🚀Entering Tech #008: How to become a cloud engineer

Here is this week’s trivia. Answers are at the bottom of this newsletter. 

Before we get into who cloud engineers are and if they can make it rain, let’s explain what the cloud is.

The cloud ☁️ is a network of computers that can be accessed over the internet. Think of them as storage systems where your files, websites, apps, movies, and games are hosted. With the internet, you can access the cloud and store or use the data there. Google Drive, Netflix, and YouTube Music are all great examples of cloud technology.

💡 Think of it as everything your computer can do right now, but on the internet instead. For example, Twitter and TikTok are hosted on the cloud; without internet access, you can’t watch the videos stored on TikTok’s cloud.

So who are cloud engineers?

As Adora Nwodo puts it, cloud engineers design, build, shape, maintain, and test cloud services for applications that run on the cloud. 

The first thing you should know about cloud engineering is that it’s an umbrella term; there are many roles under it.

Before we break down the main cloud engineering roles though, note that cloud engineers basically build the apps and services that run on the cloud.

💡 Engineers build and repair bad roads; electrical engineers maintain power output; even cleaners help maintain the appearance of physical structures.

Just like civil engineers build and repair bad roads, cloud engineers build all the apps and services you use on the cloud, and make sure you can always access them. Whenever there’s a new feature on TikTok, cloud engineers are to be thanked. Or whenever Twitter or WhatsApp is down and you can’t access the raunchy messages you’re sending to your crush, cloud engineers are running around trying to fix the problem.

There are many roles within cloud engineering, and the great thing about this field is that not all roles require coding knowledge. It can be a bonus, but it is not a hard and fast requirement. If you want to get into this field, here are five roles you should check out.

The great thing about cloud engineering roles is that not all of them require proficiency in coding; it’s a plus, but it’s not a requirement.

Here are the five main roles:

☁️ Cloud software engineer: Cloud software engineers do the same things as software engineers.

Software engineers develop and build software platforms, including apps and websites, using code. Cloud software engineers do exactly the same thing but instead build the apps on and for the cloud, rather than on storage systems on laptops.

🏗️ Cloud architect/Infrastructure engineer: Cloud architects or infrastructure engineers are technically designers, but not in the visual sense that graphics or product designers are. They design cloud-based servers and systems to meet customer requirements.

The infrastructure here is the cloud, and so cloud architects/infrastructure engineers build and maintain the cloud.

In addition, they design cloud-based solutions for businesses. 

👨🏾‍💻 DevOps Engineer: Contrary to their very cool role name, DevOps engineers aren’t actually from outer space. DevOps is an combination of the words “development” and “operations”, which is what these engineers oversee. 

Unlike all the other roles listed here, DevOps engineers do more than just write code. They oversee the creation, development, and updates of software created or used by any company. Simply put, DevOps engineers are the product managers of the engineering team.

🌏 Site-reliability engineer (SRE): A site reliability engineer’s job is to ensure that websites and online platforms run smoothly and efficiently This role is similar to DevOps as it also treats development and operations as software problems.

In the same way a Chief Operations Officer ensures a company runs smoothly, an SRE makes sure that websites are always up and running. They do this by writing code that automates processes for recurring problems. 

🔐 Cloud security engineer: Everyone needs a bit of protection, even the cloud. And here’s where cloud security engineers come in.

This is a cybersecurity role, and cloud security engineers help make sure that the cloud—and servers making up the cloud—are secure and safe from internal and external threats.

This includes building firewalls, maintaining threat-detection software and encrypting data.