Which Cloud Career Path Suits You Best?

How the Quiz Works

1. Answer Each Question: Below, you’ll find 10 questions, each with multiple-choice answers (A to H). Select the option that best describes you.

2. Track Your Answers: Note which letter(s) you pick for each question.

3. Score by Role: Each letter corresponds to a specific cloud career path. Tally how many times each letter appears.

4. Read Your Result: Jump to the “Results Section” to learn about the role(s), required skills, and recommended next steps.

5. Share on LinkedIn: After finishing, head to Cloud Jobs UK on LinkedIn to post your outcome—compare with peers to spark new conversations and networking.

Question-to-Role Key

We’ve identified eight popular cloud computing roles in this quiz:

• A: Cloud Solutions Architect

• B: Cloud DevOps Engineer

• C: Cloud Security Specialist

• D: Cloud Data Engineer

• E: Cloud Software Developer

• F: Cloud Infrastructure / Operations

• G: Cloud Product / Project Manager

• H: Cloud Sales & Business Development

(If torn between two answers, pick the one that best fits your interests, or note both if you truly can’t decide.)

The Quiz

1. Which part of cloud computing excites you the most?

• A. Designing end-to-end architectures—deciding which services fit best (compute, storage, networking) for resilience and scalability.

• B. Building CI/CD pipelines, automating deployments, and ensuring everything runs smoothly from code commit to production.

• C. Safeguarding cloud environments—detecting threats, patching vulnerabilities, and enforcing compliance frameworks.

• D. Moving large data flows to the cloud—constructing ETL processes, setting up data lakes, and building analytics pipelines.

• E. Writing and optimising code for cloud-native apps or serverless back-ends, focusing on performance and maintainability.

• F. Managing day-to-day cloud operations—monitoring, troubleshooting, patching, and capacity planning for stable services.

• G. Coordinating project teams, deadlines, and requirements, shaping cloud solutions that meet both technical and business goals.

• H. Presenting cloud services to potential clients, forging deals, and cultivating partnerships to grow revenue.

2. Which daily task would give you the greatest sense of fulfilment?

• A. Consulting stakeholders, drawing architecture diagrams, and picking the right combination of compute, storage, and networking. (A)

• B. Tweaking a Jenkins pipeline, setting up Kubernetes clusters, or running automated tests to ensure reliable, continuous deployments. (B)

• C. Auditing cloud environments against best practices, hardening IAM policies, or responding to a security incident. (C)

• D. Migrating a data warehouse to the cloud, building streaming data ingestion, or implementing big data analytics solutions. (D)

• E. Writing microservice APIs, debugging serverless functions, or improving code that runs in container-based services. (E)

• F. Overseeing health dashboards, investigating performance bottlenecks, or optimising resource usage across VMs. (F)

• G. Collecting requirements, tracking sprints, and orchestrating cross-team collaboration for a new cloud-based product launch. (G)

• H. Reaching out to prospective clients, crafting proposals for cloud migrations, or negotiating contracts for big enterprise deals. (H)

3. Which background or skill set best describes you?

• A. You have a broad technical foundation—understanding networks, servers, storage, and how to piece them together at scale.

• B. You come from a DevOps or sysadmin background, loving automation tools (Terraform, Ansible, Chef) and container orchestration (K8s).

• C. You have a cybersecurity or compliance foundation, focusing on encryption, IAM, threat detection, and incident response.

• D. You have data engineering or analytics experience, comfortable with ETL, databases, Hadoop/Spark, or data streaming.

• E. You’re a developer proficient in languages like Python, Java, or Node.js, focusing on microservices or serverless solutions.

• F. You’ve handled IT infrastructure—Linux/Windows servers, virtualisation, networking—naturally migrating these skills to cloud ops.

• G. You’ve led tech projects or product lines, balancing user stories, feature prioritisation, and team collaboration.

• H. You’re a natural salesperson or strategic partner developer, bridging customer needs with cloud offerings, often with quotas or targets.

4. In a new cloud project, which role would you jump at first?

• A. The architecture lead—mapping out how each piece of the puzzle (compute, database, networking) fits together. (A)

• B. The DevOps champion—building or refining the pipeline, ensuring code automatically deploys without downtime. (B)

• C. The security advocate—setting up WAFs, configuring IAM roles, scanning containers for vulnerabilities. (C)

• D. The data pipeline architect—extracting data from multiple sources, loading into a data lake, then transforming it for analytics. (D)

• E. The developer—writing serverless functions, refining REST APIs, or crafting an event-driven architecture. (E)

• F. The ops engineer—monitoring logs, provisioning new instances, ensuring SLAs are met. (F)

• G. The project manager—scheduling tasks, clarifying requirements, ensuring the team meets milestones. (G)

• H. The account manager—pitching the solution to clients, customising deals, and ensuring mutual success. (H)

5. Which tools or platforms do you find most appealing?

• A. AWS Solution Architect tools, Azure Architecture Centre, or GCP reference architectures, focusing on best practices for multi-tier apps.

