How Do You Transition to a Career as a Solution Architect?

Definition

As the primary driver of the organization’s technical strategy and customer engagement, solutions architects play a pivotal role in client interactions. They lead architectural design meetings, develop pilots and proofs of concept, execute projects, and ensure ongoing improvements and optimizations. This position also involves advising stakeholders and transforming business requirements into designs for reliable, scalable, and secure solutions.

Types of Solution Architects

There are several types of solution architects. Each addresses specific technical challenges within the realm of solution architecture while also playing a role in ensuring that the architecture aligns with the business objectives.

Cloud Solution Architect

A cloud architect’s role is centered on managing, implementing, and designing cloud-based solutions.

• Select the appropriate cloud platforms, e.g. Google Cloud Platform, or Amazon Web Services that meet the business requirements.
• Design the cloud architecture and ensure that the cloud infrastructure integrates seamlessly with the existing on-premise systems.
• Work on cloud architecture strategies and cloud migration plans, ensuring cloud security and compliance while optimizing the cloud services to meet performance and scalability objectives.

Data Solution Architect

Data solution architects specialize in designing and managing the data architecture.

• Design data models and databases.
• Create data integration and data migration strategies.
• Make sure that companies can gather, store and analyze data to gain business insights without any trouble while adhering to the regulations and practices, e.g. the GDPR.

Enterprise Solution Architect

An enterprise solution architect’s main role is to craft technology solutions that meet strategic goals and organizational requirements.

• Make sure that all the systems and applications work together seamlessly.
• Ensure the integration between systems, applications, and technologies to streamline business operations.
• Evaluate new technologies and their impact on the enterprise architecture.
• Developing standards and guidelines.

Infrastructure Solution Architect

Specifically focused on optimizing infrastructure solutions such as hardware, network, and data centers, infrastructure solution architects constantly look for ways to optimize the infrastructure to support business processes effectively.

• Ensure scalability, reliability, and security in implemented infrastructure solutions.
• Optimize infrastructure performances and ensure security and compliance.
• Integrate emerging technology with the infrastructure.

Security Solution Architect

Security solution architects concentrate on protecting the organization from threats and vulnerabilities.

• Design and implement security policies and controls.
• Develop architecture designs for access management, network security, data encryption, and threat response.
• Conduct security assessments and audits.

Software Solution Architect

Software solution architects are focused on ensuring that software solutions align with business goals and visions.

• Implement architecture designs that are scalable and have a strong performance
• Work on ensuring that software solutions meet the user and business needs

Essential Technical Background

The solution architect makes a lot of the major technical decisions. Therefore, aspiring architects must have at least 6 to 8 years of IT experience with solid practical experience, including hardware engineering expertise. The background should involve the following:

• Project and product management
• Business analysis
• Engineering and software architecture design
• Cloud development
• IT Infrastructure
• Software architecture design
• DevOps

Analytical Skills

Having a keen eye for details and obsessing over quality and improvement is another must for a solution architect. Needless to say, there is a lot on their plates: various technical information, stakeholders requirements and business objectives. Using all that information, solution architects have to come up with strategies that involve multiple business layers and tech aspects to reach the business goals. This can only be achieved with in-depth analytical skills.

Project And Resource Management Skills

Solution architecture consulting is needed to establish technology context as well as architecture intent, but they also need to account for deadlines, available resources and possible changes, all while keeping the business goals in mind. Hence, project and resource management skills are essential to coming up with effective solutions, staying within the timeline and deciding whether certain solutions are advantageous in the long term or not.

Communication Skills

As a solution architect, you will be accountable for gathering information from stakeholders and effectively communicating updates, changes, or new requirements to partners, development teams, and clients. Strong communication skills, including active listening and ensuring everyone is aligned to prevent bottlenecks, are essential for success in this role.

Certifications For a Solution Architect

Certificates are not necessarily involved with any particular set of skills, but they are effective tools to help you showcase your skills and expertise, which enables you to gain a competitive advantage when entering this career path. There are a plethora of certificates available for aspiring solution architects or those who wish to obtain official documents that validate their skills and qualifications. Here is a list of the most well-known certificates that we recommend you take a look at:

• AWS Solution Architect Certification
• Azure Solutions Architect Certification
• Google Cloud Architect Certification
• ITIL Certification
• SAP Solution Architect certification