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 guide 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 have some of 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 days
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 that you don't necessarily need a degree to get hired. However, you do need to prove you can do the work, and that's where portfolios come in.
Set up a GitHub account where you can share your projects, infrastructure configurations, and documentation with potential employers.
For now, just make sure you have somewhere to showcase your work, so you can start adding projects as you learn new skills in the next step.
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.
Learn programming fundamentals
Python is a useful programming language for Cloud Architects, particularly for scripting, automation, and working with cloud APIs.
You don't need to become an expert Python developer, but understanding how to write and troubleshoot scripts will help you automate routine tasks and work more effectively with cloud infrastructure.
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 introduced networking and security fundamentals, now it's time to understand common vulnerabilities, how attackers exploit them, and the strategies used to protect systems and data.
These fundamentals will help you make better security decisions when designing cloud infrastructure. You'll then need to apply them using cloud-specific tools such as IAM, encryption, and network security controls.
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 cloud fundamentals, including networking concepts such as Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), alongside security services, Identity and Access Management (IAM), compute, storage, and databases.
It gives you a foundation in AWS before moving on to more advanced cloud architecture concepts.
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've now built a strong foundation in the technical skills needed for Cloud Architecture. However, knowing how these technologies work is only part of the job. You also need experience designing solutions, making architectural decisions, and understanding the trade-offs involved.
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 give you practical experience combining multiple AWS services to build and deploy a working web application.
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 a great way to validate your skills and demonstrate your knowledge to potential employers.
The good news is we've already covered three courses that can help you prepare for relevant certifications:
And the bonus CompTIA Network+ Security exam
If you're aiming for a Cloud Architect role, I'd prioritize AWS Solutions Architect – Associate.
Before booking your exam, review the current exam objectives, revisit any areas you're unsure about, and work through practice questions and exams to check your readiness.
Remember that certifications help demonstrate your knowledge, but they don't replace hands-on experience designing and working with cloud infrastructure.
Step #5. 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: 5 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.
Before you start applying, make sure your LinkedIn profile and resume are up to date, and that your portfolio showcases your strongest cloud projects. Ideally, you want to demonstrate not just what you've built, but why you made particular architectural decisions and how you approached security, scalability, reliability, and cost.
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. A step-by-step guide to building the skills you need to become a Cloud Architect.
You can learn the technical foundations within the next 12 months, but moving into an architecture role will usually take additional hands-on experience working with cloud infrastructure.
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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