• B. Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, Kubernetes, Docker—anything that keeps Dev and Ops flowing seamlessly.

• C. Security services (AWS KMS, Azure Security Centre), pen-testing tools, or identity management (Azure AD, Okta).

• D. Data warehousing solutions (BigQuery, Redshift), Spark/Hadoop, or real-time streaming (Kafka, Kinesis).

• E. Cloud SDKs (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions, Google Cloud Run), coding in Python/Go, or frameworks for microservices.

• F. Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, CloudFormation), monitoring stacks (Grafana, Prometheus), or load-balancing solutions (NGINX, ELB).

• G. Jira/Confluence for agile planning, Slack for communication, Gantt charts, and stakeholder feedback sessions.

• H. CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot), pitch decks, partner portals, ROI calculators for cloud migrations.

6. Which scenario do you handle best under pressure?

• A. Quickly re-architecting a solution for high availability when traffic spikes, ensuring no single point of failure. (A)

• B. Fixing a broken CI/CD pipeline, rolling back changes, patching scripts, or re-deploying containers to restore service. (B)

• C. Investigating a security breach—determining root cause, invalidating compromised credentials, patching vulnerabilities. (C)

• D. Resolving data flow errors, cleaning up corrupt streams, or re-running batch jobs so analytics remain accurate. (D)

• E. Debugging production code or tweaking a serverless function’s concurrency limits under tight deadlines. (E)

• F. Scaling up infrastructure—allocating more compute instances or storage, balancing cost and performance to maintain uptime. (F)

• G. Revising the project plan if engineering hits a snag, juggling resources, and resetting stakeholder expectations. (G)

• H. Facing tough negotiations with a key client, adjusting the commercial proposal to seal the deal without undermining profitability. (H)

7. On a typical weekend, how might you deepen your cloud skills or knowledge?

• A. Experimenting with a multi-cloud reference architecture—like setting up a hybrid approach bridging on-prem and public cloud. (A)

• B. Building a personal project that uses Terraform or Helm charts to spin up an entire microservices environment in minutes. (B)

• C. Taking a cloud security course—learning about zero trust, encryption best practices, or advanced threat detection. (C)

• D. Testing out a new data lakehouse concept, maybe using Delta Lake or Apache Iceberg for next-gen analytics. (D)

• E. Trying out new cloud SDKs—like building a small serverless app or writing microservices in Go for container deployment. (E)

• F. Tweaking scripts for cost optimisation, setting up auto-scaling rules, or exploring next-gen monitoring solutions. (F)

• G. Reviewing agile methodologies for cross-cloud projects, or reading about successful cloud migrations in case studies. (G)

• H. Analysing your pipeline of potential clients, drafting new sales strategies, or developing a pitch deck for a upcoming event. (H)

8. Which statement best resonates with your dream cloud career objective?

• A. “I want to be the go-to person for designing scalable, resilient architectures that power critical services.” (A)

• B. “I love automating everything—ensuring code deploys seamlessly and environments stay consistent.” (B)

• C. “I aim to make cloud deployments safe and compliant, safeguarding users from malicious threats.” (C)

• D. “Transforming raw data into real-time analytics or ML pipelines—unlocking insights at scale—thrills me.” (D)

• E. “Coding robust cloud-native apps or microservices, harnessing the best of serverless or containerised frameworks.” (E)

• F. “I excel at keeping the lights on—optimising cloud resources, tackling incidents, and maintaining high availability.” (F)

• G. “I want to lead successful cloud projects—aligning dev teams, business goals, and user needs to deliver impactful solutions.” (G)

• H. “I’m all about building business growth—matching cloud solutions to client pains, expanding revenue, and forging partnerships.” (H)

9. How do you respond in a crisis when something goes wrong with a cloud deployment?

• A. Re-check architectural assumptions—maybe re-route traffic using a different region or quickly spin up failover solutions. (A)

• B. Fix the pipeline, revert to the last stable release, or patch deployment scripts. Roll forward once tested thoroughly. (B)

• C. Investigate logs for security anomalies, shut down compromised services, rotate keys, and notify incident response teams. (C)

