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How to improve cloud computing skills

By Lumify Learn Team | June 3, 2022

With its ability to strengthen remote work, save on on-premise infrastructure costs; and provide scalable, secure, and cost-effective data solutions – it’s no wonder cloud computing’s taking the IT world by storm.

Statistics show that worldwide spending on the tech is set to grow by 20.4% this year, reaching a total of $494.7 billion USD (710.73 billion AUD). In Australia alone, spending is expected to reach $18.7 billion, a 17.6% increase from the previous year.

The trends are unsurprising, considering growing demand for flexible, remote work options in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this field is only set to expand, along with the need for those with the right industry skills and talents.

If you’re currently building experience in the cloud sector – or looking to step foot in the field, below are a few tips to help improve your cloud computing skills.

Consider getting certified

To stand out among employers, having a certification (or a few) under your belt can help you keep ahead of competition. Such qualifications verify your expertise on the job market, ensuring companies that your skills are reliable, industry standard, and up-to-date.

Though there are plenty of cloud providers that offer certification, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) currently lead the market. These providers are popularly adopted by enterprises worldwide, making their certifications internationally sought after.

Getting qualified under these names are not only bound to sharpen your skills, but will surely catch the attention of employers and – given that they offer some of the highest-paying IT certificates – can give your salary potential a significant boost.

Learn how to manage integrated environments

With different cloud platforms having their different strengths, most businesses will likely rely on multiple cloud services. Cloud computing professionals with the ability to manage data integration across different platforms or applications (i.e. data from multiple vendors) are thus highly valued by employers, allowing them to optimise the potential of a multi-cloud environment.

A multi-cloud approach additionally provides businesses with backup options, if one cloud service faces downtime or performance issues.

Such skills are also particularly helpful among organisations relying on cloud services alongside their own onsite legacy applications, allowing them to maintain a balance of both cloud and on-premise technology.

Build on your database skills

Effective cloud computing relies on a thorough knowledge of databases, including database programming, security, and analysis.

Databases in the cloud can vary greatly in size – with some better suited for large files and others optimised for quick data access and transaction processing. It’s thus recommended to familiarise yourself with different database types, as this can help you determine which ones best fit specific business needs.

With data creation expanding by the day, cloud computing professionals are also increasingly looked to for skills in accessing, storing, and managing such information. You may also wish to sharpen your knowledge of database querying languages to meet this skill demand; a few popular “advanced” languages include MySQL, Hadoop, and MongoDB.

Get trained in cybersecurity

Data security is often cited by businesses as a primary reason for adopting cloud services, though with cyber crimes rising by the year, it pays to further your skills in the field as a cloud computing professional.

Not only does one need to secure data files on the cloud, but also the applications that store such files, along with the servers that run these applications. Additionally, any devices connected to the cloud must be secured in the case of transmitting sensitive data files and information.

By training or even getting certified in cybersecurity, you’ll bolster your knowledge as a cloud specialist as well as build your skills in another rising, highly-demanded ICT field.

Get familiar with DevOps

Also known as “developmental operations”, DevOps refers to the collaboration of the development and operations teams throughout a software’s entire lifecycle. With this practice, these departments no longer work in siloes, and instead are merged into a single team – overseeing each stage together from planning to maintenance.

The cloud plays a key role in making this process run as efficiently as possible; allowing easy file-sharing, simultaneous development, and the ability to test or prototype solutions in simulated environments. Some of these processes can even be automated, helping free up the team workload and boosting overall productivity.

Understanding the nature and benefits of DevOps can bolster your cloud computing career, helping you design or configure cloud platforms for such practices.

Learn effective cloud deployment and migration

As Australian businesses increase spending on cloud computing solutions, those with the skills to effectively migrate on-premise IT systems will also experience a rise in demand. Cloud professionals will not only need to know efficient methods of data migration, but also effective ways of securing and maintaining the integrity of such information. Such methods must also be implemented while minimising business downtime.

Existing and aspiring cloud experts are thus encouraged to get familiar with all leading cloud providers (AWS, Azure, and GCP), equipping them with the skills to manage data migration across all three popular platforms. You’ll broaden both your career opportunities in the field as well as boost your value in any given business (particularly if they decide to adopt or migrate to different cloud services).

Sharpen your leadership skills

Finally, it’s important to arm yourself with soft skills in leadership and business management. The most valued cloud experts are not only expected to know the technicalities of data migration, cyber security, databases, and DevOps – but are also often relied on to helm an organisation’s move to the cloud.

This includes taking the right business factors into account when determining cloud investments (i.e. cloud service type, infrastructure, and software-as-a-service options), analysing potential ROI, and working with the necessary departments to determine the best strategy for cloud migration.

As such, cloud professionals succeed best with excellent communication skills, foresight, and people management.

Looking to start a career in cloud computing?

With a growing demand for skill and a limited pool of available talent, Australia’s cloud computing industry offers an abundance of high-paying employment opportunities for those looking to step foot in the field.

Those looking to kickstart their skills today can dive into Lumify Learn’s Cloud Computing Certified Professional course, a boot camp program focused on exploring the essentials of such platforms. Students will learn to make cloud-related business decisions, navigate cloud security, and understand the nature of such environments through certifications under all three leading providers: AWS, Microsoft Azure, and GCP.

Best of all, the course is delivered online, helping you flexibly train according to your specific needs and schedule.

Launch a career in the cloud today – and enquire with us on a course.

Lumify Learn offers a wide range of courses: