How to enhance your cloud computing skills

Few areas of the IT industry have seen the same level of growth as cloud computing has over the last couple of years. Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, employers were asked to work from home. These remote workers and the companies they work for benefit from cloud computing, which has been a tool used to enable them to continue business as usual but remotely. 

As businesses become increasingly reliant on cloud-based technologies for storing and sharing data and key documents, they begin to see the value of recruiting skilled in-house Cloud Computing Engineers, to support the organisation from a cloud perspective. This is especially true for businesses that are highly reliant on the cloud for the smooth functioning of their daily business processes. 

As the demand for skilled Cloud Computing Engineers increases, many IT professionals (and those from other sectors) have looked for ways to boost their career prospects by upskilling or retraining in cloud computing as a specialism. 

In this article, we explore the career prospects of cloud computing and review the best AWS cloud computing qualifications and training courses available through e-Careers. 

Find out how to become a Cloud Computing Engineer 

What is Cloud Computing 

If you are unfamiliar with cloud computing as a concept, it is simply the creating and maintaining of systems based online (via servers) that can hold and share data. Once uploaded, the data is stored in ‘the cloud’, where it can be retrieved by other users with access. One of the main benefits of utilising cloud technology is that it prevents employees from having to save documents to their computer desktops, where they could easily be lost. 

Another benefit of cloud computing is that documents can be uploaded and then edited by other users on the cloud. This makes collaborative working easy- something which is especially crucial when large numbers of professionals are working remotely from home. For this reason, cloud computing is an excellent way to increase efficiency and save time. 

The security associated with the cloud is another reason why so many companies now rely on cloud computing for their work processes. The cloud is more secure than traditional networks that can be vulnerable to hackers. Overall, cloud computing is generally an efficient and secure way of working for companies and is especially vital for teams working remotely.

However, cloud computing is not fail-safe as there are some risks, such as the threat of data being leaked by hackers. However, for many companies, the cloud is a safe way of storing company data and is no riskier than relying on non-cloud solutions. 

Find out how to stay connected through Zoom while working remotely. 

AWS courses and training 

Amazon Web Services (AWS) training and certifications offer cloud-based expertise delivered by Amazon. For learners, AWS claims to: 

“Build credibility and confidence by validating their cloud expertise with an industry-recognised credential”.  

Millions of companies now rely on Amazon Web Services for their cloud-based computing system. Anyone looking to gain skills in the field of cloud computing should consider taking the official AWS certifications. 

Below are the professional Amazon Web Services courses available through e-Careers: 

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
• AWS Cloud Computing Job Academy Programme 

The different levels of cloud-based certifications mean that you can increase your knowledge of cloud computing and work your way towards attaining expert knowledge of cloud-based systems.  

If you are new to the industry or have entry-level IT qualifications, you are best suited to start at the Cloud Practitioner level before finding work in junior Cloud Computing roles. You can then look to take your Solutions Architect Associate. Once you have worked at this level for a few years, you can look to take the Solutions Architect Professional training. 

Typical Cloud Computing jobs by experience level 

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 

•    AWS Cloud Engineer - £63k
•    AWS Cloud Practitioner - £65k
•    AWS Cloud Architect - £83k 

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate 

•    Software Engineer - £56k
•    Cloud Engineer - £60k
•    Solutions Architect - £75k
•    AWS Certified Solutions Architect - £90k 

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional 

•    AWS Certified Solutions Architect - £90k
•    AWS Certified Senior Solutions Architect – Up to £140k 

(Source: Payscale) 

Cloud Computing career prospects 

As we have previously explained, cloud computing is a rapidly growing sector of the IT industry, for IT engineers. As such, cloud computing courses are now in high demand, with many IT professionals looking to study AWS courses to get into this growing market.   

With remote workers at an all-time high, it could be argued that the future of cloud computing is set to boom compared with other sectors. Most companies now rely on cloud-based technology, which means many businesses rely on cloud computing experts to help them to manage their cloud-based systems.  

Amazon Web Services certifications provide specific career paths into Cloud Computing, so you can work towards your ideal role as a Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect.

Want to find out more? Join us on our FREE AWS Cloud Computing Job Assist Event, to see if a career in Cloud Computing is right for you. If you’re ready to get started, contact us today to speak with one of our Cloud Computing course advisors.