Is It Too Late to Learn Cloud Computing in 2026?

Tech With Lucy

Wondering if it’s too late to start learning cloud computing in 2026? This video explores the current demand for cloud professionals, emerging opportunities, and the best strategies to quickly gain relevant skills. Perfect for beginners and career switchers who want to stay ahead in the tech industry. ☁️💡  ▬▬▬▬ 💻 My Cloud Courses ▬▬▬▬  📦 Build Cloud Projects (Step-By-Step + Tech Support): •⁠  ⁠5 Beginner AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-b... •⁠  ⁠5 Intermediate AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-i... •⁠  ⁠5 Advanced AWS Cloud Projects: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/5-a... → More Cloud Projects: https://zerotocloud.co/courses  📚 Cert Exam Prep & Study Notes: •⁠  ⁠AWS AI Practitioner Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/ai-... •⁠  ⁠AWS Cloud Practitioner Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/clo... •⁠  ⁠Solutions Architect Associate Study Notes: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/sol... •⁠  ⁠AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Exams: https://zerotocloud.co/courses/practi... •⁠  ⁠AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams: https://zerotocloud.co/courses/practi... → More Exam Resources: https://zerotocloud.co/courses  👩‍💻 Role-based Learning Paths: •⁠  Cloud Support Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Solutions Architect: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud AI / ML Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths... •⁠  Cloud Security Engineer: https://zerotocloud.co/learning-paths...  🎥 Other Courses: •⁠  AWS Interview Mastery (Get Hired): https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/aws... •⁠  ⁠Become a Part-Time Tech YouTuber: https://www.zerotocloud.co/course/the...  ➡️ View ALL my Courses here: https://www.zerotocloud.co/courses Use Code: "YouTube10" for a discount!  ▬▬▬▬ 📲 Other Platforms ▬▬▬▬ •⁠  ⁠📸 Instagram:   / techwithlucy   •⁠  ⁠👩‍💻 LinkedIn:   / lucywang-   •⁠  ⁠🗞 Cloudbites E-Newsletter: https://www.cloudbites.ai/  ▬▬▬▬ 🙋‍♀️ About Me / Contact ▬▬▬▬ Hi, I'm Lucy, an Ex-AWS Solutions Architect. I love helping beginners and techies learn Cloud & AI. •⁠  ⁠📩 Business Inquiries: techwithlucyofficial@gmail.com •⁠  ⁠📫 Have a question? Best way is to ask in the comments!  🔔 Subscribe & turn on notifications for more videos like this!

Transcript

00:00Are you at the start of your cloud learning journey wondering if it's too late to learn AWS, Azure or

00:05Google Cloud?

00:06If so, you're not alone. The tech industry has changed drastically over the past few years.

00:10COVID led to a boom in cloud jobs and now we're seeing layoffs across the industry.

00:15Amazon alone has laid off over 27,000 employees over the past two years.

00:20Now, I don't want to start off this video by sounding all negative, so let me tell you the silver

00:24lining in all of this.

00:25As AI becomes more widespread, the demand for cloud skills will continue to grow with it.

00:30This is because AI relies heavily on cloud infrastructure to function.

00:34In fact, the cloud industry is expected to reach a $600 billion market value by the end of this year.

00:39And so, is it too late to learn cloud computing in 2024? Yes and no.

00:44In this video, we're going to explore the pros and cons of starting a cloud career and more importantly, what

00:49no one tells you about when it comes to building cloud skills.

00:52I'll be sharing five key factors to consider and provide my completely honest opinion as an ex-AWS solutions architect.

00:59For those who are new here, my name is Lucy and over the past three years, I've helped hundreds of

01:03people build their technical skills and land a job in the cloud.

01:06So, if that sounds like something you're interested in, please make sure you give this video a like and subscribe

01:11to the channel for weekly videos just like this one.

01:14I also have a free email newsletter called cloudbytes.ai where I share bite-sized learning tips on cloud and

01:20AI.

