Given the cost-effectiveness vs. the value proposition of acquiring cloud capabilities, many enterprises have accelerated their cloud adoption strategies. According to a report by Statista, the public cloud market alone generated $130 billion over the past year.

Cloud computing is an on-demand service that offers enterprises bespoke capabilities that match their requirements of computing resources, storage, and a runtime environment for their applications. This has caused a sudden spike in the number of people looking towards the cloud as a career. Read on as we discuss all you need to know to get started as a cloud developer.

How to Become Cloud Development Professional

Before plunging into a career in cloud development, one of the primary requirements is knowing at least one programming language. Most cloud developers sport approximately two years of experience in a software/web development environment. Some required skills for a cloud developer are as follows-

• Knowledge of a programming language
• An understanding of databases and software development concepts
• An understanding of cloud infrastructures
• Knowledge of virtualization

An individual who has programming skills will find it a lot easier to shift to a career in cloud development. However, traditional methods of getting into the cloud development sphere include certifications, work experience, database knowledge, and a fundamental understanding of cloud infrastructures. Here is a rundown of all the skills/qualifications you would require as an employable cloud developer-

Educational Qualification

A Bachelor’s degree in computer science is the base-level educational qualification required to build a career in cloud development.

While a Bachelor’s or a Master’s in computer science is not mandatory, it builds a strong knowledge base that the individual can utilize to complete tasks. Here is a list of cloud developer certifications that can help you land the job of your dreams.

• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer and AWS Certified Developer Associate
• Microsoft Azure- Exam AZ-203: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure and AZ-400: Microsoft Azure DevOps Solutions
• Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer (Associate level) and Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Developer (Professional level).

Each of the above certifications courses is designed to build your skills and then evaluate them in the real world with metrics that a prospective employer can scrutinize while assessing your candidature.

Required Skillsets for Cloud Development Pros

As you acquire the certifications mentioned above, you will develop the following skillsets, each of which are deciding factors when it comes to the success and longevity of your cloud development career.

• Setup and configuration of a cloud solution environment
• Cloud-native app development
• Testing capabilities
• Integration of vendor-specific features
• Monitoring of app performance.
• Installation and configuration of the command-line toolkit and the SDK

Hands-on Knowledge of a Specific Programming Language

The next step is to ensure that you not only become a cloud developer but a well-paid cloud developer. We suggest mastering a single language in the initial stages and then adding more to your portfolio as you gain experience.

Obtaining Experience

Speaking of gaining experience, you need to work the trenches of cloud app development for at least two years before you can get a salary that matches your efforts. Experience in the cloud ecosystem is a must-have for all mid to senior-level developer posts and essential for a monetarily satisfying career in cloud development

Know More, Earn More

As a cloud application development professional, the wider your knowledge base, the more opportunities come your way and the higher your pay grade. Deep knowledge of cloud computing concepts and the finer nuances of cloud as a service delivery platform can result in you making a name as a highly employable cloud professional. Knowledge is mostly gained on the job, and that’s where we circle back to the previous point on our list.

Scope for a Career in Cloud Development

With the ever-widening scale of cloud development initiatives, the scope of a career in the discipline is also increasing. Hers is an example. Envision an apparel store that wishes to begin selling its products online. The store has to build a mobile application connected to its database to reach its customers.

 Now imagine if the app suddenly transforms into a worldwide phenomenon. The physical servers utilized by the initial mobile app are no longer capable of handling the traffic, and the volume of data the store begins witnessing.

In such a case, movings its data to the cloud is the most viable and financially informed option. The store no longer has to be bothered with storage capacity overloads or database management issues with Cloud storage. Here is where the expertise of a cloud development professional comes into play. With the rise of commercialization in every sector, along with the need for an online presence in today’s market, the role of cloud app development services has become increasingly important.

Detailed Investigation of Cloud Developer Skills

We have already spoken about the skills required to become a cloud developer. Here is an in-depth account of each area that an aspiring cloud professional should build proficiency in-

Designing

A cloud developer must have a good eye for design in applications and API structuring, and wireframing. Understanding data management through a design perspective is also imperative.

Knowing and following industry best practices for documentation and security and re-architecting legacy apps to cloud platforms also form part of an aspiring cloud developer’s skillset.

Development

Development and testing ( as mentioned earlier) are critical components of a cloud developer’s arsenal. Experience in working in a continuous delivery pipeline is a massive advantage as all cloud development procedures rely on iterative development and continuous delivery, much akin to the DevOps methodology ( which is often applied to a cloud development project).

A flair for writing high-quality code, as well as an understanding of performance, integration, and load testing, are must-haves.

Deployment

 Knowledge of suitable deployment strategies for a specific cloud app is another critical requirement for a cloud developer. An Understanding of cloud functions and triggers can greatly boost your employability as a cloud professional.

The ideal cloud developer must understand the finer nuances of management of service accounts as well as the implementation of optimal networking resources.

Monitoring

Monitoring is one of the most significant aspects of cloud development. The ability to intelligently observe and report on the performance of a system or application adds to your value as a cloud professional. Learning about the installation of logging and the management of virtual machine tasks is necessary. A cloud developer should be of an analytical bent of mind. He should independently draw inferences from metrics and then use what he has learned to suggest alterations/upgrades in case of an issue.

In Summation

So there you have it; all you need to know is to get started as a cloud development professional. You can build a career path in cloud development with the information above while enhancing your value as an employable resource.

Cloud development salaries are also experiencing a boom making the cloud the desired playfield for professionals with web app vs. cloud app development expertise. The interconnected nature of traditional software and app development capabilities with cloud development can result in a wave of professionals equipped with the required skills to build a career in cloud development.

We trust this article has proven informative with credible insights into the steps you should follow and directives to keep in mind during your journey to become a cloud pro.