Cloud is emerging to be a necessity for most companies these days when it comes to handling infrastructure or automating stuff, and all in all, reducing the headache of managing local servers.

Cloud platforms these days offer quick software integration, high-speed deployment, efficiency of resources, better data security, high scalability, unlimited storage capacity, and much more. There is a lot you can do in the cloud. So yes, it is a rapidly emerging field.

I started my cloud journey by the end of 2021 when the Google Developer Students Club (GDSC) brought a 30 days program by Google Cloud, to my college. It was an event that gave an introduction to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and some Ops tools. I found interest in it more than anything which was happening in my academics and invested time daily to learn and practice my basics. I used YouTube extensively to learn the tools which were mentioned in the 30 days program and implemented them in my way.

Qwiklabs provided the GCP access through labs which I could use to test my understanding and implement things in GCP without any billing. I used this opportunity to explore more about the platform and achieved skill badges by Google Cloud. I also earned my first certification voucher from Google Cloud by completing another 30 days event which gives me the choice to attempt a certification exam for free. I'm mentioning all these things to share that there are opportunities like these that can help you get certifications free of cost.

Google Cloud Skills boost has roadmaps which help to track progress and implement tools in GCP. But not everything is free forever, they recently made everything paid :(

But don't worry, I have more resources for you.

YouTube Links

These are some good YouTube contents that can help your learning process:

1. A really insightful intro by Google Cloud Tech.

2. TechWorld with Nana's videos which gives base for a lot of tools and concepts. I highly recommend her videos.

3. tutoriaLinux. He gives good insight into real-world situations and how to appear for interviews.

4. Cloud Advocate. He makes a lot of GCP personalized content.

5. Video on some internships and scholarships you can apply to by Kunal Kushwaha.

GitHub Repos

Some very popular repos which you can follow to improve your learning:

1. bregman-arie/ devops-exercises
2. MichaelCade/90DaysOfDevOps

Notes

While learning, I'd recommend making rough notes like these which can help you revisit the concepts you learned at any later point of time or while preparing for an interview.

Projects

Once you get your basics right, you can implement your learnings by making some projects on the things you learned.

1. I'd recommend going for The Cloud Resume Challenge. It is a wonderful project which tests your knowledge in many areas.

2. Find some sample project ideas here

Always practice continuous learning and learn the things which you're not aware of. Be free to explore and come up with your own ideas and share them with the community.

Social Media

Notice that I mentioned a LinkedIn post above. Networking on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can help you learn a lot of things and grow your connections as well.

There are a lot of experienced people who share their knowledge on platforms like LinkedIn:

1. Walter Lee
2. Sandip Das
3. David das Neves
4. Priyanka Vergadia
5. Bharath Kumar Reddy
6. Mayank Jadhav
7. Ann Afamefuna

Reading such articles can help you be updated.

Scholarships and Internships

Once you have some projects to highlight on your resume, your time to put your knowledge into real work comes.

Apply for fellowships and scholarships like LiFT. They're held every year and all you need to have is the "CONFIDENCE TO APPLY" once you build yourself up. Watch the video by Kunal Kushwaha mentioned above to know more about similar programs.

You can start your work career by either working as a freelancer or applying for internships. Keep in mind that networking can help you push through the crowd and reach the stage till resume shortlisting. Rest is in your hands!

A few freelancing sites I have worked on as a DevOps freelancer are Upwork and Freelancer.

Working as a freelancer will help you gain more insight into working on a real project. Who knows, you might get selected as an intern or full-time job if they like your work! Speaking out of experience as I landed my first internship like that. Remember, being passionate and loving what you do is the key to learning and improving. So, give it your best try.

See you in Cloud!

Vishnu S