I've been feeling demotivated and stuck lately, and it's probably obvious through the reduced frequency of my posts. Well, I haven't been entirely idle. I did push out two YouTube videos—if you’re keen, have a l🕶️k at them here: My YouTube Channel. I procrastinated for a long time before I sent the two into the wild for all the emotions I think every one of us is too familiar with. But that’s a story for another day.

One of the reasons I’ve been feeling rather stuck is because I’m not sure what my next career move is. This year, I’ll be searching for my next role as my contract with the company ends in the year’s second half. I’m drawn to more advanced analytics roles, but I’ve realized these types of work will require me to upskill. Advanced analytics and technology trends are increasingly centered around cloud computing, so I decided it’s time to dive into this space. That decision brings me to this blog and my journey into AWS.

I decided to write a series of posts on AWS, sharing my thoughts and learnings as I study toward the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification.

In this post specifically, I'll cover the following:
• Why I’ve chosen to focus on AWS Cloud Services
• An overview of AWS services
• AWS certification pathways
• Resources to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam

Why I've Chosen to Focus on AWS

There are several cloud service providers on the market, offering on-demand, scalable resources like computing power, data storage, and applications. The top three key players are Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Among these, Amazon dominates the market with a 31% market share (Source).

Each of these providers has unique strengths. Google Cloud is known for its AI and machine learning tools, and Microsoft Azure excels in enterprise integration. However, I chose AWS because it dominates the market, offers the broadest range of services, and aligns with my professional experience. My previous and current work environments have exposed me to AWS, so it felt like a natural choice to deepen my knowledge.

Overview of AWS Services

AWS offers over 200 services to cater to nearly every technological need. Let’s be real—it’s overwhelming for a beginner. I felt the same way and procrastinated for a long time because of how complex it all seemed. But once I started, I realized AWS organizes its services into key categories, which makes everything much easier to understand. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Compute Services: EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) lets you run scalable virtual servers for various workloads.
• Storage Solutions: S3 (Simple Storage Service) and EBS (Elastic Block Store) offer reliable, scalable, and cost-effective storage options.
• Databases: RDS (Relational Database Service) and DynamoDB support relational and NoSQL data models for structured and unstructured data respectively.
• Networking: VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) and Route 53 enable secure, scalable networking configurations tailored to your needs.
• Analytics and Machine Learning: QuickSight for data visualization, while SageMaker simplifies the building and deployment of machine learning models.

Once you recognize these key categories, AWS starts to feel a lot less daunting.

AWS Certifictaion Pathways

So, if you’re considering learning AWS, where do you even start? This was exactly the question I asked myself. I’m someone who likes structure and clear goals, so I needed a learning plan to keep me on track. While browsing the AWS website, I noticed they offer several certification pathways. One of them caught my eye: the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner—a foundational certification designed for beginners. If you’re curious about the other pathways, you can check them out here.

I decided to aim for the Cloud Practitioner Certification and plan to take the exam at the end of next month. Why this certification? For starters, it’s a fantastic way to build a solid foundation in AWS and cloud computing in general. Plus, it’s an industry-recognized certification that can help position me for better career opportunities.

Resources to Prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam

Preparing for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam can be made easier with the right resources. Here are the materials I'm using to prepare. It's a combination of hands-on practice, theoretical learning, and self-assessments:

1. Udemy Courses:
   AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | CLF-C02 | Full Exam Prep: A short course covering all exam objectives, along with quizzes and hands-on exercises.

2. O’Reilly Learning:
   AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Prep by Chad Smith: This course offers structured modules and in-depth insights into key topics.

3. AWS Skill Builder:
   AWS Skill Builder is AWS's Learning Center. It is an excellent free platform to build cloud skills online. The gamified approach makes learning engaging.

4. Practice Quizzes:
   W3Schools AWS Cloud Practitioner Preparation Quiz: This is a handy resource for quick assessments and reinforcing knowledge.

5. Study Guide:
   AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Study Guide (CLF-C02) (Paperback |Kindle): Contains detailed chapters on content covered in Certified Cloud and 500 practice questions to help you prepare for the foundational exam.

Final Thoughts

So, that’s it for now. In the next post, I’m going to dive into one of the key categories of AWS services. Stay tuned to find out which one! If learning about the cloud is something you’re interested in, take action and join me on this journey—we can even be study buddies. If it’s not your thing, I hope this gave you a good overview of what’s out there. And if you know someone who might be interested, do share this post with them. Signing out for now! 👋