Many companies are making the move to the cloud. In fact, according to IDG’s 2020 Cloud Computing Study, 92% of organizations say their IT environment is in the cloud to some extent today.

That kind of growth in a tech field calls for the expertise from cloud enablement professionals. Besides actual cloud computing skills, consider looking for these abilities in a prospective candidate. These are the most common skills I see in the 33,000+ cloud candidates we have in our database.

1. Database skills

According to some, data is becoming the most valuable commodity on Earth. The more connected we are, the greater amount of data we create. And companies want to capitalize on that information, which is fueling the demand for professionals with the skills to manage, store and access data.

Most of these databases are hosted on cloud platforms, requiring someone who knows a querying language and an associated database platform. The standard is SQL, but MySWL, MongoDB or Hadoop are also common.

2. Programming skills

Cloud computing is said to take developers to a whole new level. Not only can they build, deploy and manage applications, but with the cloud, they can do it quickly and scale it easily.

In the last couple of years, programming languages like Perl, Python and Ruby have been the most prevalent in the cloud ecosystem. Traditional languages like PHP, Java and .NET continue to also be popular.

3. DevOps

The Developmental Operations (or DevOps) method of software development is very popular because it takes the entire software lifecycle into account. And it’s an even more popular framework in cloud computing. So, it’s important to look for a professional who understands what DevOps is and can work with it.

4. Quality Assurance

You need a professional on your team that understands how important it is to check the quality of your cloud computing by testing embedded applications and big data. Those with Quality Assurance skills can foresee bugs and fix them from the very beginning and explore methods for effective testing automation, improving the entire process.

5. Information Security

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional is one of the most sought-after certifications in the world of cloud computing. A professional with this credential has knowledge of identity and access management, asset security and software development security. And these days, when it comes to information security, handling it properly is paramount for your business. In fact, according to Burning Glass, the projected growth within the Cyber/Information Security Engineer/Analyst job is 29%.

Want to learn more about the cloud market and how to hire cloud talent? Check out our brand-new cloud eBook.

And now that you’re armed with what skills to look for, it’s time to search for a cloud professional. I know it’s tough because they are in high demand, with a low supply of skilled workers. But we’re here to help! Contact us if you’re struggling to find the right cloud candidates.