Challenge FAQ
What is the Cloud Resume Challenge?
The Cloud Resume Challenge is a hands-on project designed to help you bridge the gap from cloud certification to cloud job. It incorporates many of the skills that real cloud and DevOps engineers use in their daily work.
Who can complete the Cloud Resume Challenge?
Short answer: anybody! It’s a fun way to level up your cloud skills, even if you’re already a professional.
(It’s extra impressive coming from people brand-new to cloud, though!)
Who are you and why are you doing this?
My name is Forrest Brazeal. I’ve been building in the cloud for many years. I would not be at this point in my career without the generous help of many people.
When I originally created the challenge I was working at A Cloud Guru, a cloud education company, but this has always been a personal attempt to give back to the community.
Is there a deadline to complete the challenge?
Early versions of the challenge had a deadline to receive personal code review from Forrest. While that deadline has passed, you can always submit your projects in the Discord server to get reviews from the community.
Can I do the challenge without buying the book?
The core steps of the Cloud Resume Challenge are always free to access, and you are welcome to try them on your own.
The book is full of tools, tips, and resources to help you complete the challenge more quickly and get hired more easily. It also includes several bonus projects to further build your resume.
Does completing the Cloud Resume Challenge guarantee I will get a job in the cloud?
No. But it has helped a lot of people along that road.
Now, fair warning: you will have to open a large number of browser tabs to figure out the challenge. It will take you quite a few long evenings at the kitchen table. You might reasonably conclude that none of it is worth the dubious reward of having a side project on your resume.
But if you give this project a try and realize that you hate it, or you’re just not interested, you’ll have learned a valuable lesson about whether or not you really want a career in the cloud – because these are the types of problems that real cloud engineers and developers really work on.
And I believe that if you can, in good faith, complete the Cloud Resume Challenge, you will already have more useful skills than a lot of people who graduate from university computer science programs. Specifically: you will understand something about full-stack software development, version control, infrastructure as code, automation, continuous integration and delivery, cloud services and “serverless”, application security, and networking. And you’ll have learned by doing, because I didn’t give you enough instructions to figure any of this out without going down some late-night rabbit holes. Most importantly, you will have demonstrated the number-one skill in a cloud engineer’s toolbox: the ability to learn fast and google well.
Those are skills you can take to a job interview.
Good luck!
Can I complete the Cloud Resume Challenge on Microsoft Azure?
Can I complete the Cloud Resume Challenge on Google Cloud (GCP)?
Can I complete the challenge using [different technology X]?
Yes! Feel free to use different cloud providers, DevOps tools, etc – as long as you have met the end objective described in each step.
The Cloud Resume Challenge Guidebook includes tons more ideas for modifying and enhancing your project.
Can I work on the steps in a different order?
Yep. As long as you are doing your own work, there’s no wrong way to approach the challenge.
Can I share my solutions online?
You are encouraged to share your general observations and personal approach to solving the challenge when you write your wrap-up blog post. However, I ask that you please don’t share your Python and Javascript code in the blog. Let’s keep the challenge properly challenging for others!
What is the cloud, anyway?
Hey, I wrote another book about that!