The Realities of a Cloud Engineering Career: 5 Things to Consider
Four years ago, the allure of a junior AWS cloud engineer role drew me in. While I still find the work rewarding, there are crucial aspects potential cloud engineers should be aware of before diving in. This article explores five important considerations for anyone contemplating a career in cloud engineering.
1. The Burnout Hamster Wheel
The Ever-Expanding Workload
One of the most frustrating challenges for cloud engineers is the constant pressure of an ever-increasing workload. It's like being an air traffic controller at an airport that suddenly transforms into a major international hub, handling exponentially more traffic without a corresponding increase in resources or staff. The expectations rise significantly, leading to immense stress.
A Day in the Life
Consider a typical day: a critical system alert at 3:00 a.m., followed by meetings with development teams, troubleshooting security vulnerabilities, and reviewing architectural changes, all while feeling the urgency from every team. Cloud engineers need a broad understanding of networking, security, development tools, automation, and cost optimization.
The Pressure Cooker
Some companies prioritize efficiency over staffing, further intensifying the workload and pressure. While burnout isn't unique to cloud engineering, it's a significant risk that new entrants should prepare for.
2. The Misunderstood Role: "Are You Really Coding?"
The Conductor Analogy
Cloud engineers, like orchestra conductors, orchestrate various digital "instruments" (networking, security, Linux, software development) to create a cohesive performance. They juggle responsibilities, ensuring network security, optimizing database performance, and managing infrastructure as code.
The Perception Problem
However, they may face dismissive attitudes from developers or other roles who perceive infrastructure work as simple "click ops." This misunderstanding extends to recruiters who may question their coding abilities.
Consequences and Advocacy
This undervaluation affects career advancement and salary levels. It's crucial to advocate for your skills and combat these perceptions to ensure proper recognition of your expertise.
3. The Relentless Pace of Change
The Ever-Changing Kitchen
Cloud providers constantly release updates and new services. It's like being a chef whose kitchen is constantly being redesigned with new equipment and features that must be mastered quickly.
Breadth and Depth of Knowledge
Cloud engineers must stay on top of these changes, requiring both depth and breadth of knowledge. One day you might be working on Terraform configurations, the next updating security protocols. The cloud industry is still evolving, with best practices constantly being redefined.
Hybrid Cloud Complexity
The increasing adoption of hybrid cloud environments adds another layer of complexity, requiring engineers to work across multiple platforms while maintaining specialist knowledge in their primary cloud platform.
4. Lack of Control: The Locked-Down Race Car
The Race Car Mechanic Analogy
Imagine being a lead mechanic for a racing team, hired for your expertise, but the car's core systems are locked down by the manufacturer. You can diagnose issues, but you can't directly fix the root cause.
Cloud Provider Limitations
Cloud engineers operate in a middle layer, managing services built on the cloud but unable to access the cloud provider's underlying infrastructure.
Expectations vs. Reality
The problem arises when business stakeholders expect cloud engineers to fix any cloud-related issue, even those beyond their control. This creates immense pressure during outages, where the best a cloud engineer can often do is provide updates from the provider. This disconnect between expectations and capabilities can lead to frustration and perceived incompetence.
5. Is Cloud Engineering Right For You?
Key Factors for Success
Cloud engineering is suitable for individuals who are:
- Comfortable with constant learning.
- Enjoy the unpredictability and unstructuredness of the job.
- Deal well in high-pressure situations.
The Rewarding Side
Despite the challenges, cloud engineering can be a rewarding career. The technical challenges, the constant learning, and the exposure to diverse IT areas are significant positives. For many, the benefits outweigh the negatives.