Cloud computing is in every part of our business and personal life, and it’s not going anywhere. Many companies are hunting for competent and experienced employees with cloud computing skills in several fields due to gaps in IT expertise among their teams.
Businesses need to provide digital services fast. If your team isn’t ready, growth won’t happen.
This includes the areas of engineering, programming, database management, development, security, and analytics. Also, cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) are now the most in-demand tech expertise.
You don’t want to find your business playing catch up with the increasing demand for employees with cloud computing skills. So, do you want to know what skillsets are trending in the current IT climate? Read on to learn about nine cloud computing skills employers need in 2022 and beyond!
1. Cloud Service Platform Experts
As an employer, your ideal cloud specialist should be eager to learn everything they can about the cloud service platform (or CSP) market.
Skilled employees must know about the three major public cloud computing platforms. These are AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Digital Ocean, IBM, and Alibaba Cloud are other organizations that offer cloud platforms.
OpenStack and Apache CloudStack are two open-source technology systems used by companies and CSPs alike. They provide public and private cloud services.
Determining which providers offer the best choice for hosting different applications is necessary. It’s also important to know how to run various types of workflows.
You will want your team to identify the advantages and disadvantages of each one. At the same time, they will need to choose the best solution for a given situation. Each of the top cloud services has its advantages, and each cloud service provider has its unique pricing structure.
2. Programming Languages
Employees that build, deploy, and manage cloud apps need to be familiar with common programming languages. They also need the skills to write code.
Java, JavaScript, and Python are three popular programming languages that are well-suited for cloud-based services. SQL and data structure knowledge is necessary for developing database-driven applications.
3. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
APIs are used in both on-premises and cloud software development. APIs allow different services and apps to communicate with one another.
APIs are used in the cloud to build, link, and integrate diverse workloads. As a cloud expert, they must know how to code these APIs and the bridges that connect workloads to the cloud. REST and GraphQL are the most often used APIs on the cloud.
4. Database Management
Data management is one of the most used app services in the cloud. It provides businesses with the benefits of improved speed and performance, increased storage capacity and improved access and integration capabilities.
Database services are available from all main cloud providers. This includes relational databases, NoSQL databases, graph databases, and data warehouses. A cloud professional will need to understand different database types, as well as knowing how they work and what they enable.
5. Network Management
In the cloud, it’s vital to understand networking fundamentals. Establishing connectivity across resources and places is critical knowledge to have.
Cloud resources are connected to on-premise sites via secure connections, allowing businesses to set up services like virtual private networks.
Virtual networks are used in diverse ways in cloud workload operations. They offer networking connectivity between resources, in multi-cloud deployments, and also across clouds. Getting all this work done requires the cloud networking skills of experienced IT employees.
6. Development and Operations (DevOps)
The days of operations support and developers working in separate divisions are long gone. The process of aligning and integrating development and operations throughout the entire software development and application service chain is called DevOps.
This includes design, development, and production support. This method decreases application time to market and eliminates needless bottlenecks. CI/CD services in the cloud, observability, and monitoring for operations are all popular DevOps workflows.
7. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Cloud computing experts should study the principles of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Much activity gets done in cloud environments without a lot of human interaction. Machine learning and AI expertise are among the most valuable and in-demand technical skills today.
Most public cloud platforms offer machine learning and AI services. These services help in the development of new capabilities by reducing some of the simpler and more repetitive tasks.
8. Cloud Security
Security is a critical function in cloud computing systems, as it is in any other IT environment. Access management and identity are key in cloud service. Having the required skills to manage and operate them is critical. It’s also necessary to protect personal identifying information stored in the cloud.
The cost of a loss or compromise of personal customer data or a firm’s intellectual property can be devastating for companies. The need for cybersecurity talent now far outnumbers the supply. With the rise of cloud computing technologies, this trend will grow.
9. Data and Application Migration
Moving a software application from a data center to a cloud environment is harder than copying files from one server and transferring them. This refers to a lift-and-shift strategy. On-premises apps often have software and hardware needs that don’t translate very well to the cloud.
Because the cloud is a dynamic environment, a full review must be performed before any cloud migration. A top cloud expert will thoroughly analyze each application’s criteria. They will also collaborate with relevant parties to determine the best path ahead.
Is Your Team’s Cloud Computing Skills Where They Need to Be?
With the growing need for expert cloud technologists, it’s more important than ever to find talent with the right combination of skills. Also, these team members must be interested in continuing their education to sharpen their cloud skills and expand their knowledge of the ever-increasing cloud industry.
Mitchell Martin’s cloud and cyber division can help you find the top talent for your growing team! Contact us and let us know how we can help.