team of XYZ company) Or you have to hire somebody who is capable of doing it.

Finally, you got the hardware ready, and now you can finally start working on the idea you have.

This whole process (from getting an idea to hardware ready) would easily take 2 to 3 months.

There is another possibility that might become true that someone also got stuck with the same idea and also have the resources, which the XYZ Company is lacking.

So the idea of yours could be done by others while you are waiting to initiate the development process. And you would not have any choice rather than watching others launching the products which you also could.

The conclusion is: If your company XYZ already has cloud services then you did not have to wait for 2 to 3 months, it can be achieved in a single day.

Therefore every company wants to move to the cloud whether they are a start-up or an established company. Nowadays every single company wants to move onto the cloud.

Types of Cloud Computing Services

Primarily there are three types of cloud computing services provided to the clients

Infrastructure as a service (IaaS)

IaaS allows users to choose and rent the hardware and software (computing resources like server and storage space) from the cloud provider to run applications. So, IaaS gives a feature to build a completely new infrastructure based on your hardware choices.

IaaS cloud computing resources are: Network devices (Router, Firewall, etc.) | CPU | Memory | Storage Space | Server | Virtual Machines

Platform as a service (PaaS)

This service provides a platform to develop, run and manage the applications and software. A Cloud DevOps Engineer doesn’t have to be concerned about maintaining the infrastructure. That’s why Developer’s community preferred to use this computing service.

PaaS cloud computing resources are: Framework (Java, .NET, Angular, etc.) | Web Server (Apache, IIS, etc.) |Operating Systems |Databases (Oracle, SQL, etc.)

Software as a service (SaaS)

This cloud computing service avails the already build applications and software for use. In this cloud service, users don’t have any control over the software. Therefore you cannot manage the software.

SaaS cloud computing resources examples are: Internet browsers, Email services, Dropbox, App Store, etc.

Other than the above three cloud computing services, cloud providers give you the option to design your own custom services. So that you can build a cloud infrastructure according to the requirements.

Cloud Computing Deployment Model Types

Cloud computing infrastructure can be deployed in three ways. And as a cloud computing Engineer, you would be working in one of the respective areas. After selecting cloud services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), you have to decide, which one of the deployment models I should choose.

That means you need a platform to run your IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS services. Therefore you have to use any of the one deployment methods among these three deployment models.

Private (within premises): Many companies are building a separate cloud infrastructure by using their own data centers. So this infrastructure is used by a single organization for their internal use.

Public (Third-Party): Use other cloud infrastructure as per the requirements over to the internet.

Hybrid: I think you have guessed, what it will be. Yes, it is a combination of Public + Private.

A Cloud Engineer know what cloud services they should use and where to apply. So to become a Cloud Engineer, you also have to know how to use different cloud services and what are the best practices to deploy these services.

Education Required To Become A Cloud Computing Engineer

To become a Cloud Computing Engineer one has to be a college graduate. You can do your majors in any field it does not matter which bachelor’s degree you have.

However, a person with a Computer Science degree is more interested in going with a cloud computing career path as they are already aware of this career path and the industry also preferred these candidates.

Most Cloud Engineers are Computer Science graduates. If you are a non-technical person but still interested in the cloud computing career path, you should read this article. >> Cloud Computing for Non-Technical (Bachelor of Arts) graduates

Certification in Cloud Computing

Many companies provide cloud services, and so they all have their certification, which we will get to know further in this article.

Although certification is not a mandatory thing to get into the cloud computing career path, however, it gives you an extra edge over others who do not have certification. Eventually, help you to get a better job, and as compared to non-certified you will get more opportunities.

Best Cloud Computing Certification programs for Cloud Engineers

Like I said earlier there are many cloud service providers in the industry and they all provide their industry-standard certifications. These are the most popular cloud computing certifications that one should go for

AWS and Microsoft are two big players in the cloud industry. So it would be a smart choice to go for these two certifications.

To become a certified Cloud Engineer one has to pass an exam conducted by the respective cloud service provider.  To prepare for the exam, you can go for online courses which we talk about next.

Know about the services and products offered by AWS and Microsoft Azure.

These are the services you are going to use in your cloud computing career path. Therefore your certification exam is based on these cloud computing domains.

The skillset of a cloud engineer is to know how to use products and services effectively offered by Cloud Service Providers.

Related: Know about the similar services offered by Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services

Top Online Courses to become a Cloud Engineer

Now the most important thing is where to learn all those required technical skills to become a Cloud Engineer and how I can prepare for the certification exam.

For this, you have two options you can choose either one.

[First] If you have an ample amount of time you can learn all the required skills on your own by watching tutorials and reading books.

[Second] The Second option is to join online/ offline courses and learn from an experienced mentor.

