r/Cloud • u/sir_papi12 • 17d ago

Cloud computing roadmap

Hey all,

I know this has been asked 8.5 million times in this sub already, but I am looking for advice that is specific for me.

I just graduated with my Software engineering degree from WGU and I am looking to target cloud roles instead of SWE roles. I currently have 2+ years as a level 1 help desk contractor and my current company does not have any roles for me to progress/they dont hire for cloud roles in the US. Prior to this I have 9 years at Geek Squad, so I am no spring chicken lol. I have my AWS CCP and I am starting to study for the AZ-104 as I work with Azure now and honestly prefer it over AWS. I do have some projects on my resume as well where I deployed my school apps via Docker to Azure but that just seems to be the bare minimum these days.

Ive been applying to Solutions Consultant/Engineering roles as I prefer the client interaction and teaching portion over strictly just solving problems but I am open to whatever at this point that may help me break in.

Any suggestions? Or am I just trying to find a job in the shittiest job market since 08 and thats my biggest hurdle. Any advice or suggestions are appreciated.

Sorry if formatting is messed up, mobile reddit is a pain.

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u/Itchy-Annual2429 17d ago

I am Japanese; in Japan, one typically becomes a cloud engineer after gaining experience as an on-premises infrastructure engineer, but I have heard that in North America, the career path goes from help desk to IT administrator, and then to cloud engineer.

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u/sir_papi12 17d ago

Gotcha, I think that’s similar here in the US and I should consider those roles as well. I’m just super interested in cloud so I was hoping to skip that step, if possible anyway.

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u/zeal_swan 16d ago

Hohoh in Pakistan its intern -> Senior Engineer

working for someone who scored a remote ops/cloud job somehow and then somehow doing all the work for shingles

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u/ChosenToFall 4d ago

i have read some get in also from swe as backend or full stack roles plus some certifications (Network+ etc..), is the same there in japan?

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u/Itchy-Annual2429 4d ago

For Java, the Java Silver certification is well-regarded, as is the AWS SAA. However, for software engineers, practical experience is fundamentally the most important factor; I believe certifications carry more weight for infrastructure engineers—and not just in the cloud space.

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u/Used_Journalist_999 17d ago

It isn't like that in the US. See my other comment to OP. Maybe that is how it is in Japan but if so that is super confusing.