How to create the perfect cloud engineer resume? (with examples)

As more and more companies transition to the cloud every year, the need for great cloud engineers grows, too.

Cloud engineers are some of the highest-paid IT professionals in the world, at the moment. In fact, on Simple Job Listings, our job board, we’ve seen annual salaries go beyond $250,000 for experienced professionals.

That sort of pay brings quite a bit of competition. A great cloud engineer resume can help you stand out from the competition.

This blog is a comprehensive guide on how to create a cloud engineer resume that not only beats ATS but also positions you as a great candidate for any job that you apply for.

So, let’s get started.

How to write a cloud engineer resume that stands out

Read the job description thoroughly

It all starts with the job description. Most candidates don’t pay enough attention to the job description. It’s not just corporate garbage that HR comes up with. It’s a genuinely useful piece of information.

Job descriptions contain specific skills, experiences, and qualifications an employer is looking for in a candidate. They usually cover an array of competencies like knowledge of cloud service platforms (such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure), experience in cloud security, familiarity with programming languages (like Python or Java), and expertise in DevOps practices.

A thorough reading of the job description will allow you to create the resume that the employer is looking for.

We have a comprehensive guide on how to tailor a resume to match the job description. If you want to know more, refer to that. For now, let’s understand the basics with a few examples.

For instance, let's consider a job posting that emphasizes experience with AWS and proficiency in Python.

A tailored resume would clearly highlight the candidate's expertise in these areas, perhaps citing a project where they used AWS for infrastructure management and Python for scripting.

Or let’s assume a job description highlights the need for a cloud engineer with strong experience in cloud security and certification as a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

In this case, an effective resume would underscore relevant security projects and prominently display the CISSP certification.

Do you have to create a new resume from scratch, for every job that you’re applying for?

Obviously not. But you do need to tailor your resume. You need to make a few changes depending on what the company is looking for. That’s why reading the job description matters.

Suggested: Cloud Engineer Interview Questions That Matter (with answers)

Nail the most important elements

There are a few important elements of the resume that have to just be absolutely perfect. They are listed below:

Your professional summary:

The Professional Summary is the opening statement of your resume, functioning much like a sales pitch. Its purpose is to succinctly showcase your key skills, experiences, and competencies that make you an ideal candidate for the role.

When written effectively, it can grab the recruiter's attention and encourage them to read further.

The importance of a powerful Professional Summary cannot be understated. Given the influx of applications that recruiters sift through, you often have a small window to capture their attention.

An impactful summary helps you stand out amidst the competition and sets the tone for the rest of your resume.

It's crucial to remember that a Professional Summary should not merely be a list of skills or a reiteration of what follows in the resume.

Instead, it should be a concise, yet comprehensive snapshot of your professional journey, highlighting your major achievements and unique capabilities that align with the job requirements.

Here are two good examples:

A compelling Professional Summary is a balancing act of being succinct yet comprehensive, of being informative yet engaging. With it, you can ensure that your resume doesn't just pass an ATS scan (more on this later), but also makes a strong impression on the human reader on the other end.

Technical skills:

Technical skills form the bedrock of a cloud engineer's competence. They represent your ability to execute the job at hand and are a decisive factor in the hiring process. Therefore, it's crucial that your resume effectively showcases your technical prowess.

Typical technical skills required for a cloud engineer include proficiency in cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, programming languages like Python, JavaScript, or Java, knowledge of databases (SQL, NoSQL), understanding of networking and security protocols, and familiarity with DevOps practices and tools (Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins).

Read our in-depth blog if you’re looking for skills that a cloud engineer needs in 2023.

How you present these skills on your resume is just as important as possessing them. A clear, structured, and concise listing of your technical skills makes it easy for hiring managers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to identify your strengths.

Again, they should be tailored according to the job description and must reflect the skills that the employer prioritizes.

Work experience:

The Work Experience section of your resume is where you substantiate your technical skills with real-world applications.