01:20So, feel free to sign up to that as well.

01:22Alright, let's get into it.

01:23First off, what is the state of cloud computing in 2024?

01:26Well, when I started my journey as an AWS solutions architect back in 2021, the industry was booming.

01:32As a result of the pandemic, many businesses were forced to move their operations online and this led to a

01:38massive increase in cloud adoption.

01:40AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud all saw significant growth in their revenue and user base.

01:46And with that, of course, met more open positions.

01:48Roles like solutions architect, cloud engineer, and cloud consultant had so many job postings.

01:54But as we all know, by the end of 2022, the landscape started to shift.

01:58Tech layoffs began to happen and one by one, companies introduced hiring freezes and some even removed entire teams and

02:05departments.

02:05At the same time, ChatGPT was released to the world, leading to even more uncertainty and fears that AI will

02:11replace tech jobs.

02:12However, what no one tells you is that cloud and AI actually go hand-in-hand to help each other.

02:17Cloud computing is part of what makes AI possible by providing scalable, cost-efficient, and accessible resources for developers.

02:24AI has also brought new services and use cases for the cloud.

02:28For example, Amazon Bedrock and Azure AI Studio were released last year to help people deploy AI models quickly and

02:34easily.

02:35Now, this is a really important point to consider because even though the cloud market appears to be mature, it

02:40doesn't mean that things will slow down in the long term.

02:43There's still plenty of room for growth, especially as AI will continue to require more and more cloud resources.

02:48What's great about this is that cloud computing skills will continue to be in demand.

02:52AWS in particular has remained the market leader for nearly 20 years.

02:56So if you're deciding which cloud provider to go for, AWS will be the one that recommend learning.

03:01However, the downside is that competition has also increased.

03:04With more people entering the cloud space, standing out can be tougher.

03:08I also need to mention that advances in AI could remove the need for some junior-level cloud skills like

03:13basic configuration, monitoring, and maintenance.

03:16Unfortunately, the bar for entry-level jobs definitely seem to be higher now because employers are looking for skills and

03:22experience that go beyond just knowing the fundamentals.

03:25And this brings us to the second key factor to consider, which is the hidden complexity of cloud computing.

03:29When I first started learning AWS, I very quickly realized that there were so many gaps in my knowledge.

03:35The cloud is much more than just learning a platform like AWS or Azure.

03:39It requires a base understanding of IT concepts like networking, compute, storage, security, and much more.

03:46What you need to know is that companies are not simply looking for someone who can spin up an EC2

03:50instance in the cloud.

03:51You should also be able to understand the underlying concepts and know how cloud computing fits in with the rest

03:57of the IT world.

03:58The advantage to this is that developing a strong foundation in cloud, IT, and AI will make you a valuable

04:04asset to companies.

04:05Of course, it's going to take more time and you might have to put in more hours than you initially

04:09expect, but the payoff will be worth it.

04:11The con to this, though, is that the learning curve can be steep, especially if you're someone completely new to

04:16tech.

04:17It can be quite easy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of knowledge you'll need to have in order to

04:21land a cloud job.

04:22Now, what I recommend doing is to set three separate study plans, one for IT, one for cloud, and one

04:28for AI.

04:28Let me know in the comments below if you'd like me to make a video on how I'd structure these

04:32plans.

04:33To build your IT skills, I'd recommend completing the Google IT Support Certification offered by Coursera.

04:39This is a program designed by Google that offers a comprehensive pathway to understand the fundamentals of IT.

04:44No prior knowledge is required and by the end of the program, you'll be equipped with the skills needed for

04:49an entry-level IT job.

04:51I'll leave a link to it in the description below if you're interested in checking it out.

04:54Now, the third key factor to consider with learning cloud computing is the limitations of certifications.

05:00What I mean by this is that certifications will only get you so far.

