How to Become an Expert in Cloud Services, Specifically in GCP?

[adeelabbas_1214]

        I'm interested in becoming an expert in cloud services, focusing on Google Cloud Platform (GCP). I've already started exploring cloud computing, but I would like to know the steps and resources I should follow to gain expertise in GCP.

Here are some specific points I'm looking for guidance on:

• Foundational Knowledge: What are the basic cloud computing concepts I need to master before diving deep into GCP?
• GCP Certifications: Which Google Cloud certifications should I aim for, and in what order? How can these certifications help to become proficient in different aspects of GCP?
• Key Services: Which core GCP services (e.g., Compute Engine, BigQuery, Cloud Functions, etc.) should I focus on for a solid foundation?
• Hands-On Experience: What are the best ways to gain practical experience with GCP, such as projects, labs, or sandbox environments?
• Learning Resources: Are there any specific courses, tutorials, or books that are highly recommended for learning GCP?
• Industry Use Cases: How can I stay updated on the latest trends and use cases of GCP in the industry?
• Best Practices: What are the best practices for managing, securing, and optimizing GCP services?

         ✨  Any advice, learning pathways, or resources to help me become a GCP cloud expert would be greatly appreciated!

[KikoZam · Accepted solution]

Hi @adeelabbas_1214,

Welcome to Google Cloud Community!

To become an expert in Cloud Services or Google Cloud Platform (GCP), building your cloud credentials is a key step in advancing your career. Here are my recommended guides that may help you become an expert in GCP:

1. Foundational Knowledge: Before diving deep into Google Cloud Platform, it’s essential to first familiarize yourself with the concepts of cloud computing. 
2. GCP Certifications: Here’s my recommended certification path you might consider exploring:
   • Cloud Digital Leader: A great starting point, it covers cloud computing basics and how Google Cloud products and services can be used to achieve an organization’s goals. 
   • Associate Cloud Engineer: This is an entry-level certification that covers essential GCP services and basic cloud management tasks.
   • Professional Certifications: After the Associate Cloud Engineer, you can specialize based on your preferred skills and focus area.
3. Key Services: Building a strong foundation in GCP varies depending on each individual's focus area. You can start with Compute Engine, Cloud Run, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, BigQuery and Vertex AI Platform, or explore the catalog here for other GCP products and services.
4. Hands-On Experience and Learning Resources: Earning skill badges is a great place to start gaining practical experience, grow in your current role, and work through projects. Here are some resources that might help you on your learning journey:
   • The Google Cloud Skills Boost platform that offers hands-on labs and quests. It simulates real-world GCP environments to help you learn by doing. You can find challenges that align with the certifications you're pursuing.
   • The Google Cloud documentation is comprehensive and covers all services in detail. It serves as a great reference for learning and understanding the essential details of each service.
   • Follow the Google Cloud and Google Cloud Tech channels for video tutorials, new service announcements, and in-depth technical discussions.
   • Take advantage of the Google Cloud Free Tier, which offers free credits and access to several services for free within usage limits.
   • Google has partnered with Coursera for structured learning paths.
5. Industry Use Cases: To keep you updated on industry use cases and new trends, check out these real-world GCP applications:
   • Follow the Google Cloud Blog for updates on product releases, customer stories, and new features.
   • Explore Google Cloud Case Studies to understand how industries like healthcare, finance, and retail are leveraging GCP.
   • Attend the Google Cloud Next conference, where Google showcases the latest developments and success stories from various industries.
6. Best Practices: To effectively manage, secure, and optimize your GCP environment, here are my recommended best practices that may help you on your journey to Google Cloud Platform:
   • Learn how to use tools like Google Cloud Pricing Calculator and Billing Reports to track and optimize costs.
   • Use Identity and Access Management (IAM) to grant least privilege access, ensure data encryption with Cloud Key Management, and enable logging through Cloud Logging.
   • Automate infrastructure management using Terraform or Deployment Manager for Infrastructure as Code (IaC).
   • Use Cloud Monitoring and Cloud Logging to track system performance and logs for optimization and troubleshooting.

I hope the above information is helpful to you.