It paints a picture of how you have leveraged your skills in past roles and the value you brought to your employers. So, presenting your work experiences effectively is key to making a strong case for your candidacy.

The way you showcase your work experiences should center around relevance, clarity, and impact.

You should prioritize experiences that align with the job requirements, present them in a clear and organized manner, and highlight the positive impact you made.

When describing your experiences, follow the STAR methodology (Situation, Task, Action, Result). This helps you structure your experiences effectively and ensure you touch upon key aspects: the context (Situation), your role (Task), what you did (Action), and the outcome (Result).

Here are two well-written examples:

Education and certifications

These are fairly straightforward sections. Certifications are pretty important for cloud engineers. hey provide an external validation of your competencies and are highly regarded in the tech industry.

For roles like a Cloud Engineer, where the technology landscape is constantly evolving, certifications illustrate your commitment to staying updated and growing in your career.

In addition to showcasing your expertise, certifications can also help you stand out from other candidates.

A hiring manager reviewing resumes might take special note of candidates with relevant certifications because it often signals a higher level of competence and dedication to the profession.

List your certifications clearly. Include the certification title, the issuing organization, and the date of certification. If the certification has an expiration date, include that as well.

They can be listed in a separate "Certifications" section or within the "Education" section if it better suits the resume's flow.

Formatting a Cloud Engineer Resume

An effective resume isn't just about great content; it's also about delivering that content in a clear, organized, and visually appealing way. This includes the right format, design, and making sure your resume is friendly to Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

Choose the right resume format

The format you choose for your resume should highlight your strengths and be tailored to your specific career situation.

Typically, there are three main types of resume formats: chronological, functional, and hybrid. For a Cloud Engineer, the chronological format is often the best choice.

This format lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, placing the focus on your professional trajectory and demonstrating your growth in the field.

However, if you're changing careers or have significant gaps in your employment history, a functional or hybrid format may be more appropriate. These formats place more emphasis on your skills and less on your chronological work history.

Use a professional and clean design

A professional and clean design can make your resume stand out. You want your resume to be visually engaging, but not overly complex or distracting. Here are some tips:

• Use a simple, professional font, like Arial or Times New Roman.

• Keep a consistent font size and style throughout.

• Use bullet points for clarity and easy readability.

• Add white space to prevent your resume from looking cluttered.

• Use bold and italic typeface sparingly, for emphasis.

Remember, the goal is to make your resume easy to read and navigate. A good design can guide the reader's eye through the document and make the information more digestible.

Make it ATS friendly

An ATS is a type of software used by recruiters and employers to collect, sort, scan, and rank the job applications they receive for their open positions. Making your resume ATS-friendly is essential to ensure it gets seen by a human reviewer.

Here's how:

• Use standard section titles (like 'Work Experience', 'Skills', etc.).

• Avoid fancy designs, graphics, or unusual fonts which the ATS may not read correctly.

• Include keywords from the job description, as the ATS often ranks resumes based on their relevance to the job description.

• Avoid using images or other media, as these cannot be read by the ATS.

Creating an ATS-friendly resume helps ensure your application isn't discarded before it even reaches an actual human.

Creating an ATS-friendly resume is crucial. We have a comprehensive guide where we go through the fonts you need to use, the style of fonts, the design of the resume, the formatting of the resume, and more. Make sure you refer to that.

Common mistakes in cloud engineer resume:

Lack of relevance:

Mistake: Including every piece of information about your professional history, regardless of relevance, can make your resume lengthy and distracting. This often leads hiring managers to overlook important information.

Solution: Tailor your resume to the job description. Highlight skills and experiences that align with what the employer is seeking. While it's crucial to be honest, you don't need to include every job or project you've ever undertaken. Keep the content relevant and focused.

Overlooking ATS Optimization:

Mistake: Neglecting to optimize your resume for ATS can lead to it being overlooked or poorly ranked, regardless of your qualifications.

Solution: As mentioned earlier, use standard section titles, avoid complex designs and graphics, include keywords from the job description, and stick to text-based content. Ensuring your resume is ATS-friendly will help it reach the hands of a human reviewer.

