Cloud computing has revolutionized how organizations operate, making Cloud Architects some of the most in-demand professionals in tech. It’s a career that combines high earning potential, endless growth opportunities, and the chance to design systems that power entire businesses.
The question, of course, is how do you become one?
Well, the good news is that in this guide, I’ll show you exactly how to get there, as well as cover the essential skills, certifications, and step-by-step strategies to help you land your first Cloud Architect role.
Grab a coffee, and let’s get started!
How to become a Cloud Architect without a degree!
Just a quick heads up. The Cloud Architect role is a senior-leaning position and most people reach it after working as a Cloud Engineer, DevOps Engineer, or similar role.
This roadmap shows you how to build those skills and move into architecture over time. However, in the interests of completeness, I'm going to share all the core skills required. If you already them, feel free to skip those areas.
So let’s dive in…
Optional step. Speed up your learning
Because you're going to be learning a lot of new skills, I recommend taking a slight detour and checking out this guide or better still, this course:
![Learning to Learn [Efficient Learning]](https://images.ctfassets.net/aq13lwl6616q/6VWcUgLgG0SU55ORlILe2S/e186361aeb48561bcd19ae6486577022/Learning_to_Learn.jpg?w=1200&h=672&q=50&fm=webp&bg=transparent)
Estimated Time Required For This Step: 5.5 hours
It will teach you how how to learn using concepts you've never heard of before.
Why care?
Because it'll help you learn faster, which will then reduce the total time it takes you to learn all these other skills you'll need. (It's kind of like stopping the car to fix a flat tire, because you know it will make the whole journey much quicker and smoother).
Step #1. Build a portfolio early
The really cool thing about working in tech, is you don't need a degree to get hired (most of the time). However, you do need to prove you can do the work, and that’s where portfolios come in. You set one up and share your work there so that prospective employers can see what you’ve done and then possibly hire you.
You probably already have one, but just in case, you can learn how to set up a portfolio site here, as well as some tips on how to make yourself far more hireable:
Average time to complete: 10 days
That course also gives some other tips and tasks to do just before applying for jobs, but we’ll come back to those later on.
For now, just make sure you have your portfolio in place, so you can start working on projects as you learn new skills in the next step, and then keep adding them to it.
Step #2. Learn your core foundations
This is where you’ll spend 80% of your time in this roadmap, so don't freak out about how long it takes. Focus on just ticking them off one by one.
Chances are you probably have a few of these already. As for the others on the list, I recommend working through them in the order here, as everything ties into each prior step in some way. .
So let’s work through these…
Learn Linux
Linux is the backbone of most cloud systems, and is essential for interacting with servers, troubleshooting issues, and automating tasks.
In fact, a lot of cloud tools, such as Docker and Kubernetes are built on Linux, so understanding how Linux works will make it easier to pick up these tools later.
Estimated Time Required: 32 days.
Learn Terraform & Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
Cloud Architects don’t manually configure servers. Instead they automate everything using Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
Estimated Time Required: 20 days.
Terraform is the industry standard for provisioning and managing cloud infrastructure across AWS, Azure, and GCP. It simplifies deployments, optimizes costs, and ensures scalability, making it an essential skill for becoming a Cloud Architect.
At this point here, you could apply for DevOps roles and start getting paid. For the sake of this guide though, I’ll carry on walking you through the next steps to becoming a Cloud Architect.
Learn programming fundamentals
Python is the go-to programming language for Cloud Architects. It’s widely used for automation, scripting, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
By learning Python, you’ll be able to write scripts that automate deployments, manage infrastructure, and integrate services.
Estimated Time Required: 60 days.
If you already know Python, you could:
Either way though, you’ll need some programming skill so start with Python if you don't have a programming language under your belt yet.
Understand networking basics
Networking connects everything in the cloud, so if you want to design secure and efficient systems, you’ll need to understand:
DNS
TCP/IP
Subnets
Firewalls
and how data flows through networks
A strong foundation in networking also ensures you can design cloud architectures that are reliable, scalable, and secure, so before you can work with cloud networking tools, you need to understand how networks operate at a fundamental level.
Estimated Time Required: 28 days.
Bonus: This course also sets you up to pass the CompTIA Network+ certification, a widely recognized cybersecurity and networking credential in the industry.
Learn how databases work
Databases store and manage data, and as a Cloud Architect, you’ll work with them constantly. Understanding how SQL databases function, how data is structured, and how networks interact with databases is essential.
Estimated Time Required: 45 days.
