How one learner grew his cloud and AI skills at AWS Skills Center

Going through a career transition is never easy, but having access to the right training resources and expert guidance can help you develop the skills and confidence you need to succeed. That’s one of the primary reasons Steen Krogh Groennebaek turned to AWS Skills Center Seattle when he was ready to explore a career in the cloud.

As a job seeker with some previous exposure to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, Steen realized that acquiring new skills would be critical to remaining a good job candidate for hiring companies. Although he didn’t have direct experience with the cloud, he was intrigued by the strong growth, the variety of in-demand roles to choose from, and the expansive career possibilities along this path. In particular, Steen was excited to expand his cloud knowledge to open up new job opportunities and career flexibility—a must-have for staying relevant in the high-tech industry.

Finding the right fit at AWS Skills Center

Following his natural curiosity for learning, Steen discovered free events and classes through a LinkedIn advertisement promoting Cloud Exploration Day, a free half-day event at AWS Skills Center Seattle designed to educate learners about the cloud and potential job roles. He attended the in-person event in downtown Seattle, where the Cloud Exploration Day panelists shared valuable insights about Amazon Web Services (AWS) and recommended courses on how to get started with the cloud. Steen notes, “I felt confident that the cloud could be a good field to leverage my previous experience.”

That Cloud Exploration Day event sparked his interest in taking courses to help him earn the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification. Steen proceeded to explore free, self-paced classes on the digital learning center, AWS Skill Builder, while concurrently taking in-person instructor-led classes and completing hands-on lab sessions at the AWS Skills Center Seattle. Engaging with multiple free AWS Training & Certification resources helped him to successfully earned his AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification, which whet his appetite to keep moving forward on his cloud journey.

Exploring abundant learning opportunities

Steen notes that AWS Skills Center delivered an exceptional overall experience—including the course materials, certification prep process, online training resources, and instructors. In particular, he found the instructors happy to connect on LinkedIn whenever he requested their guidance or opinions.

Steen enjoyed learning from instructors both in person in Seattle and virtually. He also attended classes online with AWS Skills Center Arlington instructors to get additional perspectives on the same questions and course materials.

Steen adds, “The impact of this training on my professional life has been significant. It has taught me endurance and perseverance. I take pride in earning my first AWS Certification and feel motivated to pursue further certifications.”

Setting a goal to become a solutions architect

One of Steen’s key takeaways was the importance of gaining practical hands-on experience with building projects in the cloud. For the next step in his certification journey, he’s preparing for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam.

He’s already gained practical experience by migrating his personal website to AWS using services such as Amazon S3 and Amazon CloudFront. In addition, he regularly reviews videos of AWS Solutions Architect content via AWS Training Live on Twitch and has explored the Solutions Architect role in AWS Cloud Quest, a virtual game-based training on AWS Skill Builder.

For Steen, the learning experience at the AWS Skills Center supplemented his existing tech knowledge, which helped him land a new role as an AI operations manager at an IT services and consulting company. “As a job seeker, I found the training at AWS Skills Center was instrumental in helping me gain foundational cloud knowledge and develop resilience,” he concludes. “This journey has been transformative, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the exciting future that lies ahead in my cloud career.”

About AWS Skills Centers

AWS Skills Centers are designed for people with little to no technology background who are curious about cloud computing. Visitors can access fun and engaging cloud skills training and interactive exhibits, as well as career networking and job placement events with local employers and organizations. The three centers are located in Seattle, Washington; Arlington, Virginia; and Cape Town, South Africa. Learn more.