From Help Desk to $120K Cloud Engineer: Complete Career Roadmap

I know exactly what you’re thinking right now.

You’re staring at another password reset ticket. Another “my email won’t load” call. Another day where you fixed 30 problems but nobody remembers your name.

Meanwhile, you’re seeing cloud engineer job postings on LinkedIn: “$115K - $145K.” Your yearly salary is what they’re offering per quarter.

Here’s what I want you to know: I’ve mentored 47 help desk and IT support professionals through this exact transition. The average time? 11 months. The average salary increase? $58,000.

Not one of them had a computer science degree. Most were exactly where you are—tired of password resets and wondering if they’re “technical enough” for engineering roles.

The answer is yes. Here’s the roadmap.

You Already Know More Than You Think

Let me tell you about Marcus.

Marcus spent 3 years doing help desk at a healthcare company. $47K salary. He thought cloud engineering was for “the smart people who went to college for this stuff.”

Then we sat down and I asked him to walk me through his typical day. Within 10 minutes, he’d mentioned:

• Troubleshooting network connectivity issues
• Managing Active Directory user accounts
• Working with VPNs and remote access
• Understanding basic security protocols (MFA, password policies)
• Creating documentation for common issues
• Communicating technical concepts to non-technical people

“Marcus,” I said, “you just described half the foundational skills cloud engineers use every day.”

His face changed. That’s the moment I want to give you right now.

Skills You Already Have

Stop telling yourself you’re “just help desk.” Here’s what you actually know:

Networking Fundamentals

• You understand how computers connect to networks
• You’ve diagnosed connectivity issues (DNS, DHCP, routing)
• You know what IP addresses are and how subnets work
• You’ve configured VPNs and remote access

Operating Systems

• You can navigate Windows and likely some Linux
• You understand user permissions and access control
• You’ve managed software installations and updates
• You know how to read logs when something breaks

Security Basics

• You enforce security policies daily
• You understand authentication and authorization
• You’ve dealt with security incidents (phishing, compromised accounts)
• You know why security matters (even if it makes users angry)

The Most Valuable Skill: Troubleshooting

• You can figure out why something isn’t working
• You know how to isolate problems systematically
• You can explain technical issues in simple language
• You’ve learned to stay calm when everything’s on fire

These are not “just help desk skills.” These are engineering skills. You’re already doing technical work—you’re just being underpaid for it.

Skills You Need to Learn

The gap between help desk and cloud engineer is smaller than you think. Here’s what’s actually missing:

Cloud Platform Knowledge (AWS, Azure, or GCP)

• How cloud services work (compute, storage, networking)
• How to build things in the cloud instead of on-premises
• How cloud security differs from traditional IT

Infrastructure as Code (Terraform or CloudFormation)

• Writing code that builds infrastructure automatically
• Version control with Git
• Treating infrastructure like software

Advanced Networking (VPCs, load balancers, CDNs)

• Cloud networking is different from traditional networking
• Understanding how traffic flows in the cloud
• Security groups, routing tables, network design

Automation and Scripting (Python, Bash, PowerShell)

• Automating repetitive tasks (sound familiar?)
• Writing scripts to manage infrastructure
• Basic programming concepts

That’s it. Four skill areas. 12 months. $120K salary.

Not a computer science degree. Not years of traditional software development. Not some innate technical genius.

Just focused learning in the areas that matter.

Why Cloud Engineering is Your Fastest Path to $100K+

Let me be direct: There are other paths out of help desk. You could become a system administrator. You could specialize in network engineering. You could move into cybersecurity.

But none of them will get you to six figures faster than cloud engineering.

Here’s why.

The Market is Desperate

According to the 2024 Cloud Talent Survey:

• 67% of companies report “critical shortage” of cloud engineers
• Average time to fill a cloud engineer role: 97 days
• Entry-level cloud roles: 38% increase in postings over 2 years

Translation: Companies are hiring people with 6-12 months of cloud training. They can’t afford to wait for “perfect” candidates.

