Cloud Engineer Skills You Must Learn In 2022

Always wondered what the right skills to become an excellent cloud engineer are? Here comes an end to your curiosity. Read on!

Introduction To Cloud Engineer Skills

The cloud computing model delivers computing resources on-demand – that is, through the Internet – such as data storage, compute power and data processing. It means that the users will be able to access, on-demand and remotely, their platforms, databases, and Software, thus reducing the processing power and memory of the individual computers. 

Cloud computing is providing cloud services over the Internet instead of delivering a company’s infrastructure such as data centres and allocating resources on its own, which results in a higher overall cost. There has been a massive growth in cloud computing in recent years resulting in a surge in employment opportunities worldwide. This segment has a market size of 371.5 billion dollars and will continue to grow significantly in the coming years.

It is no secret that technology giants like Amazon, Google, IBM, and Microsoft are investing enormously in cloud engineer salaries and hiring cloud engineers in cloud computing jobs and experts worldwide to build their cloud infrastructure. Cloud technology has quickly advanced, giving rise to flexibility, profits, and scalability thanks to the rapid technological advancements. Consequently, more researchers, scholars, engineers, computer scientists, and practitioners from around the world are attracted to the industry. It is time to take a look at the cloud engineer skills required and how you may be able to qualify!

In the process of migrating to cloud services, cloud engineers are required to know all aspects of the transition to cloud infrastructure. In general, there are three different types of cloud services:

• A service that provides access to business applications on-demand is often referred to as Software as a Service (SaaS). 
• PaaS is a method for deploying applications on the Cloud using a web-based service and a platform. 
• Many cloud solutions offer storage as part of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). 

Cloud computing has transformed business operations, which is why cloud engineers should have the necessary business and technical skills. 

Cloud Computing: Scope of Application

Cloud computing has slowly become the new business standard for storing and managing data. Gartner recently released a report that revealed that more than a third of organisations see cloud investment as a top priority. As of 2022, IDC estimates over a million jobs will be created in the Indian cloud computing industry. 

Cloud infrastructures have also transformed the healthcare industry. By synchronising medical records, the technology simplifies the operations of medical facilities and improves the management of healthcare services.

In addition to job opportunities in management, user support, development, and analysis, other roles are also available. For instance, cyber security is another critical area. There has been an increase in the need for security-enhanced cloud environments due to growing concerns regarding the lack of integrity and safety of cloud servers. 

There are many different career paths and cloud computing jobs, such as Cloud Software Engineer, Cloud Enterprise Architect, Cloud Infrastructure Engineer, and much more. Each of these positions requires you to possess specific types of cloud engineering skills.

What are the benefits of learning cloud computing?

Having a reason for wanting to learn the cloud is vital before you begin your journey. When and why is the cloud becoming more popular? The risk of poor understanding of the cloud and its services is high as many people jump right into cloud study without understanding the basics. 

Due to its advanced topic, cloud computing is an advanced topic that requires grit and persistence on your part. You must have an attainable goal and a strong motivation to achieve it. It could be because leading tech companies have rapidly adopted it, which means its market will grow rapidly over the next decade. Additionally, cloud engineers may be paid well based on their experience and expertise. 

Cloud Engineer Skills Required

Some general skills required for cloud engineers are:

• Technical Skills: An understanding of HTML and a basic understanding of computing concepts is a must
• Business Concepts: Cloud engineers must be familiar with business concepts such as return on investment, marketing strategies, and business plans. 
• Data Security: In addition to data security, cloud computing also focuses on the protection of network connections, which is why employers prefer candidates with knowledge of network security. 
• Project Management: It is crucial to thoroughly understand risk management, service agreements, and how they relate to other processes.
• Data Analysis: How to efficiently use ERP systems and handle huge data volumes. 

Now, look at the various cloud engineer skill sets in more detail.

1. Linux: 

The Linux operating system is an open-source system customisable to meet the needs of businesses. Among many reasons this Software has taken over the web in recent years is the ease with which one can share the results without having to initiate permission. Increasingly, companies are using Linux to develop their internal technologies, and almost all aspects of our lives have adapted to the Linux operating system. Most of the websites and applications you see on the Internet today are Linux-based. 

Thus, the cloud engineer must be capable of designing, administrating, and maintaining Linux-based servers. A Linux Foundation Certified Systems Administrator (LFCS) is a certification you can consider obtaining to showcase your skills to potential employers for cloud computing jobs.

2. Programming Skills: 

Undoubtedly, developers are an integral part of cloud computing. Additionally, the ability to speak various programming languages is a prerequisite for developing web-based applications. It is imperative to understand that languages like PHP, Java, and .NET are instrumental in unlocking the potential of cloud computing. As well as these traditional languages, several new programming languages have also emerged in recent years, like Python and Ruby. In the context of the current market conditions, it would not be out of place to state that cloud infrastructures and cloud programming skills are opening new horizons for developers.