05:03Earning five AWS certifications was definitely something important for my own career and my learning,

05:09but certifications alone are not enough to land you a job.

05:12This is because most of the exams are simple multiple-choice quizzes and don't really assess your actual understanding of

05:18a topic.

05:18What companies really want to know when hiring a candidate is whether or not you have actual hands-on experience

05:23with working in the cloud.

05:25This could be in the form of personal projects, internships, or even freelance work.

05:29Now that you know about the limitations of cloud certifications, it's definitely something you can take advantage of.

05:35Instead of spending months preparing for multiple certs, build cloud projects as soon as you can.

05:40These projects can then be put on your resume or portfolio to showcase your hands-on skills.

05:44One drawback to this is that it can be hard to know what projects to build.

05:48Certifications can at least provide you with a structured learning roadmap, but where do you even start for cloud projects?

05:54To help with this, I've created a course called Beginner AWS Cloud Projects, where I provide the complete step-by

06:00-step guide to creating five unique cloud projects on AWS.

06:03It's something you can complete in just a weekend, and I have the detailed instructions all packed inside.

06:08There's also a Slack community included for you to ask questions if you've run into any issues with building.

06:14I'll have a link to it in the description below for you to have a look, and you can use

06:17the code YouTube10 for 10% off.

06:19The next factor I wanted to mention is the need for continuous learning.

06:23Everyone working in the cloud has to play the long game, because as cheesy as it sounds, it's about the

06:28journey, not the destination.

06:30The benefit to this is being able to stay updated with the latest technologies and trends.

06:34You'll always be equipped with fresh skills that are in demand, and you won't fall behind if you keep learning

06:39and adapting.

06:40Plus, if you have a real interest or passion for tech, it can be really fun to learn through conferences,

06:45by building side projects, and expanding your skills in your spare time.

06:49Of course, the con to this is if you don't like the idea of continuous learning.

06:52To some of you, it may sound exciting, but for others, it can be quite exhausting.

06:57Cloud providers are constantly introducing new services and updates, so it could feel like a never-ending cycle.

07:03This can be challenging, especially if you're balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.

07:07But to be completely honest with you, most fields in tech are like this, and it's not something really unique

07:13to cloud.

07:13The good news is that all the skills you build will be transferable in some way or another.

07:18And that's what I want to discuss with you in this final factor.

07:21The final factor to consider is the value of transferable skills.

07:24Now, one of the biggest advantages of learning cloud technologies is that the skills you develop aren't just limited to

07:30one industry.

07:31They're going to be applicable across a whole range of fields.

07:34As a solutions architect, for example, you develop skills in areas like problem solving, project management, and leadership.

07:40This means that if you ever decide to pivot your career outside of the cloud, you'll have transferable skills to

07:45make that transition easier for you.

07:47The great thing about cloud skills is that they're pretty highly sought after.

07:51You can use them to manage data, enhance security, or optimize IT systems in different industries.

07:57For example, cloud security is important in finance, and data storage is important in the healthcare space.

08:02On the other hand, though, while cloud skills can be transferred between industries, you'll need to adapt them to meet

08:08your specific role.

08:08For example, working in healthcare might require you to understand specific regulations like HIPAA, if you're in the US, and

08:15this differs to general cloud security practices.

08:18And so, what I'm saying is, while the core skills are transferable, you'll still need to upskill and tailor your

08:23skills to fit the industry that you're in.

08:25Alright, let's return to the question, is cloud computing still worth learning in 2024, or is it too late to

08:31start your journey?

08:32By considering all the factors in this video, we can see that entering the cloud space is still a smart

08:37move, but it's just not as easy as it was a few years ago.

08:40While the bar for cloud talent may be rising though, there are still plenty of opportunities for those with the

08:45right mindset, knowledge, and skills.

08:47I believe that cloud is the future, and I hope you'll join me on this journey.

08:51Thanks so much for watching, and check out this playlist to start learning.

08:54Alright, bye for now!

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