The Cloud Resume Challenge: Relevance for Noobs and Ongoing Value for Pros 🌩️
Tags: beginners, cloud, career, resume
Published: 2023-01-16 07:48:51

If you're in IT and looking to work with cloud tech, or rub shoulders with those who do, you may have heard about something called the Cloud Resume Challenge. Those who've completed it swear by it, and its creator has gone so far as to release e-books covering multiple cloud platform implementations in the 2 years since its inception.
So, what is the CRC, will it get you a job, and does it have any value for you if you’re already an established IT professional?

### My introduction to the challenge🖐️

I'm relatively new to IT, and after 3 years of working in the MSP/Service Delivery/Support space, I finally have some direction in what I actually want to do with my career, thanks to my good friend, [Elliot](https://elliotsegler.au/), pushing me to get into cloud tech.

This year I made the decision to pivot and went for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification. I learned all the material and passed the exam in about 8 weeks. Not bad.
But now what? I had no real-world experience. I needed more in my resume than just an associate level cloud cert to get a foot in the door.  I asked Elliot what I could do to pad the resume and make myself more hirable. He said I need a project; Something to demonstrate my capabilities. Enter The Cloud Resume Challenge.

### So, wtf is it?🤔

The Cloud Resume Challenge is a 16-step project [outlined by Forrest Brazeal in early 2020](https://forrestbrazeal.com/2020/04/23/the-cloud-resume-challenge/), designed to help newcomers test their mettle by turning their resume into a static html website and hosting it in the cloud. As Forrest puts it, it gives participants the opportunity to learn something about full-stack development, version control, infrastructure as code, automation, continuous integration and delivery, serverless architecture, application security and networking. It also gives them something to demonstrate their understanding with hands-on experience and shows their capacity and willingness to learn.

### Scope of the challenge🔍

The scope of the challenge is broken down into 16 parts: Certification, HTML, CSS, Static Website, HTTPS, DNS, JavaScript, Database, API, Python, Tests, Infrastructure as Code, Source Control, CI/CD (Back-end), CI/CD (Front-end), Blog post. For the uninitiated, it's quite the endeavour.
You happen to be reading part 16 of mine. 
For a complete breakdown of the challenge, visit the [official website](https://cloudresumechallenge.dev/docs/the-challenge/aws/).

### My cloud resume☁️

If you're reading this, chances are you've already seen my cloud resume. If not, then check it out [here](https://scottymiller.au) and appreciate my glorious work. I'll wait.
Impressed? No? Well I am. Always stop to appreciate your own achievements.

This isn't a tutorial, so don't expect a how-to here, and if you're chasing one then you're missing the point of the CRC. But I will share what it's done for me. 

### What it’s done for me🦾

This project was a tonne of firsts for me. From start to finish, every step of the way I was learning to do something I hadn't done before.

I learned how to take a 10 thousand foot view of a problem, build out a solution and present it in a format suitable for technical and non-technical stakeholders as needed.

I improved my knowledge and comprehension of cloud services and how they interact far beyond the rigid non-contextual theory I covered in my exam prep. This is important for someone like me who hasn't had touch on this stuff in prod. Learning how to setup an API gateway is one thing, but setting it up behind a CDN for real world use and ensuring requests to custom domain URIs still hit the API isn't something you get until you do it. 

I learned about CI/CD pipelines and how to implement them with IaC, learning first-hand the advantages realised through automated code delivery and standardised deployment processes.

I learned to be flexible and adaptable in my approach to projects, which proved especially useful when I received an unexpected request for an interview and had to hasten my deadline. In order to meet the new deadline, I chose to leverage a free website template from [StyleShout] (https://www.styleshout.com/). This allowed me to deliver a polished and professional front-end with minimal effort and at short notice, which helped me succeed in the interview.

I learned the importance of seeking out feedback from peers in order to identify areas for improvement. Akkodis global cloud lead, James Bromberger, shared [his own write-up] (https://www.modis.com/en-au/news-and-insights/articles/moving-to-the-devops-approach/) on the CRC with me, and [his cloud resume] (https://cv.jamesbromberger.com/) was an excellent point of reference when it came to [hardening security](https://www.hardenize.com/report/scottymiller.au) for my own site.

It hasn't stopped either. Even now I have a growing list of features and upgrades I'll be implementing over the coming months. I continue to learn new tools and expand my skillset in order to deliver new features and ensure that the project continues to grow and evolve with me. 

This project made me put my money where my mouth is and learn to build something real with all the knowledge I'd crammed into my head in the preceding months of study. It forced me beyond the comfort zone neophyte developers get stuck in, following step by step tutorials in unrealistically straight-forward workflows to make a half-baked app. Instead, it had me trawling documentation, testing and iterating code without any handholding.

I'll be the first to say I had a handicap in the form of an accomplished AWS solutions architect I could consult when I got stuck. But that in itself was a lesson of learning when to ask for help. Elliot was and continues to be an invaluable source of wisdom and a great mentor. He knows when to throw me a bone and when to tell me to get in the bin and google something myself. If you have people like that around you, take advantage of it and learn from them.

### Has it helped me get a cloud job?💼

As I write this, things are looking good. My work on this project has helped me gain attention and has been a strong conversation piece in interviews. I have a couple of companies wanting to continue discussions once things ramp up again for the year. 
I have much to look forward to in 2023.

### Does it still have value after I get the job?👨‍💼
Yes. The cloud resume is a capability statement. As you progress in your career and add more tools to your skillset, you can apply what you learn and add new features to your resume as I do. It's a playground for trying new things. It's a way for you to express yourself as an IT professional.

### What you can do with it🔧
The CRC isn't limited to the format laid out in the challenge, and it's not just for aspiring cloud engineers. Are you a Linux/Unix nerd? Build a Netflix clone with a BSD backend running ZFS. More of a front-end aficionado? Give the site an overhaul and rewrite it using your preferred framework. Big on data? Hook up to an API or two and build a dashboard. Your imagination is the only limitation here.

### My conclusion✅
The Cloud Resume Challenge is a practical and engaging way to showcase your capabilities and gain valuable experience in building cloud-based solutions. It teaches you things you wouldn't learn following a shitty tutorial and gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge in a more authentic and challenging setting. 
If you found this helpful and complete the challenge, I encourage you to share your finished cloud resume with me in the comments.