Cloud Computing Interview Questions

Before stepping into a job interview for a position in the cloud computing field, you want to feel confident about your knowledge and make a great first impression. Researching the questions they may ask you and how to give resourceful answers will help put you at ease so you perform better.

According to the World Economic Forum, cloud computing is essential worldwide but a “game changer” in India. By 2026, the organisation estimates that the technology, which allows fast scaling and innovation for businesses, will comprise 8 percent of India's gross domestic product [1]. This data underscores the importance of the technology and the potential for those focusing their careers around it.

Depending on the company you interview with, the process may include written and technical tests before the interview. While you can’t predict the interviewer's specific questions, they will likely interview you on both basic cloud computing and deeper technical questions, which will be similar whether you’re interviewing with a company in the country or abroad. This article reviews some of the more common cloud computing interview questions and how to answer them.

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How to prepare for a cloud computing interview

Whether you’ve landed a job interview or want to prepare for future opportunities, it is important to make a good first impression by giving knowledgeable answers. The following tips can help you be ready for your interview day.

• Research the company and discuss why you’re interested in working for it and how you can support its vision and mission. 

• Know the position and precisely what duties it requires. Knowing what skills the employer is looking for will help you answer questions. 

• Ask about the interview beforehand so you know how it will be conducted and with whom. It’s perfectly fine to ask someone in HR or a personnel office who you’ll be interviewing with and the format. Some employers will give you the information when they schedule the interview.

• Research the company's salaries by checking employment websites. If you’re asked your desired salary, you can give an amount within their average pay range.

What experience do you have in cloud computing?

What they’re really asking: How are you prepared for this role? 

Once you finish answering basic questions, your interviewer will move on to more technical questions based on your experience level. They may ask you about specific skills or solutions to cloud issues. 

Be honest with your answer, and don’t overstate your experience. The interviewer will ask specific technical questions, and you want to know you can answer them based on your experience. Also, don’t forget to mention your eagerness to learn new things, highlighting your ability to grow and your desire to challenge yourself. 

Other forms this question might take: 

• What makes you the most qualified candidate? 

• What can you contribute to the company? 

What are the benefits of cloud computing? 

What they’re really asking: How is cloud computing beneficial to the company? 

As this is a common question asked by interviewers, you’ll need to know how to explain the benefits of cloud computing, tools, and the advantages of cloud versus traditional. 

In your answer, you may want to discuss the cost of cloud computing, as it may concern many companies who are worried about the bottom line. The cost of cloud computing is advantageous to an organisation because the need for a server's hardware, IT resources, and software is less. 

You may also talk about: 

• Speed: Cloud computing services are in demand, and they significantly cut wait times and increase productivity.

• Performance: The cloud runs on secure data centres that upgrade regularly, so you have less need for costly upgrades that take time and resources.

• Reliability: Cloud computing has better data backup and recovery than traditional computing environments, making it easier and more cost-effective because data mirrors redundant cloud providers’ networks. 

Other forms this question might take:

• Name five benefits of cloud computing. 

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of cloud computing? 

Explain the different versions of cloud 

What they’re really asking: Do you understand all cloud versions? 

Interviewers will expect you to explain the different versions of the cloud in a knowledgeable manner. Here are the three primary versions of cloud computing you should know.   

Public cloud

Public clouds are owned by third parties and manage all hardware, software, and supporting infrastructure. Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS are two public clouds that may be important to know, so you might want to study how they are used and their features.

Private cloud

Private clouds are single resources maintained exclusively by a business or organisation on a private network. You should be able to easily explain private clouds, as you might be working on them if you’re interviewing with a company using a private cloud.

Hybrid cloud

Hybrid clouds combine public and private clouds that share applications for more flexibility. Using a hybrid cloud can give a business or organisation more technology options.

Other forms this question might take:

• Which cloud version is best for the company? 

• Describe a public cloud.

• Give me an example of cloud computing. 

What are the storage levels of cloud computing?

What they’re really asking: What are the three types of storage?

Another question you can encounter is to explain the storage levels of cloud computing. Answering this question takes a novice-level understanding of cloud computing. Here are the four levels you can discuss in the following order:

1. Files hold batches of data located in folders.

2. Blocks are small units of data that are accessed individually.

3. Data sets are organised into a tabular, delimited, or record format.

4. Objects are data and metadata organised as web-based resources

Other forms this question might take:

• Which type of cloud storage is right for the company? 

• What do you feel is the best cloud storage service?

Questions for those with more experience 

If you’ve already been working with cloud computing and are seeking a new role or promotion, an interviewer may ask you more difficult questions based on your experience. Below are some questions an interviewer may ask to ensure you’re ready to advance to the next stage of your career.

Explain the difference between cloud scalability and cloud elasticity

What they’re really asking: Do you understand the difference between scalability and elasticity? 

Cloud scalability is the ability to increase workloads by removing resources to meet workloads within a system’s existing resources. Businesses and organisations use scalability to calculate the increased resources they need. By adding to existing infrastructure, you can plan peak demand.

Cloud elasticity is like its name—an elastic system can expand or shrink to match resources to a business or organisation’s needs. Most companies and organisations using elastic cloud systems tend to be small and on the public cloud system. 

Other forms this question might take: 

• Will the company benefit more from scalability or elasticity? 

• How would you handle peak demand? 

Explain resource replication

What they’re really asking: How is resource replication achieved? 

Resource replication is the process that creates duplicates of the same resource, and it happens when a resource is constantly increasing and copies are required. 

Other forms this question might take: 

• What is replication in cloud computing?

• How does replication take place? 

• Why is replication needed? 

Name three key features of AWS

What they’re really asking:  How would you apply AWS to the company?

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the largest cloud service. By working with cloud systems, you’re expected to be comfortable with its features. You can choose to name any three of the seven key features. Be prepared to elaborate if asked. 

Here are the seven key features to be familiar with:

• AWS Route 53

• Simple storage device (S3)

• Identity and access management

• Elastic block stores (EBS)

• CloudWatch 

• Elastic compute cloud

• Simple email service 

Other forms this question might take:

• What can AWS do for the company? 

• Have you worked with AWS?

• What are the benefits of AWS? 

Next steps

If you want to enter the cloud computing field, a great way to prepare for your interview is to take the Introduction to Cloud Computing course offered by IBM on Coursera, part of the Information Technology (IT) and Cloud Fundamentals Specialisation. IBM’s course takes approximately 13 hours to complete and can give you practical experience to discuss during your interview. 

Several courses are available on Coursera to help you brush up on basic interviewing skills. One example is the Successful Interviewing course offered by the University of Maryland, which will teach you how to research a company, prepare your elevator pitch, and practice persuasive speech techniques to stand out to a potential employer. 

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• A subscription price of $59/month, cancel anytime

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