The Salary Floor is High

Here’s what real cloud engineering salaries look like:

Junior Cloud Engineer (0-2 years cloud experience)

• $85K - $115K depending on location
• Even in low cost-of-living areas: $75K minimum
• Remote roles: $90K - $110K is standard

Cloud Engineer (2-4 years experience)

• $110K - $145K
• This is where most help desk transitions land after 2-3 years
• Senior title isn’t even required for this range

Senior Cloud Engineer (4-7 years)

• $140K - $180K
• Architecture responsibilities
• Leading cloud migrations and infrastructure design

Cloud Architect (7+ years)

• $170K - $230K+
• Strategic planning and business consulting
• Multiple cloud platforms

Compare that to the traditional IT support career ladder:

• Help Desk → Desktop Support ($55K-$65K)
• Desktop Support → Sysadmin ($70K-$90K)
• Sysadmin → Senior Sysadmin ($85K-$105K)

You can match a senior sysadmin’s salary in your first cloud engineering role.

The Work is Actually Interesting

Let me be honest: Do you enjoy password resets? Printer troubleshooting? Explaining to the same person for the 47th time how to attach a file to an email?

I didn’t think so.

Cloud engineering work looks like this:

• Designing systems that handle millions of users
• Solving complex problems (not simple, repetitive ones)
• Building things instead of just maintaining them
• Learning constantly (new services, new patterns, new challenges)
• Working with development teams (not just end users)

Megan, a former help desk tech, told me 6 months into her first cloud role: “I didn’t realize work could be… fun? I’m solving puzzles all day. I go home excited to learn more.”

That’s what you’re missing.

The 12-Month Transformation Plan

Enough theory. Here’s exactly what to do, month by month.

This is the same plan I’ve used with 47 people. It works.

Month 1-2: Foundation + First Certification

Goal: Understand cloud fundamentals and pass AWS Cloud Practitioner

This is your orientation to cloud computing. Don’t skip this even if you’re tempted—it establishes the mental model you need for everything that follows.

What to Learn:

• What cloud computing actually is (and why it’s different from traditional IT)
• Core AWS services: EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, IAM
• Cloud architecture patterns
• Basic cloud security concepts

Resources:

• AWS Cloud Practitioner exam course (Udemy or A Cloud Guru) - $15-40
• AWS Free Tier account (practice hands-on)
• AWS documentation and whitepapers (free)

Time Investment: 40-50 hours total

• 20-30 hours watching course content
• 15-20 hours hands-on practice in AWS console
• 5 hours practice exams

Exam Cost: $100

Why This Cert: AWS Cloud Practitioner is intentionally beginner-friendly. It’s designed for people transitioning into cloud. You’ll pass this, get confidence, and have proof that you understand cloud basics.

Real Talk: This cert alone won’t get you a job. But it’s your foundation. Every cloud engineer started here or somewhere similar.

Month 3-5: Core Cloud Skills + Solutions Architect Associate

Goal: Deep technical knowledge and pass AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)

This is where you become genuinely employable. Solutions Architect Associate is the certification that gets interviews.

What to Learn:

• Advanced networking: VPCs, subnets, routing, security groups
• Compute: EC2 deep dive, Auto Scaling, Load Balancers
• Storage: S3 deep dive, EBS, EFS
• Databases: RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora
• Application integration: SQS, SNS, Lambda
• Security: IAM policies, encryption, security best practices
• High availability and fault tolerance
• Cost optimization

Resources:

• Adrian Cantrill’s SAA course (the best, $40)
• Jon Bonso practice exams on Udemy ($15)
• AWS documentation for each service (free)

Time Investment: 80-120 hours

• 40-50 hours course content
• 30-50 hours hands-on labs
• 10-20 hours practice exams

Exam Cost: $150

Why This Cert: This is THE certification for cloud engineers. When I review resumes, SAA-C03 tells me “this person can actually build things in AWS.” It covers real architectural decisions you’ll make in the job.

Marcus’s Mistake: He tried to rush through this in 4 weeks. Failed the exam. Took it again 3 weeks later after more practice—passed easily. Give yourself the full 12 weeks. This cert is worth it.

Month 6-8: Build Your Portfolio (The Part That Gets You Hired)

Goal: 3 projects that prove you can do the job

Certifications prove you studied. Projects prove you can build.

This is the difference between “I took a course” and “I’m a cloud engineer.”

Project 1: Static Website with CI/CD (2 weeks)

Build a resume/portfolio website hosted on AWS with automated deployments.

Technologies:

• S3 for hosting
• CloudFront for CDN
• Route 53 for custom domain
• GitHub Actions for CI/CD
• IAM for security

Why This Matters: Shows you understand web hosting, automation, and the full deployment pipeline. Every company needs this.

