Google Cloud Platform Courses And Careers Guide: Become A Cloud Expert

Lowell McAdam, former chairman and CEO of Verizon Communications, once quoted, “Cloud computing is the third wave of the digital revolution.” 

Cloud computing has transformed the way businesses store and access their data. With more and more companies adopting cloud services, the demand for cloud computing skills is also increasing. 

As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of computer and information technology occupations is estimated to grow by 12 percent from 2018 to 2028. Moreover, these occupations are likely to add about 5,46,200 new jobs. The demand for these jobs will come from a greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data, and information security.

With so many different Cloud computing careers and courses to explore, you might not be able to decide which is the right one for you. Moreover, learning Cloud computing can seem confusing, especially when you are just starting your journey. Which is why we did our best to give you the most comprehensive Google Cloud Platform Courses and career guide here. This guide would set a framework that can help you learn Cloud computing and become a Cloud expert.

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing involves storing and accessing data and programs over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing. It refers to the delivery of services, such as data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software through the Internet. 

Cloud computing allows users to save and access information remotely in the cloud or a virtual space. Instead of saving data onto local hard drives, users store files and applications on remote servers and then access all the data through the Internet. Nowadays, many big giants like Google Cloud Platform, Amazon Web Services, Cloudera, and Microsoft Azure are into cloud computing. Many startups are also choosing to move their infrastructure to the cloud.

Benefits of Cloud Computing

1. Reduced Cost

Instead of buying and maintaining physical data centers and servers, you just need to pay for cloud services you use. You will not have to invest in hardware, utilities, or data centers to grow your business. 

2. Security

Typically, data is stored in the cloud in an encrypted manner that would need to be cracked before an intruder could access it. Moreover, the security measures undertaken by cloud provider companies are more robust. Cloud storage is, thus, considered safer than storing data in local hard drives.

3. Scalability

Companies can increase or reduce their cloud capacity without investing in physical infrastructure. With the cloud, you can easily run your business more efficiently and scale it as the needs change. It enables the companies to quickly scale up/down their IT departments, as per the business requirement. 

4. Disaster Recovery

One of the major concerns for all companies nowadays is data loss. While it is sometimes not possible for people to recover the data from PCs and laptops, it is not the case with Cloud. Cloud-based services provide quick data recovery for different emergencies, such as natural disasters and power outages.

5. Efficient Collaboration

You can use the cloud to provide access to the files to team members, give employees, contractors, and third parties. In organizations with employees working from different locations, it becomes easier to view and share information easily and securely across a cloud-based platform.

Moving ahead, we will list the skills and certifications necessary to become a cloud expert. We have also listed the types of jobs that are available if you decide to head down this career path.

What is the Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

Google is one of the top cloud computing vendors. Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is a multi-layered secure infrastructure that allows users to create business solutions with the help of modular web services. GCP offers a variety of services including IaaS and PaaS solutions.

It offers an array of services for computing, storage, and application development that run on Google hardware. GCP services can be accessed by software developers, cloud administrators as well as other IT professionals over the internet.

Careers in Cloud Computing

Here are some of the job titles related to Cloud Computing:

• Cloud Architect
• Cloud Developer
• DevOps Engineer
• Architect (Hybrid and Multi-Cloud)
• Data Analyst 
• Data Engineer
• Cloud API Engineer
• Security Engineer
• Collaboration Engineer

As per Forbes, spending on public cloud infrastructure as service hardware and software was forecasted to reach $38B and it is likely to grow to $173B in 2026.

This is a great industry to get into for professionals. Cloud professionals can easily land into a high-paying job. But, before you enter the field of cloud computing, you will need to pick up a few skills that will enhance your options at getting the best job.

Google Cloud Platform Courses 

With more and more organizations moving their data to GCP, there is a rise in the demand for GCP training. Here are some Google Cloud Platform courses that we recommend you take a look at. 

These courses will help equip you with all the necessary skills and will teach you how to implement, deploy, migrate, and maintain applications in the cloud while also offering hands-on experience along the way.

Here are some courses for Cloud Architect Learning Path:

1. Google Cloud Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure

This course will teach you about the computing and storage services available in Google Cloud, such as Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, App Engine, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, and BigQuery. This course will also acquaint you with the important resources and policy management tools, such as the Resource Manager hierarchy and Cloud Identity and Access Management.

