Companies of all sizes are increasingly adopting cloud technology. A survey conducted by IDG, involving 550 technology decision makers revealed that 73% of companies have already adopted cloud technology and 17% plan to do so in the next one year. With cloud computing expanding rapidly, there has been a spike in demand for cloud computing experts. The 2018 IDG Cloud Computing study further revealed that cloud migration has led to creation of new roles and functions within the IT department. So, for IT professionals with the right skill set or recent graduates, cloud computing industry is the place to be!

Kind of Roles

All traditional IT functions like software development and database administration can be done in the cloud. They are done in a bit different way. So, the job roles in cloud computing are similar to those in traditional IT. Roles like software developer, network engineer, database administrator, infrastructure engineer, systems engineer, and enterprise architect are available in cloud computing domain too. Responsibilities of traditional IT roles are somewhat different from the corresponding cloud computing roles. For example, traditional network engineers are expected to know about firewalls, switches and routers. But cloud network engineers focus on network design. So, with a little training, seasoned IT professionals can shift to cloud computing roles.

Skills

Here is a list of skills for cloud computing jobs.

• Database Languages: Cloud platforms are highly scalable so they are extensively used to host databases. So knowledge of database languages and platforms is essential for career in this field. SQL is the most prevalent language in cloud computing. MySQL, MongoDB, or Hadoop are other options.


• Coding Skills: Python, Perl, and Ruby are some popular programming languages in the cloud computing domain. Python is a good starting point to start building cloud programming skills. With the advent of Jakarta EE, Java too has joined the league of cloud friendly programming languages. PHP and .NET too are popular.


• Linux: Over a quarter of cloud servers power Axure, which is Linux based. As Microsoft continues to tap the open source market, this share will only increase. So, IT professionals who can design, build, administer and maintain cloud-based Linux servers are in high demand.


• Cloud Platforms:  For an IT architect or a software developer, understanding the cloud technology is the first step towards working with it. Amazon Web Services being the largest player in the cloud computing market can be the starting point. However, most of the companies are opting for multi cloud strategy.  So, employers would look forward to people who know their way around Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure too. IBM, Verizon, HP, OpenStack, and CenturyaLink are the next options.


• Security: Cloud platforms come with their share of security threats. So companies need people who can devise ways to enhance the security of cloud-based environments.  Experts in cloud security are imperative for any company.

As more and more companies migrate to cloud, plethora of opportunities are being created. Survey reports are restating that some cloud computing jobs are the best paid jobs in the IT industry. Taking up relevant certifications is a quick way to pick up the necessary skills and land a job.