I Got an AWS Certification...What Next?

In Today’s Cloudbites:

🤷‍♀️ I Got an AWS Certification... What Next?

💼 Need a Mentor for your Job-search Journey?

🤝 How to Build Your Cloud Career Network

Read time: 3 minutes

Hi friends, welcome back to Cloudbites. If you’ve recently completed an AWS certification - Congratulations! Passing these exams take a lot of hard work and dedication. You should be very proud of yourself.

If you’re wondering what to do next… today, I’ll be sharing my advice on bridging the gap between certifications and landing a cloud job.

🤷‍♀️ I Got an AWS Certification…What Next?

1. Get Some Real Hands-on Experience
   
   This is a critical first step. While you might have previously created an AWS account and played around with some services, it’s crucial to get hands-on with building architectures and solutions in the cloud. There are 3 main ways to gain this experience:
   

   • Guided Tutorials: This is a great starting point for beginners. These tutorials provide you with the exact step-by-step instructions. I recommend visiting workshops.aws for a set of over 100 free AWS labs and tutorials.

   • Cloud Projects: These projects allow you to be more creative and build something end-to-end. Check out this video on my channel for 3 beginner-friendly AWS hands-on projects.

   • Freelancing: Take on projects related to AWS on Fiverr and Upwork. If you don’t have much experience to begin with, start by offering your services at a lower rate, and build up your portfolio as you go along.
     
     

2. Gain relevant industry knowledge
   
   Don’t limit yourself to one or two roles. Research the different roles out there in the IT and Cloud industry, before deciding what role you want to aim for. Trust me, there are so many cool roles where you can use your knowledge of AWS to help others.
   
   

3. Network and build your community
   
   

   Finally, don’t forget to network. Networking is not only important in helping you land a job, but also for having a successful career in tech. It helps you make new friends and build relationships that can provide you with lifelong learning and growth.
   

💼 Need a Mentor for your Job-Search Journey?

If you’re looking for a personal mentor to help you land your dream job, I’d recommend checking out Pathrise. Pathrise is a career mentorship program that matches you with a dedicated career mentor to guide you along your job search journey. Their network of mentors help you with optimizing your resume, interview prep and answering any career-related questions you may have.

➡️ Head to pathrise.com/techwithlucy to get matched with a career mentor.

Note: the program is 100% free before you land a job 👀

🤝 How to Build Your Cloud Career Network

Looking for ways to build your cloud career network? I’d recommend joining a local AWS User Group.

There are currently 400+ User Groups around the world - including the US, Canada, India, South Africa. By attending these events, you’ll be able to slowly make new friends, and build your network.

Another great place to meet people working in Cloud & IT, is through Tech conferences. Many of them are free to attend, so keep an eye out for those as well.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading! 😊

P.S. How was today's email? Reply directly with your feedback, or DM me on Twitter @techwithlucy.