Project 2: 3-Tier Web Application (3-4 weeks)

Build a complete web app with frontend, backend, and database.

Technologies:

• Application Load Balancer
• EC2 instances with Auto Scaling
• RDS database (MySQL or PostgreSQL)
• S3 for static assets
• VPC with public and private subnets
• Security groups and network ACLs

Why This Matters: This is the architecture pattern used by thousands of companies. You’ll be building variations of this in your actual job.

Example Application Ideas:

• Task management app
• Blog with user authentication
• Simple e-commerce product catalog
• Inventory tracking system

Pick something boring and functional. Hiring managers care about the architecture, not whether it’s a revolutionary app idea.

Project 3: Infrastructure as Code (2-3 weeks)

Take Project 2 and rebuild it entirely with Terraform or CloudFormation.

Why This Matters: Modern cloud engineering is infrastructure as code. This project shows you can:

• Write code that builds infrastructure
• Version control your infrastructure
• Deploy repeatable, consistent environments
• Destroy and recreate infrastructure easily

The Portfolio Repository:

Create a single GitHub repository called aws-cloud-projects with:

• README explaining each project
• Architecture diagrams (use draw.io or Lucidchart)
• Step-by-step deployment instructions
• Cost analysis for each project
• What you learned and challenges you solved

This is what you’ll send hiring managers. It’s worth the time.

Month 9-11: Job Search + Interview Prep

Goal: Land 5-10 interviews and get your first cloud offer

Now you’re ready. You have: ✅ Two AWS certifications ✅ Three portfolio projects showing real capability ✅ Help desk experience (which is actually valuable)

Resume Strategy:

Don’t write “Help Desk Technician transitioning to cloud.” That’s weak.

Instead, position yourself like this:

Cloud Engineer (or Junior Cloud Engineer) AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

Technical Projects:

• Designed and deployed 3-tier web application on AWS serving [X] requests/month
• Implemented Infrastructure as Code with Terraform reducing deployment time by 85%
• Built CI/CD pipeline with GitHub Actions automating cloud deployments

Professional Experience: IT Support Specialist | [Company] | [Dates]

• Diagnosed and resolved network connectivity issues across 500+ endpoints
• Managed AWS user accounts and permissions using IAM
• Documented technical procedures for 30+ common infrastructure issues
• Collaborated with engineering teams on infrastructure projects

See the difference? You’re not hiding your help desk experience—you’re reframing it with cloud language.

Where to Apply:

Best Sources for First Cloud Role:

1. Companies hiring “Junior” or “Associate” Cloud Engineers - They expect training needed
2. AWS Partner Network companies - They need certified engineers
3. Consulting firms - They bill by certification, so SAA-C03 matters
4. Startups (50-200 employees) - They need someone who can wear multiple hats

Less Ideal:

• Fortune 500 companies (too much competition)
• “Senior Cloud Engineer” roles (obviously)
• Roles requiring 5+ years (they might negotiate down, but start with appropriate levels)

Application Volume:

You need to apply to 30-50 positions to land your first cloud role. That’s normal. Don’t get discouraged at rejection #15.

Interview Prep:

You’ll face 3 types of interviews:

1. Technical Screening (Phone/Video)

• “Explain how you’d set up a VPC for a web application”
• “What’s the difference between security groups and network ACLs?”
• “How would you design a highly available web application?”

Preparation: Review your portfolio projects. Practice explaining your architecture decisions out loud. Most questions are variations of “explain what you built.”

2. Scenario-Based Questions

• “A web application is slow. How do you troubleshoot?”
• “We need to reduce AWS costs. What would you look at first?”
• “How would you migrate an on-premises application to AWS?”

Preparation: Use your help desk troubleshooting skills. These questions test your problem-solving process, not whether you know the “right” answer.

3. Cultural Fit / Background

• “Why are you transitioning from help desk to cloud engineering?”
• “Tell me about a time you solved a difficult technical problem”
• “What do you do when you don’t know how to solve something?”

Preparation: Be honest. “I want to build things, not just maintain them. I want to keep learning. I want to earn more.” These are good answers.