These are the best available online courses; I searched for you after investing so much time on the internet.

  1. Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
  2. AWS Architect Certification Training
  3. Microsoft Azure – Beginner’s Guide
  4. AZ- Azure Architecture Technologies Certification Exam
  5. Microsoft Azure Certification Training
  6. Google Cloud Platform Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure
  7. Mastering OpenStack Certification Training
  8. Cloud Computing Specialization – by University of Illinois

Some of the above-listed courses come with 30 days money back guarantee. If you don’t like the course you can get back your money without any question ask.

Top 10 Best Books on Cloud Computing

Reading books is essential in learning anything and the same holds when it comes to becoming a Cloud Computing Engineer. These are the 10 best Cloud Computing books that we would like to highly recommend you to read…

  1. Cloud Computing: From Beginning to End
  2. Cloud Computing: Concepts, Technology & Architecture
  3. Cloud Computing For Dummies
  4. Architecting the Cloud
  5. Cloud Computing: A Hands-On Approach
  6. The Cloud at Your Service
  7. Cloud Computing: Principles and Paradigms
  8. Cloud Application Architectures
  9. The Cloud Adoption Playbook
  10. Management Strategies for the Cloud Revolution

Also Check >> The full review of these 10 best Cloud Computing Books

Cloud Computing Career Paths

There are various streams in the Cloud Computing Career path and when making a career decision one will have to identify with one of these streams and make a decision.

You can choose any of the following cloud computing career paths

According to your work experience, education, and interest, you can decide on any of the above career paths and become a Cloud Engineer.

Skills and Tools Used By Cloud Engineers

Your skills and tools decided by which cloud computing career path you are going to choose. That means a cloud solution architect possesses different skills than a cloud developer and a cloud developer possesses a different skill set than a cloud SysOps Administrator and vice-versa.

Therefore we can make a skill equation. [≠: Not equal to]

Cloud Solution Architect ≠ Cloud Developer Engineer  Cloud SysOps Administrator

Also Check: 3 Best Cloud Computing Courses for Beginner [Risk-Free Courses]

Cloud Engineer Job Description

The job description mentioned below applies to every Cloud Engineer profession. Whether you are in cloud solution architect or any other cloud domain (Cloud SysOps and DevOps), you have to take care of the following things…

  • Provide support to the clients and fulfill their needs. Therefore you have to perform some basic level of troubleshooting.
  • Planning is necessary to make a successful and highly efficient design. Therefore every cloud engineer has to decide what are the cloud computing resources I am going to use and what is the total cost if I rent these resources.  The cost is a major problem for every business. So it is important to know what you are going to use. And how it will affect your business.
  • As a Cloud Engineer, you have to design a proper blueprint, which is efficient to handle every type of situation.
  • You are responsible for designing the renting resources according to the project’s needs. And you have to make sure every resource is being fully utilized.
  • Monitoring and maintaining all the cloud computing resources to maintain the availability. And make sure all the applications are running smoothly.
  • Manage all the resources using management tools and services, which are offered by the cloud provider. However, sometimes you have to implement custom services according to the project requirement.

Cloud Computing Career Path Scope

Nowadays Cloud computing is the most demanded skill in the IT industry as it is introduced in 2004 by Amazon on a big scale. Since then this industry is growing like a fire, thanks to the enormous variety of services provided by cloud service providers.

That’s why many established, and well-recognized companies are moving forward toward cloud computing technologies. Consequently, many new businesses shake their hands with cloud technology at the very beginning. They build their infrastructure on the cloud from the very beginning.

Cloud computing makes a significant impact on the traditional way of doing business.  It has become the norm for many companies and organizations.

That means every enterprise needs cloud-computing engineers. And I don’t think this IT requirement is going to slow down anytime soon. So if you are going to choose cloud computing as a career option; then this might be a good and right career option to opt for.

I hope this article has added significant value to your knowledge; is able to help you how to get into the cloud computing career path.

4 thoughts on “Cloud Computing Career Path (Step-by-Step) Guide [Cloud Engineer]”

  1. Ajose Michael

    This was really helpful and Just In Time for a prospective entrant into IT like me. Thank you.

  2. I am team leader with operations but I want to switch my profile in cloud computing or want to be a cloud engineer. So I wanted to ask is it possible to switch, as I have been into the operations since 5 yrs. How much it is relevant to move. Kindly share Ur thoughts.

    1. Hi Rohit! If you want to learn cloud computing then go for it. Don’t worry about anything else like you are working in operations or anything else. If you know things there would not be any problem.
      But I would like to give you one suggestion that is; don’t leave your job in the first place before getting a Job in Cloud Computing.
      There are many online courses which I suggested in the article you can join them and learn cloud computing from your home without leaving current job.

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