<![CDATA[Untitled Publication]]>https://blog.cumuluscompendium.clickRSS for NodeWed, 15 Apr 2026 19:23:47 GMT60<![CDATA[Cloud Resume Challenge II]]>https://blog.cumuluscompendium.click/cloud-resume-challenge-iihttps://blog.cumuluscompendium.click/cloud-resume-challenge-iiFri, 30 Jun 2023 16:01:39 GMTAt the end of the Cloud Resume Challenge the final requirement is a blog post describing what you've learned. This is that blog post.

I'll start with, Oh boy did I learn a lot. As mentioned in my initial post, I am wholey inexperienced. Even after getting my SAA I felt theoretically prepared but, full disclosure, that's probably because I didn't log in to the AWS console once during the five months I studied. That was dumb, don't be me.

According to my AWS Home page, these are the services I touched on in the process of completing this challenge:

This doesn't include learning GitHub or the SAM CLI either. Because I had never used the AWS console during my studies, I first completed this challenge by creating my resources manually and using AWS Pipeline before recreating my back-end with a SAM template. Overall, the project took me just under two weeks to complete.

As far as what I learned, the most fascinating was CI/CD and SAM. I didn't think I would get much satisfaction in seeing a green checkmark and my resources provisioned as intended, but oh man. Like sending your kid off to school and having them come back with a gold star, sweet sweet validation. On the other hand, the most troubling thing I had to learn was dealing with CORs configurations, Which was easily implemented in the console but strangely elusive during the SAM implementation. I learned so much more than can be mentioned in the short form, which is why I hope to expand on this blog with more in-depth reflection for my sake and hopefully yours as well.

]]><![CDATA[Cloud Resume Challenge I]]>https://blog.cumuluscompendium.click/cloud-resume-challenge-ihttps://blog.cumuluscompendium.click/cloud-resume-challenge-iFri, 30 Jun 2023 16:00:42 GMTHi, I'm Dustin. I'm new to blogging, I'm new to the cloud, but I'm familiar with laughing when you can't seem to cry, and then persevering. I'm hoping this site may reach others and help them on their cloud journey and I wish everyone great luck breaking into the industry.

Some background on me (feel free to skip)-

I added this section mostly to give an adequate idea of my skill set and experience with the cloud and IT in general. At the time of writing this, I work in the managed print service industry. Essentially, I manage the print device ecosystem for a hospital system and administrate the software solutions that support user workflows. So I'm fixing physical devices, software, networking, faxing, authentication, and third-party integration. None of which interacts with the cloud.

I have a Bachelor's in Digital Media and Web Technology (there were no cloud-focused degrees at the time but this allowed me to take the cloud electives available). My initial focus was Android development so my application development experience has been several projects involving API's, databases, and inter-app interactions. I found that I was less inclined to code all day but wanted to be a part of the process of creating new solutions and services and that's when I became introduced to cloud architecture.

Before embarking on the Cloud Resume Challenge I received my Cloud Certified Practitioner and Solutions Architect Associate certificates just prior. And that's really all there is. So if you have a similar inexperience to mine, I hope this blog is written in such a way that it helps you feel encouraged and supported while still allowing you to experience the challenge.

I'm not active on any social media, but I'm trying to be more active in the cloud community to help me stay engaged. I feel best when being able to support others in this way. So if you struggle throughout the challenge or just want to say hello, email me at alfanocloud@gmail.com and I'll try my very best to respond.

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