Is it too late to learn Cloud Computing in 2024?

Summary

In 2024, despite tech industry layoffs and the rise of AI, cloud computing remains a lucrative field with AI's reliance on cloud infrastructure driving demand. The cloud industry is projected to hit a $600 billion market value, indicating continued growth. The video discusses the pros and cons of a cloud career, highlighting the importance of understanding cloud concepts beyond basic skills, the value of hands-on experience over certifications, and the necessity for continuous learning. It also emphasizes the transferability of cloud skills across various industries, suggesting that with the right mindset and skills, entering the cloud space is still a wise career move.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The tech industry has seen significant changes with a boom in cloud jobs followed by layoffs, yet the demand for cloud skills is expected to grow with the widespread adoption of AI.
• 📈 The cloud industry is projected to reach a market value of $600 billion by the end of 2024, indicating ongoing growth and opportunities.
• 🤔 The decision to learn cloud computing in 2024 involves weighing the pros and cons, with the video offering insights into the current job market and the value of cloud skills.
• 💡 AI and cloud computing are interdependent, with AI relying on cloud infrastructure, suggesting that cloud skills will remain relevant as AI advances.
• 🚀 Despite market maturity, the cloud industry continues to offer growth potential, especially with the integration of AI services.
• 🏆 AWS has been a market leader for nearly 20 years, making it a recommended cloud provider to learn for those starting their cloud journey.
• 📚 The complexity of cloud computing extends beyond learning a single platform; it requires understanding of IT concepts like networking, compute, storage, and security.
• 📈 The job market for cloud roles has become more competitive, with employers seeking candidates with a deeper understanding and experience beyond basic cloud skills.
• 📋 Certifications are valuable but not sufficient on their own; hands-on experience and practical projects are crucial for demonstrating cloud skills to employers.
• 🔁 Continuous learning is essential in the cloud industry, as new services and updates are regularly introduced, requiring professionals to stay current with the latest technologies.
• ✅ Cloud skills are transferable across various industries, offering versatility in career paths, but may require adaptation to specific industry needs and regulations.

Q & A

Is it too late to start learning cloud computing in 2024?

It's not too late to start learning cloud computing in 2024, but it's acknowledged that the industry has matured and the competition has increased. The demand for cloud skills is expected to grow with the widespread adoption of AI.

What is the current state of the cloud computing industry in 2024?

In 2024, the cloud computing industry is experiencing a shift after a period of significant growth. While there have been layoffs and hiring freezes, the industry is expected to continue growing, especially with the integration of AI.

Why is AI becoming important in the context of cloud computing?

AI is becoming important because it relies heavily on cloud infrastructure to function. Cloud computing provides the scalable, cost-efficient, and accessible resources necessary for AI development and deployment.

What are the pros and cons of starting a cloud career in 2024?

Pros include the continued growth of the cloud industry and the increasing demand for cloud skills with the rise of AI. Cons include increased competition and the need for a deeper understanding of cloud concepts beyond basic skills.

What are the five key factors to consider when building cloud skills?

The five key factors are: the current state of cloud computing, the integration of AI with cloud, the hidden complexity of cloud computing, the limitations of certifications, and the need for continuous learning.

Why is AWS recommended as a cloud provider to learn in 2024?

AWS is recommended because it has remained the market leader for nearly 20 years, indicating its stability and widespread adoption in the industry.

What is the hidden complexity of cloud computing that beginners should be aware of?

The hidden complexity includes understanding not just the platform but also fundamental IT concepts like networking, compute, storage, security, and how cloud computing fits into the broader IT landscape.

How can certifications help in a cloud computing career, and what are their limitations?

Certifications can provide a structured learning path and validate knowledge, but they have limitations as they are often multiple-choice exams that may not fully assess practical skills and experience.

What is the importance of hands-on experience in cloud computing?

Hands-on experience is crucial as it demonstrates practical skills and understanding beyond theoretical knowledge. It can be shown through personal projects, internships, or freelance work, which are valuable for job applications.

Why is continuous learning necessary in the cloud computing field?

Continuous learning is necessary to stay updated with the latest technologies and trends, ensuring that professionals remain relevant and in-demand in a field that is constantly evolving.

How are cloud computing skills transferable across different industries?