Course Details:

• Duration: 12 hours 
• Level: Intermediate
• Prerequisites: This course has no specific prerequisites.
• Who can do this course: Technical learners who are not already familiar with a public cloud

Course Content:

• Infrastructure 
• Application Development 
• Business Transformation 
• Security

2. Architecting with Google Compute Engine Specialization

In this 5-course specialization, you will learn to explore and deploy infrastructure components such as networks, systems, and applications services with Compute Engine. It also covers deploying practical solutions, including securely interconnecting networks, customer-supplied encryption keys, resource monitoring, and security.

Course Details: 

• Duration: 3 months
• Level: Fundamental
• Prerequisites: Before starting this specialization, you will need to complete the Google Cloud Fundamentals course or equivalent with basic proficiency with command-line tools and Linux operating systems environments and systems operations experience. 
• Who can do this specialization: Cloud Solutions Architects, DevOps Engineers, and individuals using Google Cloud to create new solutions or to integrate existing systems. 

There are 5 courses in this specialization:

Google Cloud Platform Fundamentals: Core Infrastructure

Essential Google Cloud Infrastructure: Foundation

Essential Google Cloud Infrastructure: Core Services

Elastic Google Cloud Infrastructure: Scaling and Automation

Reliable Google Cloud Infrastructure: Design and Process

3. Architecting with Google Cloud: Design and Process

This course is a great introduction to site reliability engineering or SRE. It will teach you how to design and operate Google Cloud deployments in a cost-effective manner. 

Course Details: 

• Duration: 2 days
• Level: Fundamental
• Type: Private Classroom
• Prerequisites: Completion of Architecting with Google Compute Engine, Architecting with Google Kubernetes Engine, or equivalent with basic proficiency with command-line tools and Linux operating systems environments and systems operations experience. 
• Who can do this course: Cloud Solutions Architects, Systems Operations Professionals, DevOps Engineers, Site Reliability Engineers, and IT Managers.

Course Content:

• 1 Module: Defining the Service
• 2 Module: Microservice Design and Architecture
• 3 Module: DevOps Automation
• 4 Module: Choosing Storage Solutions
• 5 Module: Google Cloud and Hybrid Network Architecture
• 6 Module: Deploying Applications to Google Cloud
• 7 Module: Designing Reliable Systems
• 8 Module: Security
• 9 Module: Maintenance and Monitoring

4. Getting Started with Google Kubernetes Engine

On completion of this course, you will become aware of how to containerize workloads in Docker containers, deploy them to Kubernetes clusters, and scale the workloads to handle increased traffic.

Course Details: 

• Duration: 10 hours
• Level: Intermediate
• Prerequisites: This course has no prerequisites. However, knowledge of application development Linux operating systems can be useful. 
• Who can do this course: Solutions developers, systems operations professionals, and solution architects. 

Course Content:

• Get acquainted with containers and Docker
• Kubernetes orchestration basics
• Deploying to Kubernetes
• Setting up continuous delivery pipelines using Kubernetes

5. Preparing for the Associate Cloud Engineer Examination

As the name suggests, this course will help you prepare for the Associate Cloud Engineer exam. It familiarizes the candidates with the domains covered by the examination. 

Course Details: 

• Duration: 8 hours
• Level: Beginner
• Prerequisites: Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform, the Linux command line, web servers, and text editors.
• Who can do this course: Those individuals who are preparing for the Associate Cloud Engineer examination with recommended experience of over 6 months and hands-on experience with GCP. 

6. Preparing for the Professional Cloud Architect Examination

This course will prepare you for the Professional Cloud Architect Examination by teaching you all the useful skills, including exam question reasoning and case comprehensions. 

Course Details: 

• Duration: 11 hours
• Level: Advanced
• Prerequisites: Completion of Architecting with GCP: Infrastructure course or equivalent on-demand courses. 
• Who can do this course: Individuals who want to take the Professional Cloud Architect certification exam. 

Course Content: 

• 1 Module: Understanding the Professional Cloud Architect Certification
• 2 Module: Sample Case Studies
• 3 Module: Designing and Implementing
• 4 Module: Optimizing and Operating
• 5 Module: Next Steps

On-Demand Google Cloud Platform Courses 

These are some more courses that enable individuals to learn online at their own pace. 

