Purpose These weekly sessions are designed to help you: - stay accountable, - ask questions, - get mentorship, - review projects, - and accelerate your transition into cloud engineering. Weekly Session Structure Part 1 — Cloud Topic of the Week (20 Minutes) Examples: - Networking fundamentals - AWS basics - IAM concepts - Linux troubleshooting - Cloud security - Automation basics Part 2 — Project Review (20 Minutes) Members can: - share projects, - ask technical questions, - get feedback, - troubleshoot issues. Part 3 — Career Coaching (15 Minutes) Topics: - Resume reviews - LinkedIn feedback - Interview advice - Job search strategy - Certification planning Part 4 — Open Q&A (15 Minutes) Ask anything related to: - cloud engineering, - career transition, - projects, - certifications, - or technical skills. Weekly Challenge Idea At the end of each session, members receive: - one technical challenge, - one learning assignment, - or one hands-on project. This keeps the community active and accountable. Final Message Cloud engineering is not about learning everything at once. It is about: - building strong foundations, - practicing consistently, - developing practical skills, - and staying committed. Focus on progress. Keep building. Stay consistent. Welcome to CloudSkills Academy.

The Biggest Mistake Beginners Make Many people only list certifications. Employers want: - practical skills, - problem-solving ability, - and hands-on experience. Your goal is to position yourself as someone who can contribute technically. Resume Strategy Focus on 4 Things 1. Technical Skills Examples: - AWS - Azure - Linux - Networking - IAM - EC2 - Virtualization - Monitoring - Python basics 2. Hands-On Projects Include practical projects such as: - Website deployment on AWS - Cloud storage configuration - VPC setup - Monitoring dashboards - Automation scripts Projects demonstrate real ability. 3. Transferable IT Experience If you already work in IT support, you already have valuable experience. Examples: - troubleshooting, - ticket management, - networking exposure, - user support, - system administration, - security awareness. Position these as foundational cloud skills. 4. Certifications (Optional Enhancement) Certifications help support your resume but should not be your only selling point. Examples: - AWS Cloud Practitioner - AWS Solutions Architect Associate - Azure Fundamentals - Azure Administrator Interview Strategy What Interviewers Want Interviewers often assess: - communication, - troubleshooting ability, - cloud understanding, - willingness to learn, - and practical thinking.

First Cloud Project Project 1 — Deploy a Simple Website on AWS Objective Learn how to deploy a basic website using AWS services. By the end of this project, you will: - Understand cloud deployment basics - Launch cloud resources - Configure permissions - Host a live website Skills Covered - AWS basics - EC2 virtual machines - Security groups - Remote access - Basic Linux commands - Web server setup Step 1 — Create an AWS Account Create your AWS Free Tier account. Use the free tier to avoid unnecessary costs. Step 2 — Launch an EC2 Instance Inside AWS: 1. Go to EC2 2. Launch Instance 3. Select Amazon Linux 4. Choose Free Tier instance 5. Configure security group:Allow HTTPAllow SSH 6. Launch instance Step 3 — Connect to the Server Use SSH to connect to your instance. Example: ssh -i your-key.pem ec2-user@your-public-ip Step 4 — Install Apache Web Server Run: sudo yum update -y sudo yum install httpd -y sudo systemctl start httpd sudo systemctl enable httpd Step 5 — Create a Simple Web Page Run: echo "My First Cloud Project" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html Step 6 — Test Your Website Open your EC2 public IP address in a browser. You should see: My First Cloud Project Congratulations. You just deployed your first cloud-hosted website. What You Learned You learned: - How cloud servers work - Basic deployment process - Remote server access - Web hosting fundamentals - Security group configuration Next Challenge Try improving the project by: - Adding a custom HTML page - Using a domain name - Adding HTTPS - Creating multiple pages - Automating deployment

Stage 1 — Build Core IT Knowledge Before cloud engineering, you need strong technical foundations. Focus on: - Networking fundamentals - IP addressing - DNS - Operating systems - Linux basics - Virtual machines - Troubleshooting Recommended Goal: Be comfortable navigating Linux systems and understanding how networks operate. Stage 2 — Learn Cloud Fundamentals Understand the core concepts behind cloud computing. Key Topics: - What is cloud computing? - Public vs private cloud - Regions and availability zones - Compute services - Storage services - Cloud networking - Identity and access management - Monitoring and logging Platforms to focus on: - AWS - Azure - GCP (optional initially) Recommended Approach: Start with one cloud provider first. AWS is often the easiest starting point because of: - learning resources, - community support, - and market demand. Stage 3 — Build Hands-On Skills This is where many learners fail. Do not only watch videos. Build projects. Examples: - Deploy a website - Create a virtual private cloud (VPC) - Configure cloud storage - Launch virtual machines - Set up monitoring - Configure IAM permissions - Build backup solutions Goal: Be able to explain what you built and why you built it. Stage 4 — Learn Basic Automation Modern cloud engineers use automation. Beginner areas to learn: - Bash scripting - PowerShell - Python basics - Infrastructure as Code concepts - Terraform basics You do not need to become an advanced programmer immediately. Stage 5 — Build Your Cloud Resume Your resume should demonstrate: - hands-on projects, - technical understanding, - problem-solving ability, - and continuous learning. Important: Projects often matter more than certifications alone. Stage 6 — Prepare for Interviews Practice: - networking questions, - Linux questions, - cloud fundamentals, - troubleshooting scenarios, - and project explanations. Many interviews focus on: - communication, - problem-solving, - and practical understanding.