My Journey to a Career in Cloud Computing ?

A lot of folks in my LinkedIn connection were asking me how to start their Cloud journey and were curious to know about how I transition into the cloud. In this article, I will share information about how I prepared for cloud computing.

Quick intro,?? I am Sri Kumar Padmanabhan, I work as a Technical Account Manager at Google Cloud ? Prior to Google, I worked as a Support engineer at Atlassian and Dell EMC .

As you already know Cloud computing is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, and the demand for skilled cloud professionals is high. If you're considering a career transition to cloud computing, there are a few key things you need to learn.

Cloud computing fundamentals ?

First, you need to develop a strong understanding of cloud computing fundamentals. This includes concepts like:

• What is cloud computing?
• What are the different types of cloud computing services/ providers available?
• What is a VM and a Container when to use both?
• What is microservice architecture and how it is different from monolithic architecture?
• What are the benefits of using cloud computing?
• What are the security and compliance considerations for cloud computing?
• Difference between IAAS, PAAS, SAAS, etc

You can learn about cloud computing fundamentals through online courses, books, and tutorials.

? Below are the resources I used:

1. YouTube Channels: Google Cloud Tech, The Cloud Girl, IBM Technologies
2. Try Free Courses and Labs from Google Cloud Skills Boost
3. For the Paid course, Check out Udemy they have some good courses.

Cloud computing platforms ??

Once you have a good understanding of cloud computing fundamentals, you need to choose a cloud computing platform to focus on. The three major cloud computing platforms are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it's important to choose one that is a good fit for your career goals. For example, if you're interested in machine learning, GCP is a good choice. If you're interested in enterprise applications, Azure is a good choice.

You can learn about different cloud computing platforms through the providers' own websites and documentation. There are also many online courses and tutorials available.

It's always good to know about the differences between the top three Cloud providers, be it key products, Pricing, limitations, etc this will help in your interview to talk about different cloud providers and their solutions.

Cloud computing skills??

In addition to cloud computing fundamentals and knowledge of a specific cloud computing platform, you also need to develop cloud computing skills. These skills will vary depending on the specific role you're interested in, but some common cloud computing skills include:

• Cloud Infrastructure management
• Cloud Security
• Cloud networking
• Cloud application development
• Cloud Data management
• Cloud AI/ML ( Gen AI is a new skill added under this AI/ML portfolio, Try to see if this is of interest to you)

You can develop cloud computing skills through online courses, boot camps, cloud contests, and on-the-job experience. Many cloud computing providers also offer their own training and certification programs.

Myth Busters ??

A lot of folks commonly ask me this question on Linkedin, Do you need Cloud certification to get a Job in Cloud or Google Cloud?

The answer depends on the role you are applying for, When I was interviewing for the TAM role in Google Cloud, I didn't have any cloud certification. I got my first cloud certification after joining Google.

So I would recommend checking with the recruiter if they are looking for any certification on the cloud for the role or if just cloud knowledge is enough. Also if your current company has a learning budget, I recommend using it to get certified.

Networking with other cloud professionals??

Another important step in making a career transition to cloud computing is to network with other cloud professionals. You can do this by attending cloud computing community meetups ( virtual and in-person) and conferences, following cloud professionals on social media, and connecting with them on LinkedIn.

Networking with other cloud professionals can help you learn about new job opportunities, get advice from experienced cloud professionals, and build your reputation in the cloud community.

Conclusion ??

Making a career transition to cloud computing can be a challenging but rewarding experience. By learning the necessary skills and knowledge, building your cloud computing portfolio, and networking with other cloud professionals, you can increase your chances of success.

All the best ????