Cloud Engineering has been getting a great deal of attention in today's fast-paced digital landscape. Businesses are realizing the potential of the Cloud to streamline their operations and improve efficiency. The demand for Cloud-based solutions has skyrocketed with the increasing reliance on remote work and digital services. As technology continues to advance, navigating the cloud engineering field and harnessing its power to unlock limitless opportunities is essential. You probably use cloud-based technology frequently in your everyday life. Watching TV, listening to music on various streaming services, using an online email platform, backing up your phone, and so much more is possible due to cloud technology. It is certainly the next stage in the Internet’s evolution.
What is the "Cloud"?
The cloud is a term used to describe everything you can access remotely over the internet. The cloud allows users access to the same files and applications from any device simply because the storage and computing do not take place locally on the user's device but on another computer somewhere in the world.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is a type of internet-based computing that allows users or organizations to access various computing services such as storage, databases, networking, and software applications without the need for a physical hardware device. In simpler terms, cloud computing is a term for anything that involves accessing computing services hosted and managed by a cloud services provider on-demand over the Internet.
Who is a Cloud Engineer?
A cloud engineer is an IT professional who builds and maintains cloud infrastructure. They are responsible for designing, creating, and managing cloud-based solutions for businesses. A cloud engineer is not just one role; it’s a cluster of roles that uses different expertise and performs different tasks concerning cloud systems' development, maintenance, and improvement.
Types of Cloud Engineering Roles
There are five main types of cloud engineering roles, namely:
Cloud Architect: This is a professional responsible for designing, implementing, and managing cloud computing solutions for organizations.
Cloud Network Engineer: This is a professional responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the network infrastructure of a cloud-based system.
Cloud Systems Engineer: This is an IT professional who builds and develops new systems within the cloud to meet business needs. This job is broad but works with building the processes, optimization, and risk management tools a project requires to work well.
Cloud Security Engineer: This is a professional who is responsible for implementing security measures that ensure the safety and availability of cloud data. They make sure cloud systems are protected from security threats.
Cloud Software Engineer: This is a professional who specializes in developing applications, services, and solutions on cloud computing platforms.
Required Skills for a Cloud Engineer
Regardless of the specified role you choose in cloud engineering, you need certain soft and technical skills. I have described some of them in the sections below.
Soft Skills
Communication: You should be able to explain complex technical concepts in simple terms. Great communication skills make it easy to understand your client’s problem.
Drive: You must have a relentless drive to learn new things and experiment.
Critical thinking: This enables you to analyze complex problems, identify potential risks, and troubleshoot issues, amongst so many other things, enhancing the efficiency of your cloud solutions.
Teamwork: Successful cloud projects often involve collaboration among team members. Effective teamwork promotes better communication, knowledge sharing, and understanding of cloud projects.
Technical Skills
Cyber security: This is an essential skill to prevent data loss and protect data privacy. It involves taking measures to safeguard against unauthorized access, data breaches, and other threats.
Proficiency in programming languages: Languages like Python and Java are valuable for cloud engineering. They are used to develop cloud infrastructure, create APIs, and manage resources.
Networking: A good understanding of networking concepts like addressing, routing, and security protocols is essential for designing, implementing, and maintaining cloud architectures.
Data storage: This is a critical skill in cloud engineering. Proficiency in working with various storage services like object storage, file storage, and database services is essential.
Database management: a skill for maintaining and optimizing data storage solutions. It includes database provisioning, configuration, backup, and recovery, ensuring data security.
How Do You Become a Cloud Engineer?
There is no “one way” to become a cloud engineer, there are different paths you can follow. Contrary to popular belief, formal education is not a requirement to become a cloud engineer, Although it might have an added advantage. These are some of the many paths you can follow in becoming a cloud engineer:
1. Education: Getting a bachelor’s degree in computer science, IT, software engineering, or a related field can provide a solid foundation.
2. Build hands-on experience: Gain experience by working on personal projects, contributing to open-source projects, and internships with companies that use cloud technologies.
3. Certifications: A certification can be useful in showing employers that you have a baseline of knowledge of the cloud space. Popular cloud certifications include:
AWS Certifications—cloud practitioner, solutions architect, developer, SAP on AWS, and sysOps administrator.
Google Cloud Platform Certifications—professional cloud architect, professional cloud developer, professional cloud security engineer.
Microsoft Certifications—Microsoft Certified: Azure developer associate. Microsoft Certified: Azure fundamentals.
4. Stay updated: Cloud technology is fast evolving, so you have to continuously learn about new developments and features.
Conclusion
To get started in the cloud, You don’t need to “know it all”, you just need to “know it and know how and where to find more knowledge”. If you read the article through to this point and you are ready to get started in a cloud computing career, I advise you to consider enrolling in the following courses online:
And that's it! You are ready to kick start your amazing Cloud Computing career. GOODLUCK!