New to the cloud? Deepti’s 3 steps to get started

Cloud skills are essential in today’s technology-driven world. With more businesses moving their operations to the cloud, there is a growing need for skilled cloud professionals. I’m an Associate Technology Strategist at Strategio. In my role, I provide training and create content for early career technologists who are new to the cloud.

As someone who once knew nothing about the cloud and now focuses her work there, I’m thrilled to share my experience to help you kickstart your cloud computing journey. In this blog, I’ll share the three steps I recommend to get started in cloud computing.

How I discovered cloud computing

My first professional role was as an electrical engineer, which is what I studied in college. However, I felt stuck in the field and wasn’t quite able to figure out what was next for me. Like many others, things changed drastically when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. At that point, I had recently moved to the United States from India and was trying to find a job.

My sister started studying for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam and I offered to help her study. That’s when my fascination with cloud computing began. I wanted to learn how everything worked and how I could create better experiences for users in the cloud. Through my exploration, I found AWS re/Start, a workforce development training program that focuses on teaching IT foundations and professional skills.

I enrolled in the program in February 2022 and after completing it, I earned my AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification (my sister did too!). I also scored an invite to the AWS Emerging Talent Community, where I learned about new cloud training resources, connected with others like me committed to learning cloud skills, and was even mentored by an Amazon Web Services (AWS) employee!

How I got started with AWS Educate

It was then that I learned about AWS Educate, a site with free self-paced cloud computing training that includes hands-on labs and professional skills courses. I took courses like Getting Started with Storage and Getting Started with Networking, and found them to be a great resource to solidify my understanding of cloud concepts. And I liked them so much I even recommended them to friends!

I like AWS Educate because it’s focused on beginners who are new to cloud computing and helps you learn more about the possibilities of a cloud career. AWS Educate also has a lot of courses with hands-on labs to help you understand basic skills so that you can grow your practical knowledge and see how things work together.

Three steps to get started in the cloud

Have I piqued your interest in learning more about the cloud and exploring a potential cloud career? Here are three tips to kickstart your journey.

• Where to start? The foundational series on AWS Educate called “Getting Started” is for you. The nine courses in this series will give you a solid understanding of the core concepts of cloud computing and teach you how to get started in the cloud with foundational AWS services in storage, compute, and networking.
• Practice applying the theory with hands-on labs. The free hands-on labs in AWS Educate will give you the opportunity to practice what you’re learning and see how different services work together. You’ll tackle real-world scenarios in a guided environment so you can practice what it’s like to work with the AWS Cloud and its services. Not to mention, you’ll also earn a digital badge you can share on your resume and on social sites for each lab you complete (and these badges are also your ticket to an invite to the exclusive AWS Emerging Talent Community! More on that in a minute.)
• Build your Professional Skills too! You may also be interested in sharpening your professional skills, and AWS Educate has you covered there too. The series of courses called “Prepare for the Workplace, Professional Skills” helps you improve your communication abilities, think through technical problems, set goals, and network. Learning professional skills can help you stand out in the application process and be more productive and professionally satisfied in your job.

Continue your journey in the AWS Emerging Talent Community

The AWS Emerging Talent Community is a great place for new cloud learners to continue their journey because it offers a variety of helpful resources like webinars, blog posts, and mentorship opportunities. There are regular AWS Jam sessions where you can have fun competing for top honors on the leaderboard, and quizzes to keep you engaged. And it’s a great opportunity to collaborate with members who have similar interests and career goals!

Embrace the journey and get started!

With each course you conquer and every hands-on lab you master, you’ll get closer to unlocking the boundless opportunities that await. So, my fellow cloud adventurers, embrace the journey, seize the knowledge, and soar to new heights in your cloud computing career! Register for AWS Educate today. I look forward to cheering on your success in the AWS Emerging Talent Community.