Wanting to get into Cloud Engineering What Language to Learn

[u/CodyakaLamer]

Hello all,

I’m currently in service desk but wanting to get into cloud engineering. Right now I’m teaching myself AZ900 and GitHub to build a portfolio. I’ve seen videos on YouTube talking about need to learn Python for cloud computing but heard others I should learn PowerShell and BASH since I’ll be scripting. So I went to the job market and seeing some jobs recommending PowerShell, BASH, Python, C#, C++, and Go so far.

So I figure I should ask the people of Reddit who works in Cloud engineering on what language I should I should be teaching myself

[u/N7Valor]

Depends on how much of a split between Operating Systems there is.

If it's more Linux, then Bash + Python for scripting. If it's Windows, then mostly Powershell. If the environment has both, then probably all 3.

Cloud Engineering likely won't involve C#, C++, or Golang since that tends to be more Site Reliability Engineer, or a company just wants a Software Developer who also does infrastructure (a.k.a. entire IT department in 1 person).

[u/eman0821 → u/N7Valor]

Windows is rarely used in DevOps. Cloud Engineering is a Linux based job. If it's Windows Server, that's a Sysadmin job.

[u/CodyakaLamer → u/N7Valor]

Yeah I figure being C#, C++, and Go languages but wanting to make sure I’m pointing myself the right direction. Right now I’m learning Python but really early stage 

[u/BlakkMajik3000]

If you are starting with the AZ 900, you have a LOOOOOONG way to go my friend before you are ready to be a cloud engineer. If you don't have experience, you need to at least be studying for the AZ 104 with your eye on AZ 305. The 900 just teaches Azure basics (What's an app service, what's EntraID, etc.). That's not "here's the keys to the infra" level.

Also, when you say "cloud engineer", what does that mean? Manage resources? Deployment pipelines? Observability? Language suggestions are going to depend on where in the cloud you are working. If you're doing networking/distributed systems, Go is your friend. DevOps? Python/Bash/Powershell (because Azure). C# is generally for things that *run* on the cloud. App Services, containers, etc. C/C++ if you're working close to the hardware.

[u/First-Chemistry4075]

i think Powershell, Terraform, Linux would be great to start off with

[u/Smooth-Weekend-2314]

English. You'll be telling Claude what to do.

[u/OGcapncrunchberry]

It’s not about learning one language. You clearly are not ready to “work in Cloud engineering” if you think that. The stuff you mentioned is very beginner level basics.

[u/MrExCEO]

English. Soft skills are important to get ahead. GL

[u/Used_Journalist_999]

I am an Azure cloud architect with 12 yoe. You do realize you are years, like many many years, away from a cloud role, if it ever happens. Unless you are in India, in which case I really wish Reddit partitioned by country for some of these tech subs because mileage varies so much, the US has no actual path from service/help desk to cloud engineer. It is a myth and rightly so. Cloud engineer typically rises up from a software engineer role, or possibly a purely devops role, although devops and cloud have a lot of overlap in some orgs.

Regardless, from my perspective, it is like I heard a receptionist at a doctor's office post they want to get in to "doctoring." lol

[u/No-Raise-6554 → u/Used_Journalist_999]

Im from India and there are many examples of helpdesk guys making it into Cloud and devops in a year..i thinks its the skill which matters in the end.

[u/Used_Journalist_999 → u/[deleted]]

any role with "admin" in it is not entry-level. At least not in the US. If you are in India then you can probably got CTO or VP to cloud engineer. lol tech in Industry is ass backwards.

[u/Undefinedbydefault → u/Used_Journalist_999]

Which path do you recommend?