Recent studies have found that there is an acute shortage of qualified applicants for cloud computing jobs.
This shortage is forecasted to continue as cloud related positions are expected climb 26% annually through 2015.
In fact, a recent IDC white paper found that the biggest reason 1.7 million cloud-related positions remained unfilled in 2012 was because job seekers lacked the training and certification needed to work in a cloud-enabled world.
There has never been a better time to land that dream job in the cloud computing industry. The jobs are already there. It’s up to you to provide the required skills, education and experience to take advantage of this opportunity.
Job hunting is never easy, but here are a few things you can do to improve your chances:
- Start your search internally. Take advantage of cloud related positions with your existing employer. Because it is difficult to find qualified applicants for cloud computing positions, many employers are training existing employees rather than hiring from the outside.
Most companies are moving some software applications to the cloud or taking advantage of new ones hosted in the cloud. Even if you plan to move to another employer in the future, it would be a good idea to get involved with these projects now. This valuable experience will help with the interview process later on.
- Review open positions. Survey the job opportunities and requirements that are available now in this field. This will enable you to efficiently prepare for the job search.
Dice.com, a leading career site for technology and engineering professionals, has already done some of this work for you. You can view a slideshow of the ten most common cloud related positions along with required credentials at this link: http://www.computerworld.com/slideshow/detail/69541#slide1.
- Get certified. Many of the best cloud computing jobs require certification for a specific software product or service. Most of the big cloud providers now offer both classes and certification opportunities. Once you add these to your resume, it’s likely that you will immediately see responses to your online resume postings. This is probably the quickest and most targeted way to jump into the cloud computing arena.
- Prepare for the interview. As with any position, it’s important to prepare for the interview ahead of time. Most widely recommended interviewing techniques still apply. However, there are some additional aspects to consider for cloud computing jobs.
Many employers are looking for candidates that can jump into the position and immediately be productive with limited guidance or training. This is why cloud computing certifications have become so valuable. To that end, be sure that you understand exactly what the technical requirements are for the job and be prepared to demonstrate in the interview that you can perform these specific activities on day one.
- Move to where the jobs are. Cloud computing jobs are almost everywhere, but some job markets are hotter than others. Here is a good link to a slideshow of the eight top cities for cloud computing jobs: http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/71445#slide1.
The explosion in cloud computing technology has only just begun. Being on the forefront of this exciting industry can virtually guarantee success in your career. A little investment in time and energy now will most certainly yield big payouts for years to come.
Thomas Parent blogs for Rackspace Hosting. Rackspace Hosting is the service leader in cloud computing, and a founder of OpenStack, an open source cloud operating system. The San Antonio-based company provides Fanatical Support to its customers and partners, across a portfolio of IT services, including Managed Hosting and Cloud Computing.
