Career paths are rarely one straight road.
Whatever the job role, whatever the industry, sometimes life just gets in the way.
But regardless of what obstacle you face, it shouldn’t deter you from pursuing your career goals—and the good news is, it doesn’t have to.
Career opportunities in tech are growing at a significantly faster rate than the average for other occupations, with the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) forecasting a 15% growth in job openings across the decade since 2021. This means no matter if you’re breaking into the industry for the first time, moving between cloud ecosystems, or simply trying to rejuvenate your career after a setback, there are opportunities to seize.
Principal Solutions Architect at AWS, Prasad Rao, and Senior Technical Instructor at AWS, Ashish Prajapti, are co-authors of Cloud Career Journeys, a book that charts the stories of professionals’ career paths in the cloud. According to these experts, facing barriers is a common part of the vocational process, and it’s how you choose to tackle them that will ultimately dictate your success:
“We call this group of cloud pros ‘The Undefeated’,” Ashish told us. “They regain the trail after detours and persist when the path gets tough.”
“Though setbacks may force them to take a break or change course, these resilient explorers get back on their feet to find new paths to cloud success,” added Prasad.
Now we know what you’re thinking: that’s easier said than done, right?
So to give you a helping hand, here are some top tips from the professionals in Cloud Career Journeys who have been there and done that, forming successful cloud careers even when the going gets tough.
How to keep moving forward
Even when faced with adversity, the determination to keep moving forward is pivotal to any career in tech. In the famous words of Rocky Balboa, “It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward—that’s how winning is done!”.
Anyway, where were we…
Cloud computing is a rapidly evolving industry, with fresh capabilities, new best practices, and innovative solutions emerging every single day. Of course, this evolution brings with it a whole new world of possibilities for IT talent, providing you have your finger on the pulse.
But if you’ve become complacent, or your career has hit a wall during a period of stagnation, the cloud can quickly leave you behind—and needless to say, this doesn’t do your career prospects any favors (and that’s us putting it nicely!).
So, how do ‘The Undefeated’ professionals advise you keep putting one foot in front of the other? According to Prasad and Ashish, it all starts with getting your ducks in a row.
“To move forward, you need to know which way forward is,” said Prasad. “It’s Career Progression 101, which means it’s important to know exactly what you want from your career journey; why does that particular role or industry appeal to you?”
“Being able to confidently define your career goals with this clarity and conviction will act as the compass along your chosen path, guiding your career choices the right way and driving your progression forward,” added Ashish.
Unfortunately, that’s not to say these opportunities will immediately present themselves to you. But in these moments, don’t give up on your passions and stay focused on working toward your goal. This will mean that, when that opportunity finally does present itself, you’re well prepared to capture it.
But when an opportunity opens up for somebody else instead, don’t get disheartened by others’ success. Recognize that everyone is on their own journey, and never underestimate your abilities based on your status today. In fact, let it motivate you to keep upskilling, exploring, and opening up new doors of your own.
Oh, and if you’re not sure about which role or industry is your calling, that’s OK too! Just be sure to keep exploring your options until you find that perfect fit—staying proactive in this way is a great way to build interests and knowledge as you progress.
Speaking of knowledge building, build a habit of learning to ensure you’re staying up to date with the latest in your area of interest. Being consistent in your learning is instrumental to the scope of your career potential, so try to be regimented in sprucing up on all the latest developments to avoid stalling and hindering your growth.
Ensure this doesn’t come at the expense of learning the basics, however. Understanding the fundamentals of the cloud—areas like compute, storage, database, networking and security—will not only significantly aid your learning in other areas, but also bolster your career prospects dramatically, so start small and master the fundamentals before diving deeper.
This is where certifications come in handy. Working towards official AWS certification can help keep your learning structured, well-informed, and progressive, from foundational-level knowledge right through to mastering a specialist area. But be sure to add value to your certifications instead of just jumping from one to another. Consider how your certification journey aligns with your career path, and try to get hands-on wherever possible—combining theory and practice in this way is crucial to your ability to comprehend and retain concepts, and understand how they apply to real-world situations.
Finally, know that you don’t have to travel alone. With so many avenues to explore, the world of cloud computing can be an intimidating place without a helping hand from your peers—but luckily, cloud communities are built on an ethos of collaboration and education. Whether it’s seeking learning and mentorship opportunities or simply reaching out for advice, you might be surprised at just how many people are ready to support you on your journey. Just be sure to put some thought into your approach—be prepared and respectful instead of randomly asking for help, and learn about the person to specifically identify how they can assist you in taking another step forward.
How to overcome cloud career roadblocks
When progressing down your chosen career path, moving forward can be hard enough with a clear road ahead. So what happens when there’s a roadblock in your path?
In Cloud Career Journeys, The Undefeated teach us that you must be prepared to tackle adversary head-on. Whether it’s a hurdle on your career path preventing you from reaching that next (or even first) level, or a learning barrier that’s left you falling behind, the resilience to break through these roadblocks is instrumental on the path to success.
But how exactly do you do it?
Maybe you’ve had to take some time away from the industry and you’re struggling to find your feet again. Maybe you’ve struggled to ever break into the industry in the first place due to you facing higher barriers to entry. Or maybe you’re facing the prospect of a career change and simply don’t know where to start.
Whatever career obstacle you’re facing, remember that the cloud community is packed full of passionate professionals happy to give you a leg up—after all, most have been in the same boat as you at one stage in their career!
This means that growing your network and connections can be key to your ability to overcome hurdles, providing that you network strategically with those who will advocate for you or add to your knowledge. Purposefully connect with like-minded people from across your chosen ecosystem by sharing your passion and listening to their stories, being sure to always network with respect and appreciation.
To begin building meaningful relationships like these, first focus on improving your digital presence by revamping your LinkedIn profile and documenting your journey. This ensures you’re more visible and recognizable to the right people at the right time, helping to form connections more authentically. Of course, don’t forget about the networking potential of events too, whether that’s a virtual meet-up or an in-person conference—you’re more likely to build meaningful relationships when someone can put a face to the name!
That’s not to say you should only attend cloud events to network—events of all shapes and sizes are also packed with learning opportunities that can help you smash through obstacles to career success.
Look to get stuck in with hands-on workshops led by experts, and try to attend a range of talks and demonstrations to properly gauge your interest in a specific technology. Whatever you choose, the trick is to interact and engage with the community, making use of every resource available to you to maximize your potential for learning, growth, and career success.
Interested to learn more about how professionals have used the advice in this post to smash through roadblocks and carve out successful careers in the cloud? Click here to pick up a copy of the Cloud Career Journeys eBook with 50% off today, or click here for 50% off a StarterKit featuring the eBook, mentoring, and additional learning resources!