3. Networking: 

There is a trend among high-tech workplaces to integrate network management services into the Cloud. Undoubtedly, the development in this area is primarily due to improved internet access and bandwidth availability. A solid understanding of virtual networks can be beneficial to ensuring responsive networks. Further, cloud engineers should also focus on making the process as easy as possible for end-users. If you are thorough with the cloud networking fundamentals, you will no doubt be able to accomplish this task in no time.

4. Cloud service providers: 

As a beginner in Cloud Computing, you cannot get started without being able to understand what the different Cloud Service providers do and how they do it. There is an increasing need for cloud engineers to possess skills in various areas of cloud computing since most cloud service providers provide end-to-end solutions like compute, storage, databases, ML, and migration. Hence, they cover almost everything in the field, making it a vital cloud engineering skill.

There are many available to choose from, and it is vital to choose at least one. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and IBM Cloud are the top players in the cloud computing market. As a market leader, AWS holds the top position in the market and is known for specialising in a particular area. 

With Azure being a Microsoft product, it is easier to integrate it with almost all of the products from the Microsoft stack. It is no secret that Google Cloud Platform and OpenStack enjoy a stranglehold on the big data and software development markets. The choice of one or more cloud engineer skills would depend on the business needs and the requirements.

You can use each service provider for a certain period at no charge, which is typically enough to get you started and have good hands-on practice.

5. Using APIs and web services: 

APIs and web services heavily rely upon the integration of all the applications on the Internet using the cloud infrastructure. XML, SOAP, WSDL, etc., are some examples of open standards that are used to enable data to be transferred, described, and listed as services. It is essential to understand these fundamentals to maximise your chances of a smooth journey in the Cloud.

Once you have mastered this skill and gained some experience with this technology, you can take various cloud certification exams, which will help you validate your new skillset. As a result, you will be able to obtain a well-paying cloud computing job.

6. Security & Disaster Recovery: 

Data, applications, and infrastructures that are part of cloud computing can be protected through cloud security. The concept is similar to what is used for on-premise security architectures. However, the fact that everything is moving to the cloud means that one must learn how to use the Cloud effectively.

Regardless of the computing environment, cloud security includes ensuring that adequate preventive measures are adhered to, such as the following:

• Feeling confident that your data and systems are secure.
• Tracking the current security status of your plans.
• Being prepared to address any unexpected events that might occur.

If you are interested in operations, then I can tell you that understanding Security and Disaster Recovery will prove immensely useful to you as a Cloud Engineer or Cloud Administrator. There are several methodologies central to running a software application in the Cloud, as well as cloud engineer skills that will get you a lucrative job.

7. Virtualisation: 

As a result of virtualisation software, many users have been able to reduce their hardware assets or perform better with their existing hardware assets by running several “virtual machines” side by side on the same hardware, simulating different components of their IT systems.

In order to make scalable, fault-tolerant, resource-efficient resources available to organisations, virtualisation plays a significant role. In order to have a successful transition to Serverless Computing, it would be helpful if you have any experience in virtualisation or working knowledge of services like virtual machines, Amazon EC2, and Lambda. As a result, it has become one of the most sought cloud engineers’ skills.

8. Containers: 

As a result of containerisation, applications can be abstracted from the environment they are running, allowing them to be packaged logically. Decoupling container-based applications from the underlying infrastructure will enable them to be deployed quickly and consistently, regardless of whether they happen to be deployed in a private data centre, public cloud, or even on a developer’s laptop. As a result, understanding how popular containers like Kubernetes and Docker work will make your cloud engineer skills resume, leading you one step further in the cloud sector and the software industry as a whole.

9. DevOps: 

There is no question that if you are a software engineer or a systems administrator, you are no stranger to the constant issues these people face when working in different environments. Bringing Development and Operations together under the guise of DevOps eases the work dependencies between the two teams and fills in the gap between what both teams do.

Depending on your perspective, these cloud engineer skills may seem a bit out of place on this list. On the other hand, this approach to development has made its mark on the industry. Many Cloud Service Providers offer DevOps services, and AWS is one of them, making it a great skill to have to perform AWS DevOps.

10. Database skills: 

Every day, millions of gigabytes of data are generated in the digital age we live in today. Further, modern organisations are becoming increasingly interested in gaining insights from the mounds of data available in the marketplace. It is essential to store, manage, and access the information in the Cloud, a convenient and cost-efficient way to accomplish this. A significant advantage of this technology is that it allows users to store colossal amounts of data and access them on-demand from numerous connected devices. As well as reducing the dependency on local hard drives, cloud storage enables fast deployments and allows data to be archived. 

Understanding how cloud storages work is one of the most important skills you can learn as a cloud engineer. When it comes to managing cloud databases, it is instrumental in knowing querying languages like MySQL and Hadoop from the perspective of cloud database management and cloud infrastructures.

Conclusion

A cloud engineer must have a deep understanding of every skill mentioned above, which is something you can do by becoming an expert in this field.

If you have the skills listed above in your arsenal, you will be well on your way to becoming a successful cloud engineer. It is in your best interest if you are entering the industry, picking up some cloud engineer skills so that you can truly shine in your chosen field of cloud computing!