For the past few months I've been thinking about the best way to learn cloud computing from scratch. And I think I've figured out how...
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, I'm not the first one to wonder this. There are countless inspirational instructors, youtubers and industry professionals who have gone down the rabbit hole of learning cloud technology, successfully acquiring new skills and know-how. Thankfully there are some great resources available on how to get started including Learn to Cloud, A Guide To Cloud and Open Up The Cloud.
Over the next 100 days I intend to immerse myself in all things cloud - specifically Microsoft Azure - and publicly share what I've learned. I have already completed the AZ-900 (Azure Fundamentals certification) and SC-900 (Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals certification), and now my plan is to broadly follow the AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator certification learning pathway. I will supplement my learning with hands on labs from the official course, as well as labs I found on GitHub and if I have time from courses on Udemy too. My employer (an educational institution) has kindly provided me access to CBT Nuggets which features a very promising course by Knox Hutchinson.
I know I won't have time over the next 100 days but at some point I want to undertake the (Azure) Cloud Resume Challenge and later delve deep into the world of virtualisation with VMware.
But why learn in public? And why Azure?
I read a very interesting chapter (conveniently named 'learn in public') from the Coding Career Handbook. It made the point that:
- There is incredible value in open sourcing your knowledge. You build a public record of your interests and progress.
- Along the way you attract a community of likeminded people who can help you learn faster than you ever could on your own.
- Learning in public opens up new and exciting career opportunities
- Others in the community benefit too from your learning. It's a win-win.
I also recently watched a video by Rishab Kumar who shared his personal take on learning in the public over the past two years and how he's benefitted from the process.
And to answer why I've chosen Microsoft Azure as my preferred cloud platform - well, this is what my current employer uses. It makes sense to me to learn the platform that I'm most likely to encounter on a day to day basis. Also, from a career perspective, whilst Amazon Web Services (AWS) is currently the largest cloud platform, Azure is the fastest growing cloud platform. I have seen others make the argument that Azure is cheaper than AWS or GCP (Google Cloud Platform) but that's not something that can confirm... yet.
If you want to follow my journey, please check out my GitHub repository where I'll be documenting my progress or alternatively subscribe to my YouTube channel.