• D. Re-run data ingestion or batch processes, fix schema mismatches, or manually correct inconsistent data before next run. (D)

• E. Debug the code—maybe a memory leak or poor concurrency setting in serverless. Deploy a fix after verifying tests. (E)

• F. Scale up or out, swap to backup instances, or revert updates in the control plane—ensuring minimal downtime. (F)

• G. Communicate with stakeholders, revise timelines if needed, and support the tech team to expedite the fix. (G)

• H. Update the client or partner, propose commercial adjustments if SLA is impacted, ensure damage control is in place. (H)

10. What excites you most about the future of cloud computing?

• A. Hybrid multi-cloud architectures bridging on-prem data centres with multiple providers for ultimate flexibility. (A)

• B. Advanced DevOps trends—GitOps, continuous everything, ephemeral environments, or evolving container orchestration solutions. (B)

• C. Next-generation security features—AI-driven threat detection, zero trust, or confidential computing to protect workloads. (C)

• D. Serverless big data analytics, real-time streaming at scale, and sophisticated ML pipelines integrated seamlessly with cloud frameworks. (D)

• E. Enhanced developer experiences—like no-code/low-code or AI-assisted coding, pushing cloud app development to new heights. (E)

• F. Automated operations via AIOps, self-healing systems, and advanced cost optimisation in multi-cloud or edge environments. (F)

• G. Innovative product strategies—SaaS expansions, multi-tenant solutions, or synergy with IoT, 5G, or edge computing for new markets. (G)

• H. Continued growth in enterprise cloud adoption—unlocking robust client partnerships, creative deals, and expanding solution portfolios. (H)

Scoring Your Quiz

1. Tally the Letters: Count how often each letter (A–H) appears among your answers.

2. Identify Top 1–2 Letters: The letters with the highest tallies align with your likely cloud computing career path(s).

3. Read the Results: Jump to the role descriptions in the next section for insights on how to pursue those careers.

Result Sections: Your Potential Cloud Roles

A: Cloud Solutions Architect

Overview:
Cloud Solutions Architects design high-level architectures—merging compute, storage, networking, and security for efficient, cost-effective solutions. They consult with teams to ensure availability, scalability, and resilience.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Broad knowledge of major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), services, and design patterns

• Understanding of networking, security, and multi-tier architectures

• Ability to interpret stakeholder requirements, create diagrams, and propose cost-optimised strategies

• Aptitude for balancing compliance, performance, and budget

Next Steps:

• Develop multi-cloud or deep single-cloud knowledge (e.g. AWS Solutions Architect certification), diagramming best practices, reference architectures.

• Search Solutions Architect roles on www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, highlighting any system design or large-scale project experience.

B: Cloud DevOps Engineer

Overview:
Cloud DevOps Engineers create CI/CD pipelines, manage container orchestration, and automate provisioning—bridging development and operations teams to deliver rapid, reliable deployments.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Experience with DevOps tools (Jenkins, GitLab CI, Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Ansible)

• Understanding of microservices, container networking, and cloud environment automation

• Scripting and code management, championing infrastructure as code (IaC)

• Strong collaboration to unify dev and ops cultures

Next Steps:

• Refine your scripting, container orchestration, plus pipeline best practices. Familiarise with logging/monitoring solutions.

• Pursue DevOps roles at www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, emphasising any pipeline building or container-based deployment track record.

C: Cloud Security Specialist

Overview:
Cloud Security Specialists focus on threat detection, identity management, encryption, and compliance in cloud environments. They mitigate vulnerabilities, responding to potential breaches or policy violations.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Expertise in IAM, network security groups, zero trust architectures, encryption, SIEM solutions

• Familiarity with compliance frameworks (ISO 27001, GDPR, SOC 2) and cloud provider security services

• Incident response skills—analysing logs, isolating compromised resources, patching vulnerabilities

• Constant vigilance against evolving threats

Next Steps:

• Build proficiency in security scanning tools, key management, secrets handling, and compliance audits.

• Find Cloud Security roles on www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, highlighting past penetration tests or experience with industry regulations.

D: Cloud Data Engineer

Overview:
Cloud Data Engineers architect data pipelines, transform data for analytics, and harness big data frameworks. They handle ingestion (ETL/ELT), storage, and performance for machine learning or BI use cases.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Data workflow tools (AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory, GCP Dataflow), plus Spark/Hadoop ecosystem

• Database and data lake knowledge (Redshift, BigQuery, Snowflake, S3, HDFS)

• Strong SQL and scripting, enabling robust transformations

• Understanding of data modelling, streaming (Kafka, Kinesis), and performance tuning

Next Steps:

• Deepen your data pipeline design, distributed computing, and analytics background. Explore data warehousing or ML integration.

