How I Became A Cloud Engineer: A Cheat Sheet

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How I Became A Cloud Engineer: A Cheat Sheet

By Kimberly Cook |Email | Mar 9, 2019 | 25947 Views

If you are interested in a career in cloud computing and don't know where to start, here's your guide for the best programming languages and skills to learn, interview questions, salaries, and more.

Cloud engineers-i.e., professionals responsible for assessing a business's infrastructure and migrating different functions to a cloud-based system-are in high demand, as more companies move critical business processes and applications to public, private, and hybrid cloud infrastructures. These professionals build, maintain, and link to cloud services, with a mix of technical skills, business knowledge, and experience with at least one of the major cloud providers: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform.

To help those interested in the field better understand how to break into a career in cloud engineering, we compiled the most important details and resources. This guide on how to become a cloud engineer will be updated on a regular basis.

Why is there an increased demand for cloud engineers?

Named one of the most in-demand tech jobs of 2019, cloud engineers are in great demand due to a large number of organizations moving business functions to the cloud. Some 68% of enterprise IT departments are now using public cloud infrastructure, according to a NetEnrich report. More than half of tech pros say that the cloud and hybrid IT is their organization's no. 1 most important IT strategy today, as nearly all organizations move some workloads to the cloud, a SolarWinds report found.

"As companies move away from an on-premise infrastructure model to a cloud-first approach when upgrading or designing new environments, the need to hire technologists with cloud experience has increased dramatically," Paul Wallenberg, senior unit manager of technology services at staffing and recruiting firm LaSalle Network, told TechRepublic.

As such, between 2015 and 2018, job searches for roles related to cloud computing-including cloud infrastructure, cloud security, cloud architect, and cloud engineer-rose nearly 108%, according to an Indeed report. Employer interest for candidates with cloud computing skills rose 33%.

But even with high job seeker interest in these roles, employer demand still outpaces the number of qualified candidates available, according to the report. Searches for the terms cloud computing and cloud engineer have risen 141% in the past two years, Indeed found.

What does a cloud engineer do?

Cloud engineers are responsible for assessing the existing infrastructure of a business and researching solutions for moving different functions (like database storage) to a cloud-based system, according to our sister site Tech Pro Research. Then, this person migrates the function to the new system and maintains it.

Cloud engineers require technical abilities to perform the migration, as well as the ability to negotiate terms with vendors, ensure the security of the data, and implement best practices throughout the process. These professionals also communicate progress to senior management, and work closely with IT teams to integrate existing structures into cloud-based systems.

What are some cloud engineer job roles?

Cloud engineers can take a number of different career paths. Here are the 15 most in-demand roles in the field that list cloud-related skills in their description, according to Indeed:

Software engineer
Senior software engineer
Software architect
Development operations engineer
Full stack developer
Cloud engineer
Data engineer
Java developer
System engineer
Data scientist
Systems administrator
Senior Java developer
.NET developer
Front-end developer
Back-end developer

What programming languages and other skills are best to learn to become a cloud engineer?

Cloud engineers typically have at least a bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology. Those in the field often have years of software development experience, working with a variety of programming languages such as Java, AngularJS, C++, and Python. Cloud engineers also often know a number of tech tools and platforms, such as SQL, Kubernetes, Spark, Hadoop, Scala, Kafka, and Redshift, according to Cloud Academy. Other useful skills include DevOps, Docker, and Linux.

Cybersecurity skills are also highly useful for cloud engineers, as 40% of IT professionals report stalling their cloud migrations due to a shortage of security expertise, according to a McAfee report.

What is the average cloud engineer salary?

Cloud engineer was one of the highest-paying tech jobs of 2018. Cloud engineers have a median base salary of $96,449, according to data from Glassdoor. The average salary of cloud engineers in the US at the time of publication was $118,586, according to Indeed.

What are the hottest markets for cloud engineer jobs?

The five US metro areas with the most open cloud computing jobs for 2019, according to Gartner TalentNeuron, are as follows:

Washington DC, Arlington-Alexandria, VA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL

What are typical cloud engineer interview questions?

Applicants for cloud engineer jobs can expect a number of different types of interview questions, including their prior experience with Cloud platforms and technologies, security issues, and collaborating with other teams.

Some questions that a cloud engineer can expect to be asked during an interview include:

What kind of projects have you been involved in where you implemented specific solutions to the cloud?
What are some of the types of security issues you've confronted or encountered in regards to cloud implementation?
What kind of relationships have you formed with cloud service providers?
What web development tools are you most proficient in? What are your favorites to use and why?
Give me an example of how you worked with other members of an IT team to solve a particular obstacle to cloud-based solutions.

Where can I find resources for a career in cloud engineering?

There are many paths to a career as a cloud engineer. While there are a few specific cloud computing degree programs, a background in computer science or IT is often required.

There are also a number of cloud certifications from vendors that can demonstrate your skillset with those vendors, including:

AWS certifications for those in Cloud Practitioner, Architect, Developer, and Operations roles, along with specialty certifications for other technical areas;
Microsoft certifications such as MCSE: Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert and MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer;
Google Cloud Platform certifications such as Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Cloud Developer, Professional Cloud Network Engineer, and Professional Cloud Security Engineer
Cisco certifications, including CCNA Cloud and CCNP Cloud).

Vendor-neutral options include the CompTIA Cloud Essentials certification and the Cloud Security Alliance's Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK).

A good place to start gaining cloud computing skills is by learning a programming language such as Java, C++, or Python. You can also look into developing a broader set of skills in networking, virtualization, and storage through your current company.

Source: HOB

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