As organizations across the world make the transition to cloud-based infrastructure, the need for skilled, certified cloud professionals continues to grow. And for anyone with a background in tech, that’s amazing news, a potentially lucrative new career is just around the corner!
But how do you go about getting the skills and experience to make yourself employable? And, most importantly, how do you get there at speed?
Get by with a little help from the ecosystem
One of the great things about the cloud community is that it’s full of evangelists ready and willing to help you out. In fact, through Microsoft’s MVP program, your fellow professionals are encouraged to get involved and give back to their peers and are rewarded and recognized by Microsoft for doing so.
That means you have a range of ready-made experts on hand if you think you can jump in cold and find your own way around either Microsoft Dynamics or Azure.
There’s a number of podcasts, blogs and social media resources you can use to stay up to date and educate yourself, too.
On top of that, there are plenty of in-person events where you’ll be able to mingle with your peers, find out about the latest opportunities and also keep up to date with innovations across the different platforms.
It’s certainly an intimidating way to launch your career into the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, and you’ll be relying on the advice you’re given being best practice, but it’s absolutely doable.
One big drawback to this approach is that it’s incredibly time-consuming, once you factor in how much networking you’ll need to do. And you’ll ideally need to get yourself some Microsoft certifications, too.
According to the 2022 Nigel Frank’s Careers and Hiring Guide: Microsoft 365 and Azure Edition, 39% of professionals held an Azure certification from Microsoft, with a further 10% currently studying for their first. So, even if you’ve learned the platform and feel comfortable enough to get started in a role, any employer is going to want to see some tangible experience or certifications that verify your expertise.
Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty
If you don’t want to invest in certifications and just want to get stuck in now, then finding a non-profit organization with their own Microsoft implementation is another way of gaining that invaluable experience that will appeal to employers, so you can look beyond entering the ecosystem in a junior role.
Many NPOs and charities have access to digital platforms such as Dynamics and Azure, but not enough manpower to actually use them to their full advantage.
This leaves plenty of opportunities for tech professionals to get actual hands-on experience in a real-world scenario. There’s no sandbox environment here—your hands are getting dirty under the bonnet, every single time.
It can be a difficult process finding someone that has a Microsoft implementation, but once you do, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get involved almost immediately.
Investing your own time into building up your experience is also an incredibly desirable trait for any potential employer, so you’ll have more than just hands-on know-how in your armory if you go down this route.
However, there’s a good chance that you’ll still have to teach yourself, as there aren’t many NPOs with spare techies sitting around waiting to help you. Added to that, you’ll still ideally need the industry-standard certs that most employers want when hiring Microsoft Cloud specialists.
Most importantly, earn your industry certifications
You probably get the idea by now: certifications are going to be a vital part of your career with Microsoft Cloud. After all, they are the industry-standard for verifying skills and making sure that your work on any implementation follows best practices.
For employers, that means you’re working as efficiently as possible, which is why so many companies pay for their employees to study for them. There’s absolutely nothing stopping you from undertaking the certs yourself—it demonstrates your willingness to invest in your own development, which is incredibly desirable for any potential employer.
You can start off with a Microsoft Dynamics/Microsoft Azure fundamentals qualification, and then tailor your certifications according to your own desired career path.
Of course, this relies on you being able to match your own skillset with the best route, as well as knowing the most in-demand jobs and the latest changes to the platform, where new opportunities may lie ahead.
It’s certainly not impossible, and there are plenty of evangelists who’ll be able to point you in the right direction and advise you along the way, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a more guided approach to learning the platform.
Funded cloud training, certifications, and work placement—all with Revolent
So, how can you get all of this in one go and land your dream job in Microsoft Cloud in six months or less?
As one of the world’s leading tech organizations, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that there’s an entire ecosystem around Microsoft that can support your transition from a tech generalist to a cloud specialist, including training providers that can help equip you with the skills you need. But Revolent provides a unique combination of paid training, funded certifications, and a paid position at a global tech organization.
You’ll begin that journey with an intensive training program, where we’ll equip you with all the skills you need to excel in your chosen role.
We’ll also arrange a paid work placement with a global tech company, so you can get hands-on experience with Microsoft Cloud in a live environment, while still getting support from our team of expert trainers.
During that time, we’ll also pay for all the Microsoft certifications you need, helping you to stand out as a candidate and also command a higher salary on the lucrative Microsoft Cloud job market.
At the end of your two years with us, you’ll have all of the necessary experience you’ll need, plus all the certifications that employers want, as well as having earned a salary throughout.
If you’re interested in becoming a Microsoft Cloud professional, while being paid to do it, check out our Microsoft careers programs.
