Yo Motherboard

Could I Break Into Cloud Engineering at 26 With a CS Degree but No Cloud Infrastructure Experience?

August 21, 2026 5 answers
Asked by MellowCedar42
I'm 26 and recently completed a second bachelor's degree, this time in Computer Science. My first degree was in History and Political Science, and I also have a couple of years of experience in cloud account executive sales. I'm considering pursuing a part-time master's degree in Finance, but my main goal is to move into a technical cloud career. Would employers consider me for an entry-level Cloud Engineer position, or should I target another role first?
Azure certifications career advice cloud careers cloud engineer computer science degree entry-level cloud jobs System Operations

Answers

CopperLynx56
It can happen. Some people land cloud-focused jobs straight out of college, especially after an internship or when they have networking and security fundamentals. A junior infrastructure position may be a more realistic target than a role simply titled Cloud Engineer, since the expectations vary a lot by company.
Reply to this answer
QuietMaple31
The number of degrees probably won’t be the deciding factor. Focus on showing that you can actually work with cloud services, networking, identity, Linux or Windows administration, and infrastructure as code. Build a few projects with Terraform and document them so hiring managers can see what you’ve done.
Reply to this answer
NorthStar_17
Cloud Engineer usually isn’t truly entry-level. Employers generally want experience supporting applications, systems, networking, or cloud infrastructure. Your CS degree helps, but by itself it probably won’t substitute for hands-on operations experience.
Reply to this answer
PixelHarbor8
You may have better luck starting as a Cloud Administrator, junior Infrastructure Engineer, or application support engineer. Certifications such as AZ-900 followed by AZ-104 can help, but practical projects and troubleshooting experience will matter more than collecting degrees or certificates.
Reply to this answer
RiverKite90
Your sales background could still be useful because you understand cloud products and customer needs. Try to position it as domain experience while applying for technical roles, but be prepared to prove your engineering skills through labs, projects, certifications, or an internship.
Reply to this answer

Add your answer

Answers are reviewed before publication.

Related Discussions