11 essential skills for Microsoft Azure developers

If your next hire uses Microsoft Azure, they need to understand the many services, analytics, and storage options the platform offers. They should also have enough experience with Azure to use it without difficulty.

Alongside their experience, they should have specific Microsoft Azure skills, which you can evaluate with our Microsoft Azure skills test.

But which Azure skills are most important for developers and admins? In this article, we’ll explore the key responsibilities and the 11 most crucial skills for Microsoft Azure developers.

What are the main responsibilities of an Azure developer?

Azure developers have several primary responsibilities, and checking whether they have the right experience is essential.

When hiring a professional for your team, consider the following three responsibilities and review your applicants to see if they have the necessary experience:

1. Cloud-based application creation

Have your applicants used Microsoft Azure to create cloud-based applications? Do they have experience using Azure to host applications and facilitate application development?

Since cloud-based application creation is a fundamental Microsoft Azure developer responsibility, ensure you test this Azure skill with appropriate interview questions or assessments.

2. Applications testing

Do your applicants have experience using tools and scripts to test software applications? Have they ever used test automation frameworks to test apps and ensure that the development team releases bug-free software?

Our Microsoft Azure test is the best way to review these skills. Check it out on our skills library.

3. Application management

Managing and monitoring applications created with Microsoft Azure are two Azure skills and responsibilities your applicants should practice. You can evaluate your candidates’ application management experience and test their knowledge with our Microsoft Azure test.

Which skills are required for Azure admin?

If you are hiring Azure admin professionals for your team and need a set of criteria to hire the best applicants, there are certain skills you should focus on when assessing your applicants:

1. Microsoft security control skills

Skills in Microsoft security control are critical for Microsoft Azure admins. Your applicants should be familiar with the Azure Firewall and understand how it prevents threats to workloads that run in Azure.

Do your applicants also understand that the Azure Firewall is fully stateful? They should know how to use it and know it’s not bound by restrictions when scaling in the cloud.

2. Skills in completing backups for restoration

Completing backups for restoration is vital for securing data and making data recovery easier within the Azure cloud. Knowing the backup commands, including az backup container, az backup restore files unmount-rp, and az backup restore restore-azure files, is critical for backing up data in Azure.

Test these Azure skills using an Azure testing approach or asking the right interview questions.

3. Kubernetes experience and skills

Knowing how to use Kubernetes is an important Azure skill for virtualization. It’s also ideal for administrators who are deploying cloud-native applications.

Do your applicants have the right Kubernetes skills? Use our Kubernetes skills test.

4. Docker experience and skills

Docker is another platform ideal for software containerization, and applicants should know how to design, manage, and deploy virtualization containers using Docker.

Review their knowledge of the Docker software with our Docker skills test, and test whether they know how to use Docker with Azure by asking the right interview questions.

5. Skills in running virtual machines in a cloud environment

Applicants with skills in running virtual machines in a cloud environment like Azure should understand that they’re useful for administrators who need more extensive control of resources and the computing environment.

Find out which of your applicants have the right virtual machine experience and skills, know how to deploy a virtual machine into virtual networks, and configure virtual machines effectively with our VMware test.

6. Problem-solving skills

Whether they need to resolve migration issues when shifting data to another system, or test application compatibility, Microsoft Azure administrators need excellent problem-solving skills.

Find out if they can troubleshoot and find solutions to complex problems with our Problem Solving skills test.

7. Critical-thinking skills

To implement solutions when using Microsoft Azure, administrators must have the critical-thinking skills to work on innovative solutions. Make sure you review your applicants with our Critical Thinking test.

8. Communication skills

When working in a team, Azure administrators will need to ask questions, give instructions, share feedback, or clarify what’s required from their feedback.

Communication skills are vital for this; they are essential skills, not only for Azure developers but for engineers and programmers.

9. Storage solutions and management skills

Azure offers limitless storage, and your developers need to know how to use it effectively. Fundamental storage solutions and management subskills include setting up archival storage and storing database files.

Other skills that facilitate an administrator’s storage solution and management responsibilities include storing user data and virtual hard disks. Ask the right Azure interview questions to identify applicants have these abilities.

10. Access security skills

Security knowledge and skills are fundamental for Microsoft Azure administrators. These Azure skills involve securing data and preventing unauthorized users from accessing it. Review your applicants’ access security skills before hiring a Microsoft Azure developer for your team.

11. Skills in using the active directory

Can your Azure administrator candidates use the active directory efficiently? Do they understand how to manage groups, implement authentication, and use advanced active directory features, like Azure AD Connect?

Use Azure testing and interview questions to assess these Azure skills.

Does your next Azure professional need coding skills?

The short answer is no. Your next Azure professional doesn’t strictly need coding skills to use the Azure platform.

However, to deploy applications to Azure, a developer will need to come up with a configuration code. As such, it’s helpful if your new hire understands how to code if you’re deploying applications frequently to Azure.

Find Microsoft Azure admins and developers with the right Azure skills for your team

When trying to find the right Microsoft Azure developers, remember that it’s more straightforward once you have identified a list of priority skills you want in your successful candidate. We’ve outlined 11 essential skills for Microsoft Azure developers, for you to consider how you’ll evaluate them.

Make sure you consider using our skills tests once you’ve sourced your candidates.

Our Azure skills test is ideal for this task, and you can go to our vast test library to discover the array of skills on which you can assess your applicants.

Hire top Azure developers with reduced stress. Use pre-employment skills tests to help you find and hire the best. Get started for free today and start making better hiring decisions, faster and bias-free.