How to Become an Amazon Cloud Technology Community Builder

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You are an ambitious yet humble person with a thirst for learning. You are passionate about sharing the power of cloud computing, while surrounded by a group of like-minded people. You may not be quite sure if you are "good enough" for the program or where to start.

Don't worry; we have hundreds of you. We even made a name for ourselves.
Welcome, potential Amazon Cloud Technologies Community Builder! This blog provides resources that I wish I had when I first applied.

how to apply?

Amazon Cloud Technology opens application opportunities twice a year, and you can apply on the Amazon Cloud Technology Community Builder page; here are the best and most up-to-date resources for the application process. When applying, you will need to provide information about yourself and your participation in the Amazon Cloud Technology Community.

We highly encourage applications from underrepresented potential Community Builders from technical fields! It's also a good springboard.

It also provides a stepping stone to anyone who wants to grow in the Amazon Cloud Technology Community. "How to Become a Hero of Amazon Cloud Technology" Although there are no set channels or shortcuts to speak of, becoming a Community Builder is a good place to start.

What kind of person are you looking for?

It's no secret, and the Amazon Cloud Community Builder page explains it best:

"Amazon cloud technology enthusiast and developer of emerging ideas who are passionate about sharing knowledge and eager to connect with the technology community"

There are no specific criteria set, so don't worry about the need to publish ten blog posts, shoot five YouTube videos, have three years of industry experience, or anything like that. Some people don't excel in certain areas, and that's okay.

On the other hand, there are no shortcuts. It's not enough to just build on Amazon cloud technology and not get any certification.

The point is, they're looking for people who are eager to share the excitement and enthusiasm for Amazon's cloud technology with the wider community.

If you want to join, what should you do?

Even with a passion for sharing knowledge and a passion for Amazon cloud technology, it can be hard to know where to start.

There is no "one thing" that is best to do, and there is nothing to do to be part of this project.

🤚 Volunteer

Amazon Cloud User Groups and similar organizations are a great way to get involved in the Amazon Cloud Community and make like-minded people locally.

This doesn't mean you need to create or lead a group yourself. Most groups are happy to include people who are willing to help, and communicating with the organizer is a good place to start, which may include helping with setting up the venue, coordinating with sponsors, organizing meals, coordinating speakers, etc.

📣 Public speaking

There is no doubt that more and more speakers are running Meetup Groups events. In this age of virtual meetups, you have more options than ever before, with meetups all over the globe.

Most organizations do not require you to be an expert or a seasoned keynote speaker. You can identify topics that you have experience with and know more about, and items you can discuss as entry points.

Contact the organizers of the Meetup Group to communicate with them. Most people are more than willing to help you find topics of interest to your audience. Don't worry if the topic isn't for you; there are plenty of other options.

✍️ Blogging

Sharing your thoughts through a blog is another great way to get involved in the Amazon Cloud Technology Community, and it's easier to embrace. With platforms like dev.to , blogging is easier than ever.

Here are a few blog topics you can write about:

• Solve a problem you had to solve on your own: Found a thorny "problem" that wasn't clearly stated in the Amazon cloud tech documentation? It's possible that other people have encountered this problem as well.
• Review a new Amazon cloud tech service: Every other week a new service is released that most people don't have a chance to try. Give these new services a try and share your initial thoughts. Even a somewhat boring project is an opportunity to learn.
• Share your project experience: You may have encountered a bottleneck when using CloudFormation, which means you have to use Terraform. This experience may help others.

Ideas that are worth sharing should be shared. It's also a great way to develop professional writing skills. Writing a guide on making an S3 bucket is not contributing knowledge to the Amazon Cloud Technology Community, but it can be used to store static objects on the company's website, resulting in cost savings, which is of great value to the reader.

💻 Reddit and Forums

You don't have to write a long article every time, and it's very useful to write something on Reddit to help others. Share your knowledge and learn from others on subreddits like /r/aws .

Participating in discussions can also open your mind to other situations you might not encounter in your day-to-day work. Helping others is a great way to increase your knowledge.

Besides Reddit, there are many other creative sharing sites like Stack Overflow , Spiceworks or Amazon Cloud Tech Forum .

📱 Social Media

We can also share ideas and learn from each other through social media, including some of the leading companies in our industry.

Twitter and LinkedIn are two of the most popular social platforms, and many people post with the hashtag #aws or #awscommunity. The Amazon Cloud Tech Community also extends to other platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok ( Forrest Brazeal's cloud tunes linger in my head for a long time...)

🎥 YouTube

Looking for a reason to start your own YouTube channel? Now you have a reason. YouTube is both a great channel for knowledge sharing and a great way to learn video production skills.

You can create a wide variety of content types, from process demos, to building full-scale projects, to short web series, to regular blogs explaining cloud experiences.

If you've never made a YouTube video before, check out this excellent guide by my friend, Azure MVP Gwyneth Peña-Siguenza, and her 7-Day YouTube Starter Kit that walks you through your first video. Don't worry about fancy equipment when making videos, you can do it with a phone.

🎙 Podcast

If you don't want to be on the air, there's another good option: host your own podcast or be a guest on a podcast hosted by someone else.

If you know of any good podcasts about cloud technology, get in touch with the hosts; if they're calling for guests, there's usually a link in the show description. Some sites also help podcasts find guests, so you can connect with the show's hosts.

If you want to host your own show, get your bearings first, then plan your first few episodes. Find friends and colleagues who are interested in being a guest on an episode. They may also be reluctant to take part in an hour-long show, and shorter flash-talks may be better.

🛠️ Build

Builds include more than just building on Amazon Cloud Technologies in your day job, although this can provide lessons worth sharing. You can build in the cloud as a side hustle and share it with the community.

You can build publicly available services to help others based on Amazon cloud technology. Can be a tool that makes building in the cloud easier, and you can share it with others as open source. You can even document open source projects related to Amazon Cloud Technologies.

Not sure where to start? Might as well have a chat with others who are already doing similar work.

Can I ask others for advice?

sure. Talking with the Amazon Cloud Community Builder is one of the best resources. There are many Community Builders, and you may already know some.

Search for Amazon Cloud Technology Community Builders near you on LinkedIn and connect with them. You can also meet Community Builder through your local Amazon Cloud Tech User Group or other meetups.

What if I fail to join?

The program is competitive and not everyone will be accepted on the first application. It doesn't matter.

Application windows are open twice a year, so there are many opportunities. Improve your chances of success on your next application with tips from the article and advice from other Community Builders. Your chances of success will increase .

If you want to succeed, there is only one way to do it all, and that is to apply.

Each of us welcomes you to join us. 🙌

Article by Stephen Sennett
Stephen Sennett for AWS Community Builders