An important note about role titles

As you navigate the landscape of the cloud computing industry, you’ll encounter various role titles that may initially appear to be standardised, such as Solution Architect, Cloud Developer, and Cloud Consultant. However, it’s essential to recognise that these titles can be somewhat ambiguous and not consistently defined. Moreover, many engaging and closely related cloud-focused positions may not explicitly feature these acronyms in their job titles. So, don’t be misled by job titles alone.

For instance, while in theory, a Cloud Consultant might be responsible for educating customers on cloud utilisation or helping them realise its potential, in practice, many also actively contribute to the development and deployment of cloud solutions. Take our guest David, for example; he holds the title of consultant but plays a significant role in the development and implementation of cloud solutions. So, how do Cloud Consultants differ from Cloud Developers, who are inherently involved in cloud solution development? The distinction isn’t always clear-cut.

In light of this, our approach in this course takes a different route. Instead of fixating on specific job titles that can vary from one company to another, we will focus on high-level job specifications. It’s crucial to understand which high-level job specification aligns with your interests and career goals.

The categorisations we’ll employ in this course include:

1. software development related roles
2. hardware related roles
3. support related roles.

Many of the role titles mentioned earlier (Solution Architect, Cloud Developer, Cloud Consultant, etc.) often fall under the software development-related roles, for instance. Think of cloud computing as another valuable technical skill that you must cultivate, and then seek positions that require cloud computing expertise. Your daily involvement with cloud technology may extend beyond your job title explicitly mentioning ‘cloud.’

The critical step is to identify whether you lean more toward software development, a hands-on hardware job, or a customer-centric support role. Determining which major category naturally suits your interests will significantly aid you in narrowing down the specific role you aim to pursue. This course will assist you in discerning which category resonates with you.

Then how would I know what specific job to look for?

But how will you know which specific job to target? Once you’ve clarified the major category that aligns with your preferences, your next step is to explore opportunities within that domain. Look for job listings containing keywords like cloud, AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and carefully examine the job descriptions. If you find a role that piques your interest, and you progress to the interview stage, don’t hesitate to seek clarification about the job’s responsibilities.

For instance, you may come across a job labelled as a Cloud Developer. Examine the job description; does it outline the duties you’re seeking? If so, apply for the position and use the interview process to gain a deeper understanding of the role.

In the next step, we’ll look into software development-related roles.