Cloud computing skills are transferable because they develop abilities like problem-solving, project management, and leadership, which are applicable across various fields. However, they may need to be adapted to meet industry-specific requirements.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 The Evolving Cloud Industry and Learning Opportunities

The paragraph discusses the current state of the cloud industry, noting significant changes such as a boom in cloud jobs followed by layoffs, especially at Amazon. Despite these shifts, the demand for cloud skills is expected to grow with the increasing prevalence of AI. The cloud industry is anticipated to reach a market value of $600 billion by the end of the year. The video aims to explore the pros and cons of starting a cloud career, focusing on factors to consider when building cloud skills. The speaker, Lucy, an AWS Solutions architect, shares her experience helping others learn cloud computing and offers a free email newsletter called 'Cloud Bites' for learning tips on cloud and AI.

05:01

🚀 Navigating the Cloud Job Market and Skill Development

This paragraph delves into the importance of hands-on experience in cloud computing, emphasizing that certifications alone are insufficient for securing a job. It suggests building cloud projects as a way to showcase practical skills. The paragraph also touches on the continuous learning required in the cloud industry, highlighting the need to stay updated with new technologies and trends. The benefits of continuous learning include staying relevant and adaptable, while the challenge lies in keeping up with constant updates and new services. The paragraph concludes by discussing the value of transferable skills in cloud computing, which can be applied across various industries, although they may require adaptation to specific roles and regulations.

Keywords

💡Cloud Computing

Cloud computing refers to the delivery of computing services, including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, over the Internet (the cloud) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scale. In the video, the speaker discusses the growth of cloud jobs and the impact of AI on cloud infrastructure, emphasizing that cloud computing is foundational for AI's scalability and accessibility, as well as the potential for the cloud industry to reach a $600 billion market value.

💡AWS

AWS stands for Amazon Web Services, which is a comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud platform that offers over 200 fully featured services from data centers globally. The video mentions AWS as one of the major cloud providers that have seen significant growth in revenue and user base, and the speaker recommends learning AWS due to its market leadership.

💡Azure

Azure is a cloud computing service created by Microsoft for building, testing, deploying, and managing applications and services through Microsoft-managed data centers. It is mentioned alongside AWS and Google Cloud as a significant player in the cloud industry, experiencing growth due to increased cloud adoption.

💡Google Cloud

Google Cloud, also known as Google Cloud Platform, is a suite of cloud computing services that runs on the same infrastructure that Google uses internally for its end-user products, such as Google Search, Gmail, file storage, and YouTube. The video discusses the growth of Google Cloud alongside AWS and Azure, highlighting the overall expansion of the cloud market.

💡AI

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, which is the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. The video emphasizes AI's reliance on cloud infrastructure and how AI's widespread adoption will continue to drive demand for cloud skills, as AI requires cloud resources for deployment and operation.

💡Tech Layoffs

Tech layoffs refer to the reduction of the workforce in the technology industry, often due to economic downturns or business restructuring. The script mentions layoffs across the tech industry, including Amazon, as a contrast to the booming cloud jobs market, indicating a shift in the industry's landscape.

💡Cloud Jobs

Cloud jobs are positions that involve working with cloud computing technologies, such as cloud engineers, cloud architects, and cloud consultants. The video discusses the boom in cloud jobs due to increased cloud adoption and the subsequent layoffs, suggesting a dynamic job market within the cloud industry.

💡Solutions Architect

A Solutions Architect is a professional who designs and implements technology solutions to meet business requirements. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions her role as an AWS Solutions Architect and how it involves understanding cloud concepts beyond just platform-specific skills.

💡Certifications

Certifications in the context of the video refer to professional credentials that validate an individual's knowledge and skills in specific areas, such as cloud computing platforms. The speaker discusses the limitations of certifications, suggesting that while they are important, they are not sufficient on their own and should be complemented with hands-on experience.

💡Continuous Learning

Continuous learning is the concept of regularly acquiring new knowledge and skills throughout one's life and career. The video emphasizes the need for continuous learning in the cloud industry due to the constant introduction of new services and updates, suggesting that it's essential for professionals to stay current with the latest technologies and trends.

💡Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are abilities that can be applied across different jobs or industries. The video discusses the value of transferable skills in cloud computing, noting that skills developed in the cloud can be applied in various fields, making professionals with cloud expertise valuable and adaptable in different roles and industries.

Highlights

The tech industry has seen drastic changes with a boom in Cloud jobs followed by layoffs.

Amazon has laid off over 27,000 employees in the past two years.

AI's widespread adoption is expected to increase the demand for cloud skills.

The cloud industry is projected to reach a $600 billion market value by the end of the year.

Cloud computing skills will continue to grow in demand due to AI's reliance on cloud infrastructure.

AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud saw significant growth pre-2022, but the landscape shifted with tech layoffs.

AI's integration with cloud services like Amazon Bedrock and Azure AI Studio facilitates AI model deployment.

Cloud computing is not just about learning a platform; it requires understanding of IT concepts.

Employers seek candidates with skills beyond the fundamentals, including experience with cloud projects.

Certifications are limited as they don't fully assess hands-on experience.

Building cloud projects can showcase hands-on skills and set candidates apart.

Continuous learning is essential in the cloud industry to stay updated with latest technologies.

Cloud skills are transferable across various industries, offering flexibility in career paths.

Cloud security and data storage are important in industries like finance and healthcare.

The cloud market is mature but still has room for growth, especially with AI's increasing requirements.

AWS has remained the market leader, making it a recommended cloud provider to learn.

The learning curve for cloud computing can be steep, especially for those new to tech.

Transferable skills from cloud computing include problem-solving, project management, and leadership.

Transcripts

are you at the start of your Cloud

Learning Journey wondering if it's too

late to learn AWS Azure or Google Cloud

if so you're not alone the tech industry

has changed drastically over the past

few years Co led to a boom in Cloud jobs

and now we're seeing layoffs across the

industry Amazon alone has laid off over

27,000 employees over the past 2 years

now I don't want to start off this video

by sounding all negative so let me tell

you the silver lining in all of this as

AI becomes more widespread the demand

for cloud skills will continue to grow

with it this is because AI relies

heavily on cloud infrastructure to

function in fact the cloud industry is

expected to reach a $600 billion market

value by the end of this year and so is

it too late to learn cloud computing in

2024 yes and no in this video we're

going to explore the pros and cons of

starting a cloud career and more

importantly what no one tells you about

when it comes to building Cloud skills

I'll be sharing five key factors to

consider and provide my completely

honest opinion as an xaws Solutions

architect for those who are new here

here my name is Lucy and over the past 3

years I've helped hundreds of people

build their technical skills and learn a

job in the cloud so if that sounds like

something you're interested in please

make sure you give this video a like And

subscribe to the channel for weekly

videos just like this one I also have a

free email newsletter called Cloud

bites. a where I share bides learning

tips on cloud and AI so feel free to

sign up to that as well all right let's

get into it first off what is the state

of cloud computing in 2024 well when I

started my journey as an AWS Solutions

AR architect back in 2021 the industry

was booming as a result of the pandemic

many businesses were forced to move

their operations online and this led to

a massive increase in Cloud adoption AWS

Azure and Google Cloud all saw

significant growth in their revenue and

user base and with that of course met

more open positions roles like Solutions

architect Cloud engineer and Cloud

consultant had so many job postings but

as we all know by the end of 2022 the

landscape started to shift Tech layoffs

began to happen and and one by one

companies introduced hiring freezers and

some even removed entire teams and

departments at the same time Chad GPT

was released to the world leading to

even more uncertainty and fears that AI

will replace tech jobs however what no

one tells you is that cloud and AI

actually go hand inhand to help each

other cloud computing is part of what

makes AI possible by providing scalable

cost-efficient and accessible resources

for developers AI has also brought new

services and use cases for the cloud for

example Amazon bedrock and Azure AI

Studio were released last year to help

people deploy AI models quickly and

easily now this is a really important

point to consider because even though

the cloud Market appears to be mature it

doesn't mean that things will slow down

in the long term there's still plenty of

room for growth especially as AI will

continue to require more and more Cloud

resources what's great about this is

that cloud computing skills will

continue to be in demand AWS in

particular has remained the market

leader for nearly 20 years so if you're

deciding which cloud provider to go for

AWS would be the one I recommend

learning however the downside is that

competition has also increased with more

people entering the cloud space standing

out could be tougher I also need to

mention that advances in AI could remove

the need for some junior level cloud

skills like basic configuration

monitoring and maintenance unfortunately

the bar for entry level jobs definitely

seem to be higher now because employers

are looking for skills and experience

that go beyond just knowing the

fundamentals and this brings us to the

second key factor to consider which is

the hidden complexity of cloud computing

when I first started learning AWS I very

quickly realized that there were so many

gaps in my knowledge the cloud is much

more than just learning a platform like

ads or Azure it requires a based

understanding of it Concepts like

networking compute Storage security and

much more what you need to know is that

companies are not simply looking for

someone who can spin up an ec2 instance

in the cloud you should also be able to

understand the underlying Concepts and

know how cloud computing fits in with

the rest of the IT world the advantage

to this is that developing a strong

foundation in Cloud it and AI will make

