How do you keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date?

1 Follow the trends

One of the first steps to keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date is to follow the trends and developments in the cloud computing landscape. You can do this by reading blogs, newsletters, podcasts, and social media posts from reputable sources, such as cloud vendors, experts, influencers, and communities. You can also attend webinars, workshops, conferences, and events that showcase the latest innovations, best practices, and case studies in cloud computing. By following the trends, you can get a sense of what skills and knowledge are in demand, what challenges and opportunities are emerging, and what solutions and tools are available.

2 Learn by doing

Another effective way to keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date is to learn by doing. You can do this by taking online courses, certifications, or bootcamps that offer hands-on training and practical exercises in various cloud platforms, services, and technologies. You can also use free or low-cost resources, such as cloud sandboxes, labs, tutorials, and documentation, to practice and experiment with different cloud scenarios and features. By learning by doing, you can gain confidence, experience, and feedback in applying your cloud skills and knowledge to real-world problems and projects.

3 Join a community

A third way to keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date is to join a community of like-minded cloud enthusiasts, learners, and practitioners. You can do this by participating in online forums, groups, platforms, and networks that focus on cloud computing topics, such as Stack Overflow, Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, and Slack. You can also join local or global cloud meetups, clubs, chapters, or organizations that offer networking, mentoring, and collaboration opportunities. By joining a community, you can exchange ideas, insights, tips, and resources with other cloud professionals, get support and guidance, and expand your network and opportunities.

4 Teach others

A fourth way to keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date is to teach others what you know and learn from them. You can do this by creating and sharing content, such as blogs, videos, podcasts, or presentations, that showcase your cloud expertise, projects, or learnings. You can also volunteer to mentor, coach, or tutor others who are interested or new to cloud computing. By teaching others, you can reinforce your own understanding, discover new perspectives and questions, and demonstrate your value and credibility as a cloud professional.

5 Challenge yourself

A fifth way to keep your cloud skills and knowledge up to date is to challenge yourself to learn something new, improve something existing, or solve something difficult in the cloud domain. You can do this by setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals for your cloud learning and development, and tracking your progress and outcomes. You can also join or initiate cloud-related projects, competitions, hackathons, or challenges that push you out of your comfort zone and test your skills and knowledge. By challenging yourself, you can foster a growth mindset, a curiosity, and a passion for cloud computing that will keep you motivated and engaged.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?