Cloud Certification Spotlight #10

In partnership with

👋 Hello to our Cloud Learners! It’s always a joy to connect with this incredible community of cloud enthusiasts and professionals. We hope this week’s newsletter brings you fresh inspiration and practical insights for your certification journey.

Today, we have an up and coming cloud professional from Amsterdam, sharing his goal of getting into the cloud community. Let’s hear from Jasper as he walks us through his path to Azure or AWS certification (and maybe both!).

If someone forwarded this email to you, please consider clicking the button below to join 100K+ other cloud professionals on their cloud certification journey!

Also check out our Learn Azure and Learn AWS apps to help pass those exams on the first try.

Personal Background 

Geographical Location: Living just outside Amsterdam gives me a perfect balance of a vibrant city life and access to a thriving tech ecosystem. The Netherlands has a growing cloud and startup scene, and being close to so many innovative companies makes it an ideal place to begin my journey into cloud computing.

Educational Background: I earned my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration about four years ago. While I didn’t pursue a technical path in school, I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of business and technology — and that’s what initially led me to explore cloud computing.

Family Life: I’m currently single and enjoying the flexibility that allows me to really focus on professional growth. Outside of studying for certifications, I love exploring Amsterdam’s craft beer scene and biking through the countryside on weekends. It’s a great way to clear my head after long hours of learning.

Professional Journey 

Current Role: Right now, I’m in a non-technical operations role at a mid-sized logistics company. My day-to-day work has shown me just how powerful cloud platforms can be — from automating tasks to improving data insights. That sparked my interest in transitioning to a cloud-focused career, and certification is my first serious step.

Career Path: I’ve always been driven by problem-solving and process improvement, which is why I believe cloud computing is such an exciting opportunity. My goal is to move into a cloud support or junior DevOps role where I can get hands-on and continue to grow.

Professional Level: At this point in my career, I earn around €42,000 annually. I’m hoping that by breaking into cloud computing — whether through Azure or AWS — I can both grow my skill set and significantly increase my earning potential.

Outside Interests 

Hobbies and Passions: Craft beer is my guilty pleasure! I enjoy discovering small breweries across the Netherlands and learning about different brewing techniques. I also love exploring tech meetups and cloud-focused webinars — it’s amazing how open and helpful the cloud community is, especially for newcomers like me.

Community Involvement: I’ve started connecting with others online through LinkedIn and local user groups. I recently attended my first Azure meetup in Amsterdam, and it was incredibly motivating to see how welcoming the cloud community can be to career switchers.

An AI scheduling assistant that lives up to the hype.

Skej is an AI scheduling assistant that works just like a human. You can CC Skej on any email, and watch it book all your meetings. It also handles scheduling, rescheduling, and event reminders.

Imagine life with a 24/7 assistant who responds so naturally, you’ll forget it’s AI.

• Smart Scheduling
  Skej handles time zones and can scan booking links

• Customizable
  Create assistants with their own names and personalities.

• Flexible
  Connect to multiple calendars and email addresses.

• Works Everywhere
  Write to Skej on email, text, WhatsApp, and Slack.

Whether you’re scheduling a quick team call or coordinating a sales pitch across the globe, Skej gets it done fast and effortlessly. You’ll never want to schedule a meeting yourself, ever again.

The best part? You can try Skej for free right now.

Sign up for free

Learning and Development 

Learning Techniques: I’m all about structure. I create study blocks throughout the week, using platforms like freeCodeCamp, Microsoft Learn, and AWS Skill Builder. I find that video-based tutorials combined with quick hands-on labs help me retain the concepts better than just reading. I am currently using the Learn Azure app to help me with the certification exam.

Passion Projects: I’m currently working on building a basic resume-hosting website using Azure Web Apps. I’m also exploring how to use AWS S3 to store and retrieve files — baby steps, but I’m excited every time I get something to work.

Cloud Certification Pursuits 

Motivation for Certification: Getting certified feels like the clearest way for me to prove that I can pivot into cloud computing. It’s something tangible that shows employers I’m serious and willing to put in the work to gain technical skills.

Specific Certifications: I’m currently preparing for the AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam and plan to follow that up with AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. I haven’t decided which path I’ll fully commit to yet, but both are exciting and offer great opportunities, but it will come down to my future employer and the technology used there.

Study Resources: I’ve been using the Learn Azure and Learn AWS apps to reinforce core concepts. Combined with YouTube tutorials and free labs, I’ve been able to build confidence step by step. I also follow a few certification Reddit threads to stay inspired and keep momentum.

Start learning AI in 2025

Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!

That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

• Get daily AI news, tools, and tutorials

• Learn new AI skills you can use at work in 3 mins a day

• Become 10X more productive

Sign up and start mastering AI

Experiences and Insights 

Certification Journey: Starting from scratch in a non-technical role felt intimidating at first, but once I set small, achievable goals — like completing one module a day — things became manageable. Every topic I learn feels like a building block toward something bigger.

Helpful Strategies: Break it down. Focus on concepts first — like what the cloud is, and why companies use it — before diving into services. Hands-on practice is a game changer. I try to “build something small” after each study session.

Other Advice: If you’re coming from a non-technical background, don’t get discouraged. Cloud isn’t just for coders — it’s for problem solvers, strategists, and people willing to learn. Certifications are a great way to start unlocking that door.

Future Aspirations 

Post-Certification Plans: Once I pass AZ-900, I plan to start applying for junior cloud roles or internships. Really anything to get started. I’m open to contract work or freelance gigs to gain real-world experience, and I’ll keep building side projects to grow my confidence.

Long-Term Goals: In the next few years, I’d love to become a Cloud Support Engineer or even a Solutions Architect. My dream is to work for a company that builds sustainable, scalable tech — ideally in a role where I can merge my business background with technical skills.

Additional Thoughts 

Community Impact: I’d love to one day mentor others who are trying to switch careers into tech. I’ve realized how important community support is during this process, and I want to pay that forward as I grow in my own journey.

Feedback: I wish more cloud training platforms offered real-world context. Certifications are great, but pairing them with small projects or real-life business use cases would really help newcomers like me see the “why” behind the services.

That was great, thanks Jasper!

We’re looking for more inspiring certification journeys like Jasper’s to feature in our spotlight series this August and into the Fall! If you’d like to share your story and inspire our community, simply reply to this email. We’ll provide you with a simple template to guide you through the process. Your experiences make a huge difference, and the feedback from our readers has been incredibly positive!

Until next week, keep learning and building.

Sponsor Us:

Want to reach 100,000+ cloud and data enthusiasts? Sponsor our newsletter and gain valuable exposure for your brand! Send us an email to learn more.