The top 10 skills you need to be a Cloud Engineer in 2023

By 2025, 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms, against 30% in 2021. Companies accelerated their migration to the cloud when the pandemic hit in 2019, and employers were forced to adopt a remote working style. Three years later, this has shown no signs of slowing down, companies continue to invest in cloud computing and skilled IT and tech professionals.

The demand for Cloud Engineers has increased by 227% in the past two years and will only continue growing as companies continue to develop their cloud technologies.

We’ve put together a list of the top 10 cloud engineering skills that will help you get hired in 2023.

1. Knowledge of Cloud Services

There are three main public cloud computing platforms that you need to be aware of as a Cloud Engineer. Which one you use will depend on your employer, but if you have knowledge of all three of these platforms you will become more attractive to recruiters and hiring managers. The three main platforms are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Each cloud service provider offers a training course to help you understand their platform and gain the skills you need to get a job working for a company that uses their system.

• Find AWS jobs here
• Find Azure jobs here
• Find GCP jobs here

2. Development and Operations Skills (DevOps)

DevOps is a popular framework for Cloud Engineers, so it is important to understand DevOps best practices and some of the tools used. For example, it is important to be aware of Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD), which is the automation of software development and deployment which helps avoid bugs and code failures. You can use a number of tools to help with this process including Jenkins, Azure, and Docker.

3. Networking

Many Cloud Engineers help with the migration of moving company networks from in-house to public, private, or hybrid cloud platforms. To be able to assist with this you need an understanding of how to implement, configure, maintain, and support cloud networks. As a Cloud Engineer, you could also be asked to help with identifying and resolving network issues.

4. Programming Languages

As a Cloud Engineer, you need to have knowledge of various programming languages including SQL, Python, and Java. Programming languages enable you to write code and build, deploy and manage applications. These are just a few of the many programming languages you can learn, make sure you read the job description to see if the company specifies a preferred language.

5. Knowledge of Containers

Containers are used in cloud computing to package up all the elements needed to run software in any environment, so you don’t have to worry about platform compatibility. Once the software is containerized it is easier to migrate to the cloud. Cloud Engineers use particular tools to help with the process, including Docker or Kubernetes. Therefore, an understanding of these tools will make you stand out from the competition.

6. Knowledge of Operating Systems

All clouds require an operating system, and the most popular one used is Linux. As well as being open-sourced, Linux is free to use and considered one of the most secure operating systems.

7. Understanding of Databases

As a Cloud Engineer, you will also need to help companies migrate their database onto the cloud. Therefore, you need knowledge of data storage and data migration. Before the cloud, many companies stored their databases in a physical centre, which is costly. Moving to the cloud means there is no physical limit to the amount of data you can store, it also saves companies money as they are not investing in servers or data storage devices.

8. Cloud Security

It is important for all Cloud Engineers to understand cloud security as businesses need to protect their data and customer data in the cloud, avoiding potential data leaks and cyber-attacks. As there are different cloud service providers, there are also different cloud security protocols for each platform. So, it is best to look into cloud security courses, depending on which service provider on whom you are focusing.

9. Communication Skills

Whilst there are many valuable technical skills needed to be a Cloud Engineer, you also need soft skills in order to thrive in your career. Communication is incredibly important as you will need to be able to explain concepts to a group of people who might not be familiar with the technical terms. Cloud Engineers that have strong communication skills will also be able to provide solutions to troubleshooting problems and work collaboratively on projects with other Engineers.

10. Critical Thinking Skills

As a Cloud Engineer, you will be faced daily with problems, where you will need to think of the best possible solution. You need to think creatively to help your employer save money, save time, and do things efficiently. Day to day your critical thinking skills will be tested through troubleshooting issues, testing, and debugging cloud integrations, understanding risk mitigation with cloud security, and continuous strategy planning through optimisation of the cloud network.

Cloud computing is one of the fastest-growing tech sectors in the world due to the number of companies moving their business processes to the cloud. If you enjoy DevOps, IT security, and daily problem solving then this is the career for you.

Find all our Cloud Engineer jobs here