This course will teach you how relational databases work, how to write SQL queries, and how to manage database performance which are key skills when architecting cloud-based applications.
Learn Cybersecurity basics
Security is a top priority in cloud architecture. While earlier steps have already covered IAM, encryption, and firewalls, now it’s time to go deeper into securing cloud environments, monitoring for vulnerabilities, and ensuring compliance with industry regulations like GDPR and HIPAA.
Estimated Time Required: 30 days.
By understanding security best practices, you’ll ensure the systems you design are safe, compliant, and resilient against cyber threats.
Learn System Design
At some point, every system needs to scale. Whether it's a small startup that suddenly goes viral or a large enterprise processing millions of transactions a day. However, the way a system is designed determines whether it runs smoothly or crashes under pressure.
Estimated Time Required: 40 days.
It's important to understand how traditional architectures handle scalability, availability, performance, and cost optimization as these principles still apply when building in the cloud.
(This knowledge also helps when migrating on-premises systems to cloud environments).
Speaking of which...
Apply networking concepts in the cloud
Now that you understand how traditional systems are designed, it’s time to learn how they apply in the cloud environment.
This course introduces AWS-specific networking tools and teaches you how to configure secure cloud networks using VPCs, subnets, security groups, and IAM roles.
Estimated Time Required: 18 days.
Once you've got the basics down, now it's time for the more advanced cloud features.
Further explore cloud platforms
At this stage, you’ve covered networking, security, and system design, and you now understand how cloud systems are structured.
Now you’ll explore more advanced AWS features, such as:
Auto-scaling to handle spikes in traffic
Serverless computing to reduce infrastructure management overhead
Database migrations to move large-scale applications into the cloud efficiently
Estimated Time Required: 28 days.
Total time for all courses so far: 10 months
You now have all the relevant skills required for the Cloud Architect role. You just need to build out some relevant experience before you apply for jobs, which brings us to our next step.
Step #3. Get some hands on experience and build on the Cloud
This is where you put everything you’ve learned into practice, and build some cloud-specific projects for your portfolio. This will give you concrete proof of your abilities to showcase to employers. (You should also have other projects in there to showcase your other skill sets, but these are so you have relevant direct experience).
However, before diving into projects, it’s essential to understand how cloud systems should be designed. The good news is AWS has your back here.
Learn the AWS Well-Architected Framework
The AWS Well-Architected Framework provides a roadmap for creating secure, scalable, and cost-effective architectures.
Its six pillars:
Operational excellence
Security
Reliability
Performance efficiency
Cost optimization, and
Sustainability
All help ensure that your designs meet both technical and business requirements, so go ahead and give that a read. Then we'll apply what you've learned.
Create some guided cloud projects
Guided projects are a great way to build confidence and apply the Well-Architected Framework principles.
The good news is I have a few of these for you to try out.
First off, Amazon offers tutorials for deploying web apps, setting up secure databases, and using serverless tools like AWS Lambda.
After those, you can check out my tutorial that shows you how to build an end-to-end web app in AWS from start to finish.
Estimated Time Required: 1 day.
This project will teach you how to apply all of the concepts you’ve learned so far.
Build and enhance your own projects
If you really want to stand out to interviewers then once you’ve completed guided projects, I recommend moving on to building unique projects of your own.
Potential own cloud projects ideas could be:
Migrating an existing app to the cloud: Show your ability to integrate existing systems with cloud platforms
Optimizing for scalability and efficiency: Use tools like auto-scaling and load balancing to handle increased traffic or reduce costs
Creating hybrid or multi-cloud solutions: Design systems that combine AWS with Azure or Google Cloud to meet specific needs
Enhancing security and monitoring: Implement IAM policies, CloudWatch logs, and compliance standards for real-world scenarios
Estimated Time Required: 7-14 days.
Remember that these projects don’t need to be from scratch. You could take previous projects in your portfolio and then add a cloud spin on them.
Step #4. Get Cloud certified
Cloud certifications are highly respected in the industry, and are often listed as a requirement for Cloud Architect roles. And because we’re almost at the stage to start applying for jobs, we need to get those certifications now.
The good news is we’ve covered 3 courses already earlier in this roadmap that are specifically designed to help you pass 3 core certifications:
And the bonus CompTIA Network+ Security exam
You have all the knowledge to pass them. You should just need to sit the exams.
I recommend giving them a quick watch through and taking the practice exam projects inside the courses list. Then take their corresponding exams. (You’ll find links to them inside those courses).