1. Site Reliability Engineering: Measuring and Managing Reliability

This course will help you learn how to quantify the reliability of the applications you build in Google Cloud Platform, to assess the risks, and to use this data to drive decision-making.

Course Details: 

• Duration: 13 hours 
• Level: Advanced
• Prerequisites: Familiarity with Google Cloud Platform, the Linux command line, web servers, and text editors.
• Who can do this course: DevOps Specialists, Software Developers, Product Managers, and Application Owners. 

Course Content: 

• Introduction to SRE
• Targeting Reliability
• Operating for Reliability
• Choosing a Good SLI
• Developing SLOs and SLIs
• Quantifying Risks to SLOs
• Consequences of SLO Misses

2. Google Cloud Platform Big Data and Machine Learning Fundamentals

This course will introduce the learners to the Big Data and Machine Learning capabilities of Google Cloud. You will also get a quick overview of Google Cloud and a deeper understanding of the data processing capabilities.

Course Details: 

• Duration:  12 hours 
• Level: Intermediate
• Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of SQL would be useful but it is not necessary. 

Course Content:

• Introduction to the Data and Machine Learning on Google Cloud Platform Specialization
• Recommending Products using Cloud SQL and Spark
• Predict Visitor Purchases Using BigQuery ML
• Create Streaming Data Pipelines with Cloud Pub/sub and Cloud Dataflow
• Classify Images with Pre-Built Models using Vision API and Cloud AutoML

3. Industrial IoT on Google Cloud Platform

This course will help you understand various topics, such as IoT architecture, sensors and devices, connecting to GCP, Ingesting, processing, and analyzing IoT data.

Course Details:

• Duration: 15 hours
• Level: Beginner
• Who can do this course: Data Analysts, Data Scientists, IoT Engineers

Course Content: 

• Welcome to Industrial IoT on GCP
• Foundations of GCP Architecture
• Sensors, Devices, and Communication
• Google Cloud IoT Platform
• Creating IoT Data Pipelines
• Analyzing Data with BigQuery
• Analyzing IoT Dataprep and Data Studio
• Optional Capstone Project

4. G Suite Administration Specialization 

This 5-course specialization offers a series of courses that will be helpful to new G Suite admins as they start their journey of managing and establishing G Suite best practices for their organization. 

Course Details: 

• Duration: 2 months
• Level: Beginner
• Who can do this specialization: Learners who want to gain fundamental skills needed to manage G Suite.

The following are some of the courses included in this specialization

• G Suite Security
• Introduction to G Suite

Besides these instructor-led and on-demand courses, Google also offers Cloud Computing Certifications. Let’s find out which are those: 

What GCP certifications are offered by Google?

There are three GCP certifications offered by Google: 

1. Associate Certification

It assesses the knowledge of individuals about fundamental skills, such as deploying, monitoring, and maintaining projects on Google Cloud. It is intended for those who are new to the cloud. 

Prerequisites: Over 6 months of experience in building on Google Cloud.

2. Professional Certification

It focuses on key technical job functions and evaluates advanced skills of individuals in design, implementation, and management.

Prerequisites: Over 3 years of industry experience, including 1+ years on Google Cloud

3. User Certification

It is designed for those who have experience in using G Suite. It assesses an individual’s ability to use core collaboration tools.

Prerequisites: The learner must have completed the Applied Digital Skills training course and G Suite Essentials quest along with over 1 month of experience on G Suite.

Google offers 10 certifications for GCP:

1. Associate Cloud Engineer
2. Professional Cloud Architect  
3. Professional Cloud Developer
4. Professional Data Engineer  
5. Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer  
6. Professional Cloud Network Engineer  
7. Professional Cloud Security Engineer  
8. Professional Collaboration Engineer
9. Professional Machine Learning EngineerBETA
10. User G Suite

Ending Note 

Cloud computing is a technology that will continue to grow with time. Cloud computing careers are in high demand and this trend doesn’t seem to slow down. For the same reason, it is considered as one of the most valuable skills to learn nowadays. 

We hope that this post has answered all your questions, like what Google Cloud Platform courses are available to learn Cloud computing? What are the career opportunities after learning Cloud computing? Just follow through this guide to get a head start in your journey to becoming a cloud expert!

We are positive that these Google Cloud Platform courses and career guide will help you in understanding how to be a cloud expert as well as in choosing the best career path to enter the field of cloud computing.

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