Learn More, Earn More With Cloud Computing

It’s usually safe to say the more you know in your particular job field, the better off you’ll be, certainly in terms of job security. Now it seems the more you know about cloud computing and its related ecosystems, the better paid you’ll be.

Knowledge is power, and the power of knowing the ins and outs of setting up and maintaining applications and storage in a cloud environment can prove to be a smart career move. Yet even without specific experience working in a cloud environment, job opportunities abound.

A recent article on InfoWorld.com discussed jobs whose demand is rising because of cloud computing, but is not directly related to cloud computing. These secondary jobs are being created through the use of cloud-based platforms. They may not directly deal with cloud technology, but are nonetheless driven by it.

An example is the database specialist. The rise of cloud computing has driven an interest in cloud databases. The interest in databases powered by cloud computing is rising with the cloud itself, which is creating the need for anyone who can design, build, and deploy databases.

Another example is the data center operator. The growth stats around data centers these days are exploding. Even though public cloud computing is all about shutting down data centers, the reality is that most enterprises are building private clouds. They are adding more servers to the racks, so they need people to maintain them.

If you’re looking for some insight into gaining an understanding of cloud computing, Rackspace’s CloudU provides fundamental knowledge of the workings of the cloud.

CloudU is a vendor-neutral curriculum designed for business owners and technical professionals who want to bolster their knowledge of the fundamentals of cloud computing. At CloudU, you’ll find a comprehensive series of original whitepapers, live and on-demand webinars, events, blogs, videos and e-books aimed at increasing cloud computing knowledge among businesses. The program is a collaborative effort between Rackspace Hosting and industry analyst, entrepreneur and commentator Ben Kepes of Diversity Limited. The content of CloudU isn’t vendor-specific. Anyone looking at moving to the Cloud, regardless of vendor or platform, can benefit from CloudU.

Learning about the cloud can be a lucrative endeavor, well worth the time you invest in your education.

Forbes.com recently tested an application that analyzed all cloud computing jobs that pay $100,000 a year or more. The results showed, among other metrics, the regions that pay the best for cloud expertise and the top 10 industries hiring cloud computing professionals in positions paying $100,000 or more.

Cloud computing, and related areas such as virtualization and data management, will create 7 million jobs over the next three years, according to a recent study published by IDC. The study also claimed that currently there are 1.7 million open cloud jobs worldwide that organizations are having a tough time filling.

“Despite modest growth in the IT sector overall in the U.S., cloud-ready jobs are increasing,” said Cushing Anderson, a program vice president at IDC, in a statement. “With this increase comes the harsh reality that workforces around the world are steps behind when it comes to attaining the skills necessary to thrive in the cloud computing industry.”

Patrick Burke is a writer and editor based in the greater New York area and occasionally blogs for Rackspace Hosting