Cloud computing is one of today’s strongest, most rapidly expanding technological career specializations. Since the field is so large already, though, is starting a career in cloud computing still a solid and future-proof decision? 

That’s the sort of question that keeps Garrett, a recent STEM graduate, up at night. Knowing that the clock is ticking before his loan payments come due, he knows he’s got to decide and fast. If he ends up starting his career in cloud computing, Garrett could be on the path to a whole host of different roles, companies, and amazing workplace experiences. 

What is Cloud Computing?

The experts at Amazon Web Services (or AWS — one of the largest existing cloud providers) officially define cloud computing as “the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet with pay-as-you-go pricing.” 

In less technological language, then: Users with a need for a lot of computing power, or who need to work with a lot of data (or both!), can purchase ‘cloud services’ to help meet their goals. These services are provided by companies like AWS, Google, Microsoft, and others, for a fee. Generally, those fees let users pay for their usage to date — kind of like your first cell phone’s data plan probably worked.

What Kind Of Jobs Can You Get With Cloud Computing? 

It turns out that you can get lots of different jobs within the cloud computing specialization. Companies almost all require cloud or cloud services at some level, so you can find opportunities like being part of a cloud operations department at a Fortune 100 company, working directly for a cloud services provider, and even more if you decide to specialize further. 

Jobs You Can Get With Cloud Computing: Engineering and Technical Roles

With a more traditional path to working in cloud computing, jobs like Cloud Engineer, Cloud Software Developer, and Cloud Architect will be the end goal. These careers can be incredibly rewarding but do require a very high level of technological skill. 

Recent graduates like Garrett, if they’re looking to attain the roles above (or similarly highly technical cloud computing jobs), would do well to pick up some basic certifications in addition to their existing STEM degrees.

One caution: Don’t go too crazy on the certifications just yet! While some people certainly do hold all 12 of the current AWS certifications, and their achievement is worthy of admiration, especially if you are new to the field, too many certifications can make you seem like you’re compensating for a lack of practical capability.

Instead of trying to cover every base, narrow your focus slightly and concentrate on just one of the three major providers. Once you’ve earned the base-level certification, you’ll understand where you can further specialize, and nothing prevents you from working on projects for your professional portfolio while you do so. 

If you want to learn more about the certifications you need to succeed in IT, including cloud computing, read our article about Best Technical Certifications for Programmers.

Jobs You Can Get With Cloud Computing: Less Technical Roles

The majority of cloud jobs are heavily technological, and so they suit the majority of STEM or STEM-adjacent disciplines fairly well. However, due to the exacting technological skillset required to be successful, there can be a ton of competition for those roles — even if the overall number of employees wanted is still high. But there are plenty of jobs you can get in cloud computing that doesn’t focus as strongly on coding.

One of the more interesting disciplines to pair with cloud computing is cloud cost management and optimization (CCMO). 

“Cloud cost management is the organizational planning that allows an enterprise to understand and manage the costs and needs associated with its cloud technology.” — VMWare 

The complex nature of cloud service provider bills as generated, in addition to the fact that a majority of FinOps practitioners still do not feel that their organizations are truly harnessing the full benefit of cloud cost management practices, belies the ease of cloud’s brightly touted pay-as-you-go billing model. 

However, if an organization can leverage FinOps properly, they can generally expect to see a cloud cost reduction of 20-30%. CCMO professionals straddle the line between business and IT, serving as a communication channel and understanding the needs of all parties. STEM-minded individuals who can “code switch” in this way are often highly sought after for the clear benefits of their dual disciplines, as well as their soft skills.

Conclusion

At first, cloud computing might not sound too particularly special or intriguing, in comparison to some of the other choices filed under the “T” in STEM. But, in true STEM fashion, let’s check out the data and forecasts for the field:

• Between 2021 and 2022, revenue for cloud infrastructure service providers reached over $190 billion.
• The cloud market as a whole has been forecast to reach $376 billion within the next decade.
• Those three cloud providers from above — AWS, Google, and Microsoft Azure? At the start of this year, they accounted for over 2/3 of the cloud market.

Based on these statistics, and knowing that the average user’s need for data is only set to increase exponentially as technology advances, Garrett feels pretty confident after having seen the hard data on whether or not a cloud computing job still makes sense. He’s off to sit for his first certification and dive into the fascinating world of cloud services — a great start for his career.

If you’re looking to build a career in cloud computing, Apply Now at PTP.

If you’re looking for best-in-class talent and experienced consulting services for your cloud computing needs visit here.

About the Company: 

Peterson Technology Partners (PTP) has partnered with some of the biggest Fortune brands to offer excellence of service and best-in-class team building for the last 25 years. 

PTP’s diverse and global team of recruiting, consulting, and project development experts specialize in a variety of IT competencies which include:  

• Cybersecurity  
• DevOps
• Cloud Computing  
• Data Science
• AI/ML
• Salesforce Optimization  
• AR/VR

Peterson Technology Partners is an equal opportunities employer. As an industry leader in IT consulting and recruitment, specializing in diversity hiring, we aim to help our clients build equitable workplaces.