Landing a cloud engineering role can be both exciting and daunting. Technical interviews are designed to test not just your technical knowledge but also your ability to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively. In a recent round of interviews for a junior Cloud Engineer intern at Learn to Cloud, candidates were assessed on four key tasks.
This article dives deep into these tasks, offering insights into how to prepare effectively, what hiring managers look for, and how to showcase your skills confidently. Whether you’re an aspiring cloud engineer or looking to refine your interview skills, this guide will help you approach technical interviews with clarity and confidence.
The Four Key Interview Tasks
During the interview process, candidates were required to complete four main exercises:
- Debugging a provided FastAPI application.
- Whiteboarding and explaining their submitted project.
- Identifying the function of a provided Bash script.
- Whiteboarding a migration of a Learn to Cloud capstone project.
Each task was designed to evaluate different technical and problem-solving skills. Let’s break them down one by one.
Task 1: Identifying the Function of a Bash Script
Why This Matters
Bash scripting is a fundamental skill for cloud engineers. Many cloud-related tasks involve automating processes using Bash scripts. Understanding and debugging these scripts is crucial in real-world scenarios.
How to Approach It
Candidates were given a Bash script and asked to determine its purpose. The script contained key elements such as:
- Variables
- Functions
- A case statement handling start, stop, restart, and status commands
- Log messages for troubleshooting
Strategy for Success
- Understand the Big Picture – Instead of analyzing line by line, first look at the structure of the script. Identify key functions and determine their role.
- Find Clues in Log Messages – Log messages often describe what each part of the script is doing.
- Break Down Functions – Identify which parts of the script handle dependencies, process execution, and logging.
- Use Tools – Tools like ChatGPT can provide useful explanations when analyzing a script.
By following this structured approach, candidates could deduce that the script was monitoring a directory for new MP4 files and extracting audio from them.
Task 2: Whiteboarding and Explaining Your Project
Why This Matters
Cloud engineers must be able to communicate their ideas clearly. Being able to break down a project and explain its architecture shows both technical understanding and communication skills.
How to Approach It
Candidates were asked to present and explain a project they had previously worked on. A strong response included:
- High-Level Overview: What the project does and why it was built.
- Architecture Breakdown: Components used (e.g., APIs, databases, cloud services).
- Technology Stack: Frontend, backend, and cloud tools involved.
- Challenges & Solutions: Obstacles faced and how they were resolved.
- Future Improvements: Potential enhancements or scalability considerations.
Strategy for Success
- Use Simple Diagrams – A basic sketch of your architecture can make explanations clearer.
- Explain in a Logical Flow – Start with the problem, then explain how your solution works.
- Highlight Key Features – Focus on the most important aspects rather than overwhelming details.
- Anticipate Questions – Think about potential follow-ups and be ready to explain your choices.
Task 3: Debugging a FastAPI Application
Why This Matters
Debugging is a core skill for cloud engineers, as real-world issues often require quick identification and resolution of problems in API-driven applications.
How to Approach It
Candidates were given a FastAPI application with a missing line of code and asked to figure out why pagination wasn’t working.
Strategy for Success
- Familiarize Yourself with the Codebase – Identify API endpoints and their functionality.
- Understand the Problem Statement – What is the expected behavior vs. what is happening?
- Check for Missing Components – Look at comments and existing logic to see what might be absent.
- Apply Debugging Techniques – Use print statements, error logs, or tools like Postman to simulate API requests.
The missing component in this case was a page variable, which was essential for pagination to work correctly. Candidates who followed a structured approach to debugging were able to identify the issue efficiently.
Task 4: Whiteboarding a Cloud Migration Strategy
Why This Matters
Cloud engineers often work on migrating applications between different deployment models (e.g., serverless to infrastructure-as-a-service). Understanding cloud migration strategies is essential for real-world cloud projects.
How to Approach It
Candidates were asked how they would migrate a project deployed on serverless functions to an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) model.
Strategy for Success
- Understand the Source Architecture – In this case, a serverless API with a cloud database.
- Define the Target Architecture – A two-tier application using virtual machines.
- Consider Scalability & Security – Implement load balancers, security groups, and network segmentation.
- Use Cloud Best Practices – Ensure high availability, logging, and monitoring are incorporated.
A strong answer included a basic architecture diagram with:
- API layer running on virtual machines.
- A database tier on a separate VM.
- Load balancing and auto-scaling considerations.
- Security configurations, such as network security groups.
General Tips for Cloud Engineer Interviews
Beyond the technical challenges, soft skills and preparation play a crucial role in interview success. Here are some additional tips:
- Assess Your Current Skills: Before your interview, evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Spend extra time on areas where you feel less confident.
- Learn to Communicate Clearly: Technical ability alone isn’t enough—you need to articulate your thought process and reasoning.
- Practice Whiteboarding: Being able to visually explain concepts will help you stand out.
- Use Online Resources: Platforms like ChatGPT, Postman, and cloud provider documentation can help reinforce your knowledge.
- Stay Calm Under Pressure: Interviews can be nerve-wracking, but approaching them as a conversation rather than a test will help you perform better.
Conclusion
Passing a cloud engineer interview requires more than just technical knowledge—it demands structured thinking, problem-solving skills, and clear communication. By preparing in advance and understanding key concepts like Bash scripting, API debugging, and cloud architecture, you can confidently approach your next interview.
Remember, the goal of a technical interview isn’t to trip you up but to evaluate how you think and solve problems. With the right preparation, you’ll not only pass but excel.
Good luck with your cloud engineering journey!