The Strategy That Works:

Jennifer (help desk → cloud engineer, $92K) applied to 47 positions over 8 weeks:

• Weeks 1-3: 12 applications, 1 interview, 0 offers (learning phase)
• Weeks 4-6: 23 applications, 6 interviews, 1 offer (getting better)
• Weeks 7-8: 12 applications, 4 interviews, 2 more offers (now she’s choosy)

The pattern is consistent: Most people get rejected a lot early on. Then something clicks. Your interview skills improve. You start getting offers.

Keep applying until you have multiple offers. Then negotiate.

Month 12: Negotiate and Start Your Cloud Career

Goal: Accept an offer for $85K-$115K and start your new career

You have an offer. Or two. Or three. Now negotiate.

The Numbers You Should Target:

Minimum Acceptable Offer:

• $85,000 base salary (adjust down slightly for low cost-of-living areas)
• Standard benefits (health, 401k, PTO)
• Remote or hybrid flexibility

Good Offer:

• $95,000 - $105,000 base salary
• Professional development budget ($1,000+ for certifications)
• Modern cloud environment (not a legacy migration nightmare)

Excellent Offer:

• $110,000 - $120,000 base salary
• Full remote or excellent hybrid policy
• Strong engineering culture with learning opportunities
• Clear growth path to Senior Engineer

Negotiation Script:

“I’m really excited about this opportunity. Based on my AWS certifications, portfolio projects, and relevant IT experience, I was expecting a base salary in the $100K-$110K range. Is there flexibility in the offer?”

50% of the time, they’ll increase the offer by $5K-$10K. Just for asking.

Even if they don’t budge on salary, negotiate for:

• Extra week of PTO
• Sign-on bonus ($2K-$5K is common)
• Professional development budget
• Earlier first performance review

Accepting the Offer:

When you sign that offer letter at $95K+, take a moment.

One year ago you were doing password resets for $45K-$55K. Now you’re a cloud engineer earning six figures.

That’s a $40K-$50K raise. In 12 months.

This is real. People do this every month.

Real Stories: Help Desk to Cloud Engineer

Let me share three complete stories so you can see this isn’t theory.

Marcus: Healthcare Help Desk → Cloud Engineer ($102K)

Starting Point: 3 years help desk, $47K salary, no degree

Timeline: 13 months total

• Months 1-2: Passed Cloud Practitioner while still working help desk full-time
• Months 3-5: Studied for Solutions Architect Associate, passed on first attempt
• Months 6-9: Built portfolio projects (used PTO days to focus)
• Months 10-13: Applied to 52 positions, got 8 interviews, received 3 offers

Outcome: Junior Cloud Engineer at AWS Partner consulting firm, $102K salary, full remote

His Advice: “I almost quit during month 7 when I was building projects. It felt like I was working two full-time jobs. But that was the hardest part. Once I had the portfolio, interviews felt easy.”

Jennifer: Tech Support → Cloud Engineer ($92K)

Starting Point: 2 years tech support, $42K salary, psychology degree (unrelated)

Timeline: 11 months total

• Months 1-4: Both certifications (back-to-back, very intense)
• Months 5-8: Portfolio projects while working part-time (negotiated with employer)
• Months 9-11: Job search, 47 applications, 11 interviews, 3 offers

Outcome: Cloud Infrastructure Engineer at 80-person SaaS startup, $92K salary, hybrid (2 days/week in office)

Her Advice: “The first 20 applications, I got zero response. I thought my resume was the problem. Then I got one interview, then another, then they came in waves. You have to push through the early silence.”

David: Desktop Support → Associate Cloud Engineer ($88K)

Starting Point: 5 years desktop support, $58K salary, associate degree in IT

Timeline: 14 months (took longer, but still worked)

• Months 1-3: Cloud Practitioner (studied slowly while working)
• Months 4-8: Solutions Architect Associate (failed first attempt, passed second)
• Months 9-12: Portfolio projects (did one really well instead of three mediocre)
• Months 13-14: Job search, 31 applications, 5 interviews, 2 offers

Outcome: Associate Cloud Engineer at financial services company, $88K salary, on-site (but planning move to hybrid team)

His Advice: “I failed the SAA exam and almost gave up. That was month 6. I’m so glad I didn’t. Failing that exam taught me what I actually needed to know. Second attempt was easy.”

The Common Thread: None of them were special. They were tired of help desk. They followed a plan. They didn’t quit when it got hard. They got cloud engineering jobs.

What Stops Most People (And How to Get Past It)

I’ve also watched people not make this transition. They get stuck. Here’s why, and how to avoid it.