• Look for Data Engineer roles at www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, emphasising real-world pipeline building or big data project successes.

E: Cloud Software Developer

Overview:
Cloud Software Developers build cloud-native applications—utilising serverless functions, container-based microservices, or PaaS solutions. They code, debug, and optimise for distributed systems.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Proficiency in programming languages (Python, Java, Go, Node.js), plus serverless or container frameworks

• Knowledge of RESTful APIs, event-driven patterns, or messaging (SQS, Pub/Sub)

• Skilled in designing fault-tolerant, scalable solutions using best practices (e.g., 12-factor app)

• Collaboration with DevOps teams to ensure smooth CI/CD

Next Steps:

• Improve microservices design, test automation, and usage of serverless offerings (AWS Lambda, Azure Functions).

• Explore Developer roles on www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, showcasing app-building or container-based project experiences.

F: Cloud Infrastructure / Operations

Overview:
Cloud Infrastructure/Operations specialists maintain cloud environments—provisioning resources, monitoring performance, ensuring cost efficiency, and responding to incidents or capacity needs.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Background in systems administration, networking, or virtualisation

• Familiarity with auto-scaling, load balancing, and logging/monitoring (CloudWatch, Azure Monitor, Prometheus)

• Skilled in resource tagging, cost management, and SLA monitoring

• Quick problem-solving approach to maintain uptime

Next Steps:

• Cultivate knowledge of multi-cloud management, automation scripts, advanced troubleshooting.

• Search Infrastructure/Ops roles on www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, emphasising system stability, high availability, and incident resolution track record.

G: Cloud Product / Project Manager

Overview:
Product/Project Managers lead cloud-based projects—coordinating cross-functional teams, defining roadmaps, budgets, and user requirements for successful delivery of cloud solutions or services.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Proficiency in project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Kanban) or product frameworks

• Ability to balance technical feasibility with customer/business needs

• Communication prowess to manage stakeholders, schedules, and risk mitigation

• Familiarity with cloud platforms or technology stacks ensures realistic planning

Next Steps:

• Refine your leadership, agile processes, budgeting, and resource management while building a cloud tech vocabulary.

• Look for PM roles at www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, showcasing prior project success, cross-functional team coordination, and product planning achievements.

H: Cloud Sales & Business Development

Overview:
Sales & Business Development professionals match customer needs to cloud solutions—proposing migrations, expansions, or advanced services. They negotiate deals, manage accounts, and track revenue growth.

Core Skills & Interests:

• Strong client-facing skills, building relationships, and negotiating contracts

• Understanding of basic cloud concepts (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) to demonstrate value propositions

• Skilled in pipeline management, quota achievement, and forging partnerships

• Ability to coordinate with technical teams for solution proposals

Next Steps:

• Strengthen your sales strategies, deepen cloud knowledge, and tailor pitch decks or ROI models for prospective clients.

• Pursue Sales/BD roles on www.cloud-jobs.co.uk, illustrating your track record in meeting sales targets or forging new markets.

Share Your Results on LinkedIn

1. Post Your Outcome: Head to Cloud Jobs UK on LinkedIn and share which cloud path(s) you discovered.

2. Tag Friends & Colleagues: Encourage others to take the quiz, compare roles, and discuss potential collaborations.

3. Stay Connected: Follow the LinkedIn page for up-to-date job listings, industry events, and expert commentary in the cloud sector.

Next Steps: Accelerating Your Cloud Career

• Browse Relevant Roles: Check out www.cloud-jobs.co.uk for a variety of openings that match your quiz results—DevOps, architecture, security, data, etc.

• Upskill & Experiment: Whether refining Terraform scripts, exploring advanced architecture patterns, or practising container orchestration, continuous learning is key in cloud.

• Network & Engage: Join cloud communities, attend events (e.g. AWS re:Invent, Azure events, local meetups), and connect with professionals to share insights or find mentors.

• Refine Your CV & Portfolio: Highlight relevant achievements—CI/CD projects, security audits, big data pipelines, cost optimisation successes—showcasing real-world impact.

Remember: Cloud computing evolves swiftly as new services emerge and best practices shift. Embrace continuous learning, collaborate across teams, and focus on delivering solutions that empower businesses. With the right path—be it architecture, DevOps, data, security, or beyond—you’ll thrive in the dynamic, ever-expanding cloud ecosystem.