How to start a cloud computing career with a non-IT background?

Gone are the days when one had to have a degree in IT to become an IT professional. We are living in an era where all you need is a zeal to learn, and you are sorted to get into the profession you want. Are you someone who has no technical background, but wants to start a career in Cloud Computing? Well, don’t worry! Keep reading and you will know how to make a career in cloud computing irrespective of your background.

The way cloud computing is growing, it’s not surprising that you also want to start a career in cloud computing. According to Precedence Research, this industry is going to cross around USD 1614.10 billion by 2030. So, this is the best time to learn cloud computing and make a career even if you are from a non-IT background. The cloud computing sector is rewarding and lucrative, rapidly growing and you first need to find your orientation and a clear path to start with. After deciding on the job role you have to learn the fundamental concepts and understand the practical use cases of cloud implementation. Don’t worry! We will discuss the various cloud computing job roles in this blog. Now let’s discuss the steps to start a career in cloud computing with a non-IT background. Following are the skills you will start your learning with.

1. Basic understanding of Operating Systems (OS)
2. Knowledge of Computer Network
3. What is Virtualization and why do we need it?
4. Explore in-demand skills and choose one.
5. Get cloud certification
6. Get a project-based internship/work experience

Let’s discuss them one by one.

1. Basic understanding of Operating Systems (OS) 

An operating system (OS) is a collection of software that manages hardware and software resources on a computer. The operating system manages the communication between the CPU, memory, and hardware. There are three most popular operating systems namely Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, and Linux. As a cloud professional, it is very important to have moderate knowledge of the following skills for each OS type.

• The installation procedure of each operating system.
• Basic operating system scripting commands
• Troubleshooting methods

You can gradually start learning one operating system (OS) and master the others too. Among all three OS, Linux is widely used in web servers. Getting good knowledge of Linux OS shall be more beneficial.

2. Computer Networking

Computer networking is a must skill to learn for understanding cloud computing concepts. Computer networking means linking computers to one another using multiple routes for receiving and delivering data. Networking is the communication between two or more systems, it could be computers or mobile phones and for DevOps – networking is the communication between servers on the cloud.

Some of the must-know concepts in networking for cloud professionals are as below.

• Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI model)
• TCP/IP
• Routing
• Domain Name Server (DNS)
• FIREWALL
• Gateway

3. What is Virtualization and why do we need it?

A virtual machine (VM) is a virtual environment that runs within a physical computer and comprises the following components;

• virtual Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• memory
• network interface
• disk storage space

Through a virtual machine, we can control and manage thousands of virtual computers from a single physical device. VMs enable improved IT efficiencies, faster workload deployments, highly available servers, reduced operating costs, and increased application performance. Thus, understanding the concept of virtualization will ease the learning of cloud computing concepts.

4. Explore in-demand skills and choose one.

It is also very important to be aware of the current in-demand skills trending in cloud computing. This awareness gives an idea to streamline our learning process. Presently the popular skills in cloud computing are cloud deployment and migration, database and programming skills, DevOps, cloud security, and machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Also, it is always an advantage to have knowledge of multiple cloud platforms. The most popular cloud platforms are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

Along with technical skills, it is very essential to have improved soft skills. Suppose you have some innovative ideas and need to communicate it to your peers but fail to do so, it could become a barrier to your growth. A lack of soft skills can limit your growth and could be a downfall of your career. You need to be well versed with good presentation skills, networking abilities, problem-solving attitude, conflict resolution, customer service, and time management.

5. Get Cloud Certification

Certification is a way for companies to evaluate IT professionals based on some base-level skills. So, a person with certification has more chances to get shortlisted. A cloud certification will indicate to the interviewer that you have practiced and worked on cloud services. A good performance in the interview combined with a cloud certificate turns is what it takes to land a lucrative job.

Start with foundational certification and gradually acquire advanced-level skills. There are several specialty certifications by various cloud platforms, I recommend getting one gradually based on your domain interest. Specialty certifications showcase your subject expertise and convey your skills to the interviewer more easily.

6. Get a project-based internship/work experience

Having hands-on experience is more relevant than just learning and training. You become a subject matter expert only after facing real-time challenges and solving case studies. Join a paid or unpaid internship for a minimum of 6 months to get real-world experience in solving cloud problem statements. Such internships could be the best kick starter for your journey of becoming a cloud computing professional!

Do follow the above-suggested steps and you will be right there in your dream workplace. Stay tuned!

Read our blog post about: AWS Cloud: Your Gateway to a Successful Career!