Blocker #1: “I’m Not Smart Enough”

This is the most common fear. Let me destroy it.

You troubleshoot technology every day. You figure out why things don’t work. You learn new systems when your company deploys them. You’re already doing technical problem-solving.

Cloud engineering is not theoretical computer science. It’s “I need to build a web app that doesn’t crash when 10,000 people use it at once.”

You can learn this. I’ve watched people with psychology degrees, English degrees, and no degrees at all become cloud engineers.

The Fix: Start with Cloud Practitioner. It’s designed for beginners. When you pass (and you will), your brain will update its belief about what you’re capable of.

Blocker #2: “I Don’t Have Time”

Fair. You’re working full-time. Maybe you have kids. Maybe you have other responsibilities.

Here’s the reality: You need 10-15 hours per week for 12 months.

Not 40 hours. Not a bootcamp that requires you to quit your job. 10-15 hours.

• 2 hours on Saturday morning before anyone wakes up
• 2 hours on Sunday afternoon
• 1 hour three weekday evenings after dinner

That’s 11 hours. You can find 11 hours.

Marcus studied from 5:30-6:30am before work and 8-9:30pm after his kids went to bed. Jennifer did 3 hours Saturday and Sunday, plus 1 hour Wednesday evenings. David studied during his lunch breaks (30 min/day) plus weekend mornings.

The Fix: Block the time in your calendar. Treat it like a meeting you can’t miss. Protect it.

Blocker #3: “I’ll Start When…”

“I’ll start when I have more money saved.” “I’ll start when work isn’t so busy.” “I’ll start when I finish this other thing.”

Listen: There’s never a perfect time. Work will always be busy. Money will always be tight. Life will always have other demands.

The Fix: Start today. Not Monday. Today.

Go create an AWS Free Tier account right now. Play with EC2 for 20 minutes. That’s it.

The hardest part is starting. Once you start, momentum builds.

Blocker #4: “What If I Fail?”

You might. David failed his first certification attempt. Three people I mentored applied to 60+ jobs before getting offers. Two people gave up entirely.

But here’s the thing: What if you succeed?

The downside of trying: You spend $300 on certifications and 10-15 hours a week for a year. If it doesn’t work out, you’re back where you started.

The downside of not trying: You’re still doing password resets in 5 years, still making $50K-$60K, still wondering “what if.”

The Fix: Trying and failing is cheaper than not trying at all.

Your First Week: Start Today

Enough reading. Here’s what to do in the next 7 days.

Day 1 (Today):

• Create AWS Free Tier account (20 minutes)
• Create GitHub account if you don’t have one (5 minutes)
• Launch your first EC2 instance using the console (30 minutes)
  • Choose Amazon Linux 2
  • t2.micro (free tier eligible)
  • Just launch it and SSH in (or use browser-based SSH)
  • Type ls, look around, then terminate it
• Goal: Demystify AWS. It’s just a website that lets you launch servers.

Day 2:

• Find an AWS Cloud Practitioner course (2 hours to research and start)
  • Udemy (look for Andrew Brown or Stephane Maarek courses)
  • A Cloud Guru or Pluralsight (if you have corporate access)
• Watch the first 2-3 videos
• Take notes
• Goal: Start learning. Don’t overthink which course is “perfect.”

Day 3:

• Continue Cloud Practitioner course (1-2 hours)
• Play with 3 AWS services in the console: S3 (create a bucket), EC2 (launch instance), VPC (look at the default VPC)
• Goal: Hands-on practice. Theory + practice together.

Day 4:

• Study Cloud Practitioner material (1-2 hours)
• Write down questions you have
• Google those questions OR ask in AWS subreddit or Discord communities
• Goal: Active learning, not passive watching.

Day 5:

• Continue Cloud Practitioner course (1-2 hours)
• Tell someone what you’re doing
  • Your manager (optional, but some are supportive)
  • A friend
  • Your family
• Goal: Accountability. When other people know, you’re more likely to follow through.

Day 6:

• Study Cloud Practitioner (1-2 hours)
• Join cloud engineering communities:
  • r/AWSCertifications on Reddit
  • AWS Discord servers
  • LinkedIn groups for cloud engineers
• Goal: Find your people. You’re not alone in this.

Day 7:

• Review your week (30 minutes)
• Calculate your study hours (aim for 10-15 hours week 1)
• Schedule next week’s study time in your calendar
• Goal: Build the habit. Week 1 is about momentum.