Step #5. Get job ready
Alright, it's almost time to apply for jobs. However, before we apply, we want to make the best first impression that we can, and it involves 3 things:
Make sure that your LinkedIn profile is looking professional and up to date. Even if you don't use the platform to apply for jobs, potential employers may look on there to check you out. Not to mention, you can even get approached by headhunters and get job offers with you even applying!
Create a one-page resume for applications. Some will ask you to submit it when you apply online, so get one made
Tidy up your portfolio of your project work. Companies are going to want proof that you can do the work required, so it’s important to have a portfolio of projects you’ve completed. Hopefully you’ve been keeping on top of this as you’ve been going through each course!
The good news?
Dan Schifano’s personal branding course that we mentioned way back in Step #2 that taught you how to build a portfolio, also covers all this and more to help you get hired, so check that out again and do those tasks.
Then it’s time to apply for jobs!
Step #6. Apply for jobs
Tech role interviews are a little different to other job interviews, in that you’ll often be asked to solve specific questions around your role to prove you have the basic understanding of how to do it.
If you're a ZTM member, then I HIGHLY recommend you check our Andrei's new course on getting hired at your dream job:
Estimated Time Required For This Step: 12 days.
He covers all this in far more detail, including his technique to get a 90% interview success rate!
If you're not a ZTM member, we have a guide on applying for tech roles and acing the tech interview, but here are a few extra tips also.
Remember that tech jobs are more than just tech skills
In addition to the technical know-how that you’ve built up through courses and certifications, interviewers will be evaluating your soft skills and how well you can communicate, so:
Be prepared with examples showing how you’ve collaborated with co-workers or led teams or projects in the past
Be able to explain the decisions you made for the projects in your portfolio and discuss various trade-offs that you made
Make sure to demonstrate strong communication skills in writing and during the interviews (whether virtual or in-person)... Even very basic things like using proper grammar and having no spelling mistakes, sending a thank you email within 24 hours of your interview, etc
Make sure to have specific examples of how you’ve solved problems
It's worth noting that for this role, you’ll likely get a lot of scenario-based questions, such as:
How do you architect something in a way that’s highly available?
How do you ensure applications can be recovered quickly in the event of a failure?
How do you protect your systems and data?
The company needs to save money on a cloud computing platform; what do you do?
You may also get some basic questions relating to the specific cloud provider, such as how a particular computing service works, or the performance differences in databases.
Important: For all questions, just make sure that you have a solid understanding of the pros, cons, and trade-offs of a particular approach, as this shows problem solving, flexibility, and adaptability.
For example
Just because you know the best way to theoretically do something, it might not be the best way for that company, as they don’t have the budget for it.
With this in mind, make sure that you can articulate why you would do things one way or the other, and have lots of examples up your sleeve.
Don’t skip the usual interview prep
Like any other kind of interview, it’s always good to:
Research the company. Learn what you can about their needs and why they’re hiring for your role
Learn what you can about the people you’ll be interviewing with, and what their potential areas of focus will be. You can always ask when they offer the interview, and they will happily let you know
Practice, practice, practice. Do a mock interview with friends or family, or even just interview yourself, speaking your answers out loud. It’s amazing the difference this makes, and how much more polished you’ll be on the big day
Be on time (or even a little bit early) for the interview
Dress the part. Figure out the norm for the company’s culture (jeans and T-shirt or more professional?) and dress to fit in. If you’re unsure, err on the side of dressing up
Do all this, and you’ll smash the interview and get the job.
Estimated Time Required For This Step: 30-60 days. Mainly because it takes a little while to prep, find roles, apply, interview etc. You could find something right away but not actually close final interviews for 30 days after.
At this point though it's just a case of applying and then blowing them away with your skills. You've got this!
Start your Cloud Architect career today!
So there you have it. The entire roadmap to becoming a Cloud Architect within the next 12 months, or sooner.
This is a seriously great career to get into right now, with high demand, a great salary, and interesting topics to learn. Also, it’s not that difficult to learn, you just have to work your way through the steps.
Speaking of which…
P.S.
Want some great news? All of the courses I’ve mentioned above are all part of the Zero To Mastery Academy.
This means that if you become a ZTM member, then you have access to all of these courses right away and will have everything you need in one place. All inside of a single membership of either $49 a month, $299 for the year, or $1,299 for lifetime access to all courses.
Plus, as part of your membership, you'll get to join me and 1,000s of other people (some who are alumni mentors and others who are taking the same courses that you will be) in the ZTM Discord.
You can ask questions, help others, or just network with other tech professionals.
So what are you waiting for 😀? Come join me and get started on becoming a Cloud Architect today!
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