Poor Presentation of Technical Skills

Mistake: Simply listing technical skills without specifying your level of proficiency or context of usage can make your abilities seem vague and unconvincing.

Solution: Clearly define your technical skills. Specify your proficiency level (beginner, intermediate, expert) and the context in which you used these skills. Wherever possible, demonstrate these skills in action in your Work Experience section.

Lack of Quantifiable Achievements

Mistake: Simply stating your responsibilities without showcasing your achievements can make your Work Experience section bland and unimpressive.

Solution: Highlight your achievements and quantify them wherever possible. Use metrics, numbers, and percentages to illustrate the impact of your work. This helps to paint a clearer picture of what you can bring to the role.

Ignoring Soft Skills

Mistake: While technical skills are critical for a Cloud Engineer, ignoring soft skills on your resume can present you as a one-dimensional candidate.

Solution: Show that you're not just technically proficient, but also possess valuable soft skills. These can include communication, teamwork, problem-solving, or leadership skills. A well-rounded candidate is always more attractive to potential employers.

Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

Mistake: Spelling and grammar mistakes can make your resume look unprofessional and suggest a lack of attention to detail.

Solution: Proofread your resume thoroughly before sending it out. Consider using grammar and spell-check tools, or ask a friend or mentor to review it.

Unprofessional Contact Information

Mistake: Unprofessional email addresses or inappropriate social media links can make a negative impression.

Solution: Use a professional email address, ideally a combination of your first and last names. Include professional networking sites like LinkedIn, and ensure any portfolios or professional social media accounts you provide are up-to-date and present you in a positive light.

Not Including Certifications

Mistake: Neglecting to mention your relevant certifications can lead to missed opportunities, as certifications often act as a validation of your skills.

Solution: Clearly list your relevant certifications, including the certification name, issuing authority, and date of certification.

Suggested: 11 Resume Mistakes That Every Recruiter Notices

Sample resumes

Below this section, you’ll find a downloadable MS Word Document that contains two sample resumes. They’re in Word so that you can easily edit them to tailor them to your experience and education. Feel free to use them!

And if you’re looking for Cloud Engineer jobs, check out Simple Job Listings. We only list verified and fully remote jobs. Most of the jobs we list pay really well, and a huge number of jobs that we post aren’t listed anywhere else.

So, visit Simple Job Listings and find your dream remote cloud engineer job. Good luck!

Cloud Engineer Sample Resumes

.docx

Download DOCX • 9KB

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I make a resume for cloud engineering?

There are a few important things to include in your cloud engineering resume:

1. Contact Information

2. Skills (Technical skills and soft skills)

3. Education

4. Certifications

5. Work experience

Find templates online and fill in this information in the templates.

How do you list cloud skills on your resume?

Use a clear format to list your cloud skills on a resume. You can list platforms, programming languages, databases, DevOps tools, and the Operating systems you're familiar with. Here's an example of how you could write the technical skills section:

Cloud Platforms: AWS

Programming Languages: Python, Java, JavaScript

Databases: SQL, NoSQL (MongoDB)

DevOps Tools: Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins

Operating Systems: Linux

How do you list AWS on a resume?

The way to list AWS, Azure, or GCP on a resume is by mentioning it in your skills section. Precede the name of the platform with the phrase "Cloud platforms"

Example:

Technical Skills:

Cloud Platforms: Certified AWS Engineer. Working knowledge of Azure and GCP

If you're certified in any of the cloud platforms, make sure you also mention it in the "Education" section or the "Certifications" section.

Does AWS certification look good on resume?

There are a lot of certifications that aren't worth the hassle and add nothing to your resume. AWS isn't one of them. AWS is a great certification to add to your resume and is a validation of your skills as a cloud engineer.

Does AWS involve coding?

It can if you want to. There are two ways to go about learning AWS — Manually and Programmatically. You can choose whichever you're more comfortable with.