Becoming a cloud computing professional is a great way to break into the tech world and help support and innovate cloud services around the world. But to land that first job, the first hurdle to overcome is to submit a strong resume that proves you’re the right person for the job.
So, how do you stand out amongst the crowd? Before you can run, you have to walk and to create that amazing cloud computing resume, you need to first know the details and foundations of a standard resume.
Foundations of a Strong Resume
Think about a resume as an introduction. Resumes (or CVs) are how you demonstrate how suitable you are for both the company and their vacancy; we can separate them into the following sections: contact details, introduction, education, experience and skills.
Contact details: provide your full name, email address, and phone number; you can include your LinkedIn profile as well.
Tip: when applying for a job, give an email that reflects your professionalism and name.
Summary statement: to spark the interest of a hiring manager, you should create a short summary of no more than three concise sentences that shows who you are and what you bring to their company.
Tip: although brief, this section is a moment to showcase you, so it should contain action verbs and captivating language.
Education: outline your current and past studies and remember to include information about your degree, concentrations, and any academic achievements; list them in order from most to least recent and make sure to only mention relevant programs.
Tip: if you are new to the field, you can mention any coursework that aligns with the position to which you’re applying.
Experience: this section refers to your work experience and for each position, remember to include the name of the company, your responsibilities, the location, and the duration of your employment.
Tip: employ strong verbs that demonstrate the dynamism of your time there and include concrete data like establishing a network for your office that proves your value on the team.
Skills: thanks to your education and experience, you have accumulated skill sets that will be useful at your next job; you can list both hard and soft skills here.
Tip: to prove that you’re the right person for the position, showcase your appropriate certifications and personal skills.
Why are resumes important?
You may be wondering what makes a resume so important and the answer is simple: companies want to hire a suitable candidate. But how can they determine that you are, in fact, the right fit? A resume serves as an introduction for companies so that they can compare the candidate with what the role requires and make a final decision. Resumes seek to:
Prove you’re the right fit: sitting in front of the recruiter, your resume details all of your professional information and with that in mind, they can compare your profile to what the job requires.
Sell yourself: the skills and experiences you have make you unique and your resume is where you have the opportunity to brag wholeheartedly on a single page.
Move you towards landing the job: your resume may just be a snapshot but if you catch their attention, they will be yearning for more from you. The next step in the hiring process is the interview and instead of just a picture, they’ll have the opportunity to watch an entire movie.
Resumes for Cloud Computing Professionals
According to Linkedin, the job market for cloud computing-related positions is estimated to reach $832.1 billion by 2025 and has an annual growth rate of 30%. Although there are plenty of openings for jobs such as cloud architect, cloud engineer, cloud security specialist, and cloud developer, it’s essential that your resume boasts who you are and what you can offer the company. You may be thinking in a field with so much growth, it’ll be simple for me to land a job; however, landing your ideal job depends on crafting a stellar resume. If you don’t, how will recruiters and hiring managers know that you have what it takes to fill the role?
Types of resumes in cloud computing
Although there are many ways to make your resume unique and special, most share a similar structure and format. The three main styles of resumes are the following:
Reverse-chronological resume: when you think of resumes, this is the format that would most likely come to mind. The structure of a reverse chronological resume lists your work experience from most to least recent and as a result, puts the spotlight on your current employment and coursework. Although this type is great for those with more experience and consistent employment, those professionals that have more gaps in their resume may have more success with one of the other types.
Functional resumes: instead of putting weight on the quantity of experience you have, functional resumes shift the focus onto your skills and overall suitability for the job. We know that it is not the traditional resume you’ve heard about; however, by concentrating on what you can bring to the table, you can make the resume less about your employment history and more about just you.
Combination resume: combining these two types, you outline your experiences from most to least recent and detail the skills that you most want to emphasize. This type fits well for those who want to highlight both your experience and the expertise that you accumulated along the way.
Different sections of your cloud computing resume
Now that you know what type of resume you’re going to use, the next step is to fully flesh out the four sections that showcase who you are. Given its relatively recent boom, professionals looking to enter the world of cloud computing may be side-stepping from a different career in the tech world or starting with a base in a similar field. Because of this and the cloud computing skills gap, it’s crucial to expound upon how you do in fact have the skillset to work on the cloud.
Summary statement
Not all resumes include a summary statement. If you decide not to, it will not detract from your chances of being hired; however, in the case of writing one, you must write a slam dunk of a summary statement that truly grabs the attention of a hiring manager since it’s your first impression. Your resume shares your unique story; avoid making it sound generic with your “communication skills” and instead include tangible data that boasts what you offer. Keep in mind this section is brief and consists of only two to three sentences.
Tip: concentrate on crafting an objective statement that matches what the job is asking for. For cloud computing hiring, add experience that highlights security and computing skills.
Professional experience
If you don’t have much work experience in cloud computing, remember that it’s normal given its recent boom in the last few years. Nevertheless, you can bridge this work experience gap with your education and skills from other relevant jobs. Those tasks and responsibilities that you have used daily at other jobs in other fields may catch a recruiter’s eye and when providing them with all this information, use action verbs that pop and include real data.
Tip: you never know what tasks or responsibilities at other jobs will make that recruiter move you onto the next part of the hiring process, so brainstorm and make mind maps for each job to spark unique ideas.
Educational experience
Completing a bachelor’s and/or master’s degree in computer or data science or a related field isn’t required, but it also doesn’t hurt. What’s most important is showing that you have studied tech in some capacity, whether it be a bootcamp or certification course.
It is crucial that cloud computing professionals have completed a cloud computing certification such as Google Cloud Certified- Professional Cloud Architect, AWS Certified Solutions Architect, and Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect since they show that you have expertise in using the cloud.
Tip: detail any relevant academic projects and insights you may have learned from them to demonstrate your ability to learn from your work.
Skills
Since there is a skills gap in cloud computing, your resume must show that your abilities will set you apart from the rest; to do that, list everything that you have learned from your educational and work experiences. This is an important section that will make it or break it for many recruiters, so don’t be afraid to really boast what you can do!
Technical skills: JavaScript, Python, ASP.NET, database management, DevOps, data security, cloud deployment and migration, cloud services, APIs, network management
Soft skills: project management, adaptability, problem solving skills, communication skills, process-oriented thinking, growth mindset
Tip: once you have all your skills, look for cloud computing resume samples to compare and contrast your own skills sections to others. A simple search for cloud computing engineers on LinkedIn can provide great examples and ideas to spruce up your own resume.
We know that it can be anxiety-inducing to create and design a new resume, but you can do it! Remember that you have all the tools at your disposal to make a strong, unique resume that recruiters can’t resist. Landing that dream job as a cloud computing professional is within your reach, it’s all just a matter of believing in yourself and putting the time into making your resume.
If cloud computing or other jobs catch your eye, check out one of Ironhack’s bootcamps that will start your career the right way.
