Skills Every Successful Cloud Engineer Should Possess – Does Your Team Have Them All?

For cloud engineers, there are countless cloud certifications out there to help boost skill levels and increase career opportunities. But in a real work environment, with coworkers and other teams to collaborate with, it takes a blend of technical and soft skills to stay ahead.

In this post, we’ll explore the essential skills that every cloud engineer should possess and help you assess whether your team has what it takes to thrive in a cloud-first environment across multiple teams with competing responsibilities. 

The technical side of cloud engineering

For a cloud engineer, proficiency in key tech areas has become more than a feather in one’s cap – it’s necessary to prove and use those skills on the job. 

Designing cloud solutions requires expertise in the areas of virtualization, networking, security, and automation, as well as containers and orchestration tools like Kubernetes. These are must-have skills for provisioning resources, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting issues.

A cloud engineer should also have a strong understanding of the major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and be well-versed in their capabilities and limitations. 

Take a moment to assess your team’s familiarity with the cloud platforms you use. Are they AWS certified? Do they know their way around Azure or GCP? Investing in cloud platform certifications and training can help equip your team with the skills necessary to excel in their roles.

Cloud Academy can help tech professionals build hands-on skills or get certified. Our Certification Learning Paths include everything you need to advance your team’s tech skills in no time. To learn more about our certifications or to request a demo

What are Soft Skills?

While technical prowess is undoubtedly a given, there are other skills that often go overlooked but are just as important: Soft skills. In fact, research shows that 85% of career success comes from having well-developed soft skills.

Also known as “people skills”, soft skills include a range of interpersonal and communication abilities that help professionals to work effectively in a team, collaborate with colleagues and clients, and adapt to changing circumstances.  

Identifying soft skills during the hiring process can help HR and tech leads build the stand-out tech teams their businesses need. 

Collaboration and communication

Cloud engineers don’t work in isolation. Effective communication and collaboration skills are essential for translating technical concepts into actionable plans and aligning cloud initiatives with business objectives.

Consider how well your team communicates and collaborates with others. Are they actively participating in meetings and discussions? Are they able to convey complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders? Strong interpersonal skills are vital for well-rounded cloud engineers. 

Solid time management

Having good -or bad- time management skills can create a ripple effect on the rest of the team. Exceptional cloud engineers are masters at juggling multiple projects simultaneously, and successfully completing cloud-based initiatives on time and on budget. 

Sound problem solving

Cloud systems encounter issues related to scalability, security, and performance all the time, and engineers must be able to swiftly diagnose and resolve these challenges. Effective problem-solving skills are needed to minimize downtime and maintain the integrity of critical data and applications. 

Evaluate your team’s ability to troubleshoot cloud-related issues. Are they using monitoring and logging tools effectively? Do they have a documented incident response plan? Being proactive in addressing and resolving issues is necessary for maintaining the reliability of your cloud infrastructure. 

A great way to test your team’s problem-solving skills is with hands-on labs and sandboxes that provide immediate feedback, a risk-free environment for experimentation, and opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios. 

Continuous Learning and Adaptability

The cloud landscape is constantly changing. Successful cloud engineers are committed to continuous learning and adaptability. They stay up to date with the latest cloud trends, technologies, and best practices.

Ask yourself if your team is investing in continuous learning. Are they pursuing certifications and attending industry events? Encourage a culture of learning within your team to ensure they can adapt to new challenges and opportunities in the cloud space.

Did your team make the cut? 

If not, it’s okay, it just means there is work to be done. Partnering with an experienced e-learning provider can help you to develop the skills you need within your group.

And remember that while technical skills are the foundation, soft skills are the glue that holds a successful cloud engineering team together.  Identify your stars and create a mentoring program to help foster a culture of growth within the group. And before you know it you’ll be well on your way to building the rockstar tech team your company needs.

For more information on how Cloud Academy help you along your journey to the Cloud