Which Cloud Computing Skills Will Be in Demand in 2019?

Featured article by Amelia, Independent Technology Author

If you’re keen to get qualified and experienced in Cloud-based hosting, by looking at what skills are required in 2018, you’re effectively already limiting your career potential.

Gaining experience and becoming qualified takes time. Therefore, it is essential that you make sure any training or career development you go through will serve you well in the future along with remembering that professional training and development in this field is never ending. To make sure your CV is never put to the bottom of the pile, it is important to look at what careers the current technology we are working with today will open up for tomorrow. Such as the case with system automation skills after the amount of data processed through cloud hosts is unmanageable to most enterprises with conventional manual methods.

The cloud computing trends we’ve seen in 2018, won’t necessarily be a reflection of the economic landscape of cloud computing in 2019. The relentlessly evolving market is ever shifting, and these shifts mean that companies will be looking for a whole new array of skill sets from prospective employees. Even in the last 12 months, the migration from all kinds of platforms and businesses towards cloud computing has been exponential. The key to the popularity of cloud computing boils down to the safe infrastructure of the networks which provide optimum security for its users. Business owners now see cloud hosting as an essential cornerstone of running a successful business operation.

Looking at where the greatest career prospects will lie in 2019, will best prepare candidates looking to climb up the career ladder in cloud computing. We’ve composed a comprehensive guide of where cloud hosting is heading, and the skills you’ll need to come along for the ride.

No one could have predicted just how readily the technology was adopted, and in turn how this has led to an increased demand for experienced and qualified professionals. More and more positions open up each day for freshly qualified experts. Initially, the increased demand for roles were to be filled by professionals with the ability to implement and support cloud-based platforms such as Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services. However, now, it isn’t only the multi-billion-dollar corporations who are keen to invest in the software. With so much anxiety around cyber security, businesses are now making room in their budgets to protect themselves against ransomware attacks. The recent introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has also had its impact in the adoption of the technology. By this point, any website or platform that uses or requires sensitive information should be seriously considering moving onto cloud hosted platforms. Online casino Rose Slots made popular for their online slots made the jump across to Cloudflare to ensure that those looking to play could safely enter their private details and banking information. To be progressive in today’s digital age, businesses must ensure that they not only make their own information security a paramount, but their customers, clients and users too.

The public cloud computing market was predicted to grow by 17.3% in 2019 by Garter analysts, and the upward trend isn’t likely to peak until 2021. So, what does this mean for those looking for a career in the market? An extra $133,000 annual salary for possession of cloud computing or hosting skills is certainly enough of an incentive.

Top Skills for Cloud-Based Careers

In 2019, there will be an increased demand for roles such as cloud developers, cloud architects, data analysts and security specialists. Candidates should be able to demonstrate a specific and skilled focus on everything from DevOps and database administration to planning and cloud strategy. Here are four of the top skills required to make yourselves invaluable to cloud hosting companies.

Ethical Hacking

Ten years ago, ethical hacking (also referred to as penetration testing) seemed to be an unviable career prospect at best. Yet, with the demands of cloud-hosting, the need for experts with a strong knowledge of cyber security protection are in demand, and that trend isn’t likely to peak at any time soon. Ethical hackers are tasked with the role of ensuring that the network and system infrastructures can holistically withstand outside infiltration. This process is the first line of defence against cyber terrorism which allows ethical hackers to iron out any vulnerabilities to a network. White hat (as opposed to black hat) hackers will be granted the legal ability to open encrypted files and use the web to gain access to an organisation. For more information on how to kick start your career as an ethical hacker, head here.

Strategic Understanding of Cloud Platforms and Technologies

This skill is vital for anyone wanting to enter the market as an It architect. It involves possessing a strategic understanding of major cloud technology on the market. This is due to the rise of the multi-cloud approach which is being favoured by a growing number of businesses and enterprises. It is always worth building expertise around at least one of the industry-leading cloud giants such as Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure or Amazon Web Services. Yet, don’t forget about the other smaller cloud platforms such as CenturyLink and IBM.

Database Management

Now that private and public enterprises are faced with the responsibility of managing an assortment of cloud services, the position of data centre management is now popping up across job boards prominently. Candidates will need to be able to effectively manage cloud environments by integrating data from a number of different platforms. This also brings us to another top skill; workflow and integration analysis. Each day, there are approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created by databases which are hosted on cloud platforms. Companies are currently desperate for professionals with the ability to store, manage and access this data. This involves a clear understanding of the language used in the databases. The two main languages being SQL and MySQL.

Systems Automation

Enterprises are now working with an overload of information. To do so manually is unfeasible and unsustainable. This created the need for advanced automation software to be designed for operation in cloud-first environments. Developers with the skills to automate tasks and improve data efficiency are now highly sought after. Automation solutions to brush up on include Chef, Ansible and Puppet.