Cloud Computing took the IT industry and businesses by storm. It became one of the promising technologies that are driving the change today. It is the catalyst for Small and Medium-sized Businesses and startups to rise and take the competition to bigger MNCs. Cloud Computing is all about offering on-demand services like Computing power, database, data analytics services, ML, AI capabilities, etc. So, the companies can now focus on running their business and not worry about the infrastructure in the back-end. All these services also bring down the expenses because all companies have to pay for only what they use.
Today there are many vendors in the space offering services on-demand. Amazon offers Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft offers Azure, Google’s Google Cloud Platform (GCP) are some of the largest Cloud Service Providers worldwide. They offer the largest of services to their customers catered to their requirements. Today these businesses realize the importance of Cloud playing in their growth, flexibility, and agility. They are encouraging their employees to opt for Azure Administrator training. As of now, Software Development, Data Science, IT Automation, Artificial Intelligence leverage Cloud Computing. With increasing Cloud penetration, many businesses are shifting to newer models of operating and handling businesses. These more recent models are hybrid or multi-cloud strategies.
Azure is the 2nd largest Cloud Service Provider in the world. It is also the fastest-growing Cloud among all the other vendors. Microsoft claims that Azure is used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies. So, you can trust the expertise and security of the Cloud platform hosted by Microsoft.
Let us discuss some general skills that you should master for a career in Cloud Computing:
Technical: Cloud Computing fundamentals and programming languages, and other domain-specific technical skills.
Business: Those who are aspiring for a career in Cloud must be aware of business plans, marketing strategies, Return on Investments, etc.
Data related: You must know how Data is handled and processed. They must also know how to secure data, and have knowledge in network security.
Management: A bit of knowledge in Project Management will help professionals. Must know Risk Management, service integration, and agreements, etc.
There are many roles within Cloud Computing, like that of Administrator, Developer, SysOps Admin, DevOps Engineer, etc. So the skill sets required for each of these roles are different. Let us discuss the 7 most essential Azure skills that an Azure Cloud Engineer must-have for a bright career:
Database
Every Azure Engineer aspiring for a great career needs to invest in learning Database platforms and languages. Azure supports various Databases like SQL Database, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, Cosmos DB, etc. Many experts also recommend learning Hadoop.
Programming knowledge
Programming expertise is the fundamental requirement for Cloud Engineers working in the Cloud space. You must be proficient in Programming skills, learn languages based on the current trend, the language that organizations are using, and the one offering maximum functionalities.
Operating System knowledge
The most popular operating system currently in use in the IT industry is Linux. Linux is famous for its industrious capabilities. Azure Cloud Engineers must master Linux and should have a working knowledge of Windows. Linux being popular, is used in almost all devices owing to its ease of use. Linux powers millions of devices, web pages, and apps. These Azure Cloud Engineers have to build/architect, administer, and handle Linux-based servers.
Networking
Networking is another skill set that Azure Engineers must have among many other skill sets. You must have fundamental knowledge in Cloud Networking for starting your career in Cloud. Network integration is the fundamental pillar of the Cloud. You must have virtual network knowledge to help make the process easier for the end-users.
Multi-Cloud/Hybrid-Cloud strategies
The world is changing and becoming more value quotient with each passing day. Businesses are increasingly adopting a variety of Cloud strategies that suit their requirements and infrastructure. Businesses today are adopting Multi-cloud and Hybrid-Cloud strategies that involve using multiple Clouds or on-premise and public Cloud for different purposes. So, being proficient in Azure stack, you must also know about other services offered by popular Cloud Service Providers like AWS and GCP. You must have sound knowledge of services from these vendors.
Application Programming Interface (API) and Web Services
Azure Engineer is expected to be an expert in web services and APIs. Various web services are open-source like WSDI, XML, UDDI, SOAP, etc. APIs help in completing and deploying the integration of various platforms.
Security
Information Security is one of the most important parameters that many organizations relying on Cloud stress upon. It expects its professionals to have minimum knowledge in securing applications and data. It will be a big plus if you are an expert in Cloud security, who can track current security conditions and the preventive measures that you can take to avoid risking the security of apps and data that the organization possesses.