you a valuable asset to companies of

course it's going to take more time and

you might have to put in more hours than

you initially expect but the payoff will

be worth it the con to this though is

that the learning curve can be steep

especially if you're someone completely

new to Tech it can be quite easy to feel

overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge

you need to have in order to Le a cloud

job now what I recommend doing is to set

three separate study plans one for it

one for cloud and one for AI let me know

in the comments below if you'd like me

to make a video on how I'd structur

these plans to build your it skills I'd

recommend completing the Google It

support certification offered by corsera

this is a program designed by Google

that offers a comprehensive Pathway to

understand the fundamentals of it no

prior knowledge is required and by the

end of the program you'll be equipped

with the skills needed for an

entry-level it job I'll leave a link to

it in the description below if you're

interested in checking it out now the

third key factor to consider with

learning cloud computing is the

limitations of certification what I mean

by this is that certifications will only

get you so far earning 5 AWS

certifications was definitely something

important for my own career and my

learning but certifications alone are

not enough to land you a job this is

because most exams are simple multiple

choice quizzes and don't really assess

your actual understanding of a topic

what companies really want to know when

hiring a candidate is whether or not you

have actual hands-on experience with

working in the cloud this could be in

the form of personal projects

internships or even freelance work now

that you know about the limitations of

cloud certifications it's definitely

something you can take advantage of

instead of spending months preparing for

multiple CTS build Cloud projects as

soon as you can these projects can then

be put on your resume or portfolio to

Showcase your Hands-On skills one

drawback to this is that it can be hard

to know what projects to build

certifications can at least provide you

with a structured learning road map but

where do you even start for cloud

projects to help with this I've created

a course called beginner AWS Cloud

projects where I provide the complete

step-by-step guide to creating five

unique Cloud projects on AWS it's

something you can complete in just a

weekend and I have the detailed

instructions all packed inside there's

also a slack Community included for you

to ask questions if you run into any

issues with building I'll have a link to

it in the description below for you to

have a look and you can use the code

YouTube 10 for 10% off the next factor I

wanted to mention is the need for

continuous learning everyone working in

the cloud has to play the long game

because as cheesy as it sounds it's

about the journey not the destination

the benefit to this is being able to

stay updated with the latest

Technologies and Trends you'll always be

equipped with fresh skills that are in

demand and you won't fall behind if you

keep learning and adapting plus if you

have a real interest or passion for Tech

it can be really fun to learn through

conferences by building side projects

and expanding your skills in your spare

time of course the con to this is if you

don't like the idea of continuous

learning to some of you it may sound

exciting but for others it can be quite

exhausting Cloud providers are

constantly introducing new services and

updates so it could feel like a never

ending cycle this can be challenging

especially if you're balancing work

family and other responsibilities but to

be completely honest with you most

fields in Tech are like this and it's

not something really unique to Cloud the

good news is that all the skills you

build will be transferable in some way

or another and that's what I want to

discuss with you in this final Factor

the final factor to consider is the

value of transferable skills now one of

the biggest advantages of learning cloud

Technologies is that the skills you

develop are AR just limited to one

industry they're going to be applicable

across a whole range of fields as a

Solutions architect for example you

develop skills in areas like problem

solving project management and

Leadership this means that if you ever

decide to Pivot your career outside of

the cloud you'll have transferable

skills to make that transition easier

for you the great thing about Cloud

skills is that they're pretty highly

sought after you can use them to manage

data enhanced security or optimize it

systems in different Industries for

example Cloud security is important in

fin

and data storage is important in the

healthcare space on the other hand

though while Cloud skills can be

transferred between Industries you need

to adapt them to meet your specific role

for example working in healthcare might

require you to understand specific

regulations like Hippa if you're in the

US and this differs to General Cloud

security practices and so what I'm

saying is while the core skills are

transferable you'll still need to up

skill and tailor your skills to fit the

industry that you're in all right let's

return to the question is cloud

computing still worth learning in 2024

or is it too late to start your journey

by considering all the factors in this

video we can see that entering the cloud

space is still a smart move but it's

just not as easy as it was a few years

ago while the bar or Cloud Talent may be

rising though there are still plenty of

opportunities for those with the right

mindset Knowledge and Skills I believe

that cloud is the future and I hope

you'll join me on this journey thanks so

much for watching and check out this

playlist to start learning all right bye

for now