How to Become a Cloud Engineer: The Ultimate Career Guide

With businesses moving their operations online and cloud computing advancing at a fast pace, cloud engineering has become a highly sought-after profession. According to Glassdoor, the average annual salary of a cloud engineer in the United States is USD 151,960. Needless to say, cloud engineering is a lucrative career choice. If you are wondering how to become a cloud engineer, this article will give you step-by-step guidance to help you along the journey. 

What is a Cloud Engineer?

Cloud engineers are IT experts in charge of operating cloud infrastructure. They are responsible for developing, maintaining, managing, troubleshooting, and client support related to cloud technology. They work with other teams in the organization to resolve issues and migrate computer systems to private, public, or hybrid cloud-based platforms. Cloud engineers have several career paths, including the following: 

• Cloud Architect: Specialists who design and implement cloud solutions
• Cloud Developers: Specialists who create software and application on the cloud 
• Cloud Network Engineer: Specialists who design, implement, and manage network architectures in the cloud 
• Cloud Administrator: Specialists who develop and maintain cloud computing services 
• Cloud Security Engineer: Specialists who build and implement a secure infrastructure in the cloud environment

ALSO READ: What a Good Cloud Engineer Salary Package Should be and Why

How to Become a Cloud Engineer

Step 1: Get the Education You Need

Educational qualifications such as a Bachelor’s degree in cloud computing or related majors like computer science, information technology, and database management can help you build the necessary foundational knowledge and prepare you for the job. 

Step 2: Gain Relevant Skills and Experience

A helpful way to gain professional expertise is through hands-on work experience. Try applying for internships in relevant fields to get insights into the profession and prepare accordingly. 

Step 3: Consider Online Courses

Online courses are a time- and cost-effective way to advance your career. They are immensely beneficial to honing your coding and technical skills.

Step 4: Work on Projects and Build Your Cloud Engineering Portfolio

After gaining the knowledge and skills, you can apply them to independent projects. This helps build your portfolio and demonstrate your skills to recruiters.

Step 5: Connect With Others in the Industry

Networking within the field can help improve your knowledge and skills. By connecting with others, you can seek help, work in collaboration, receive feedback, get job referrals, and learn about career opportunities.

Step 6: Ask for Someone to Mentor You

Mentors can have a great influence on your profession. Find a mentor with long-term experience in the field who can provide valuable feedback and guidance. 

Step 7: Apply for Entry Level Jobs

Once you have covered all the above steps, it’s time to start looking for entry-level job opportunities. 

What Skills Must a Cloud Engineer Have?

If you want to know how to become a cloud engineer, these are some of the hard and soft skills you need to master.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced programming language, including Java, Python, SQL, PHP, and .NET
• Knowledge of cloud service providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, IBM, and Google Cloud Platform
• Understanding of the Linux operating system 
• Knowledge of database management and storage 
• Familiarity with Containerization tools, including Docker or Kubernetes
• Understanding of virtualization 
• Knowledge of network and network management 
• Understanding the development and operations skills (DevOps) framework 
• Good grasp of web service and application programming interface (API)
• Working knowledge of cybersecurity 

Soft Skills

1. Problem-solving: Excellent problem-solving skills are necessary as cloud engineers are required to solve problems frequently.
2. Communication: Effective communication is part of the job role for cloud engineers as they work with other teams and clients to provide a solution.
3. Project management: Cloud engineers pros also manage projects, this the ability to deliver high-quality projects on budget and time is vital for career growth. 
4. Leadership: Cloud engineers should be good leaders to make sure their team has guidance, support, and tools to achieve their goals. 
5. Zeal to keep learning: Cloud engineers should keep learning and updating their knowledge. 

ALSO READ: Wondering How to Effectively Measure Soft Skills? This Guide Can Help!

Do You Need a Degree to Be a Cloud Engineer?

Although it is not a requirement, earning a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in cloud computing or a related field can give a competitive advantage. Alternatively, you can also pursue online certification to equip yourself with the necessary knowledge and credentials. 

What Does a Cloud Engineer Do Every Day?

Here are some of the roles and responsibilities of a cloud engineer: 

• Building a cloud software application
• Overseeing cloud technology of the organization
• Moving computer system to cloud platform
• Updating cloud storage for the organization’s data 
• Adopting cloud-based applications 
• Monitoring and managing cloud applications and infrastructure
• Fixing issues and assisting non-technical audience
• Working with other teams to provide solutions and implement security measures in the cloud 

Benefits of Taking an Online Course

To sharpen your skills and become an ace cloud engineer, you should consider investing in coding or cloud computing courses. Among its various benefits, online courses provide structured learning, flexibility to learn at your own pace, opportunities to network with peers, and get guidance from experts. 

How Can Emeritus Help You Become a Cloud Engineer?

Cloud engineers should continuously upskill or reskill to stay at the top of their field. Online courses can be an ideal choice to master your skills. If you wish to move forward with online learning, check out Emeritus’ wide range of technology courses taught by experts from the world’s best universities. 

Hope this guide on how to become a cloud engineer helps you make a career plan to work towards making your dreams a reality! 

Written by Krati Joshi

Write to us at content@emeritus.org

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