After Week 1, Keep Going:

You’re not done. You’re 1/52 weeks through your transformation.

But you’ve started. That’s the hardest part.

The Real Cost: Time and Money

Let’s be transparent about what this actually costs.

Money (One-Time Costs):

• AWS Cloud Practitioner course: $15-$40 (Udemy) or $0 (YouTube/AWS Skill Builder)
• AWS Cloud Practitioner exam: $100
• AWS Solutions Architect Associate course: $40 (Adrian Cantrill)
• Practice exams: $15 (Jon Bonso)
• AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam: $150
• Domain name for portfolio: $12/year
• AWS costs for portfolio projects: $20-$50 (can be $0 if you’re careful with free tier)

Total: $300-$400

That’s it. A full year bootcamp costs $12,000-$20,000. A computer science degree costs $40,000+. You’re doing this for $300.

Time Investment:

• Months 1-5: 10-12 hours/week (certifications and study)
• Months 6-8: 15-20 hours/week (building projects)
• Months 9-12: 8-10 hours/week (job applications and interview prep)

Total: ~500-600 hours over 12 months

That’s the cost of 3-4 Netflix series binges per month. You can afford it.

Return on Investment:

You’re currently making $45K-$55K in help desk. Your first cloud role will pay $85K-$115K.

That’s $35K-$60K more per year. Every year. For the rest of your career.

$300 investment → $35,000+ annual return = 11,500% ROI

Do it.

What Happens After You’re Hired

Real talk: Your first cloud engineering job won’t be perfect.

You’ll feel lost for the first 2-3 months. You’ll have imposter syndrome. You’ll wonder if you tricked them into hiring you.

This is completely normal.

Every engineer feels this way. Even the ones with computer science degrees.

Month 1-3: Survival Mode

You’re learning the company’s systems. The codebase. The team’s processes. How things are actually built (versus how the textbook said they should be built).

You’ll feel overwhelmed. That’s fine. Ask questions. Take notes. Nobody expects you to be productive immediately.

Month 4-6: Starting to Contribute

You’re completing actual tasks. Small ones at first: “Add monitoring to this service.” “Update this Terraform module.” “Troubleshoot why this EC2 instance keeps failing health checks.”

You’ll feel useful. This is when imposter syndrome starts to fade.

Month 7-12: Actually Engineering

You’re designing things. Making architectural decisions. Contributing to planning discussions. Your help desk troubleshooting instincts are translating perfectly to cloud debugging.

You’ll feel like a cloud engineer. Because you are one.

Year 2: Salary Adjustment

If you started at $95K, you should be at $110K-$120K by year 2.

If your company won’t give you a $15K raise, the market will. You now have “2 years cloud engineering experience”—you’re no longer entry-level.

Year 3-5: Senior Cloud Engineer

$140K-$170K. Leading projects. Mentoring junior engineers (maybe someone transitioning from help desk, just like you did).

This is the career trajectory. It’s real.

The Decision You Need to Make

You have two options.

Option 1: Stay Where You Are

Keep doing help desk. Keep resetting passwords. Keep making $45K-$55K.

There’s no shame in this. Help desk is honest work. Some people are content here.

But if you’re reading this far into a 5,000-word article about career transitions, you’re not content.

Option 2: Make the Jump

Spend $300 and 10-15 hours a week for 12 months. Get uncomfortable. Learn new things. Build a portfolio. Apply to jobs. Get rejected a bunch. Then get hired as a cloud engineer making $95K+.

It’s hard. Marcus almost quit. Jennifer got rejected 20+ times. David failed a certification exam.

But they all make six figures now. In careers they actually enjoy. With skills that are in massive demand.

Which option do you choose?

Take the First Step Right Now

If you’ve read this far, you’re serious.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Create your AWS Free Tier account (do it now, it takes 5 minutes)
2. Download the free AWS Cloud Practitioner exam guide (AWS.amazon.com/certification)
3. Block 2 hours in your calendar this weekend to start learning
4. Tell one person what you’re doing (accountability matters)

That’s it. That’s how you start.

One year from now, you could be earning $95K+ as a cloud engineer. Or you could still be thinking about it while doing password resets.

The people who succeed aren’t smarter than you. They’re not more technical. They’re not more qualified.

They just started.

Your turn.