Introduction – Why AWS?🤓

Why AWS? Why not Azure or Google Cloud Platform (GCP)? Each cloud provider has its own strengths and limitations, but my professional goals and learning journey naturally aligned with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Since 2019, I have been deeply engaged with AWS infrastructure—researching, studying, and building within its ecosystem—which has shaped both my technical foundation and career direction. I am, of course, very biased and deeply in love with AWS. This bias is not without reason—it comes from years of hands-on experience and the realization that AWS consistently aligns with the way I think, build, and solve problems. There are several key reasons behind my choice. First, market demand: a quick LinkedIn search for roles like Cloud Engineer or Software Engineer shows that AWS consistently dominates job descriptions across industries. Second, career opportunities: even in organizations that operate in hybrid or Azure-centric environments, AWS expertise remains the most transferable and sought-after skill set. Third, ecosystem and community support: AWS offers a vast library of documentation, active forums, expert-led discussions, and global communities that nurture learning and collaboration. In contrast, in some regions such as Cambodia, Azure accounts cannot be easily created without a partner, limiting accessibility for independent learners. Finally, innovation and service diversity: AWS is a pioneer in the cloud computing industry, offering more than 200 fully featured services that lead in scalability, performance, and enterprise-grade reliability. In short, AWS became more than just a platform for me—it became the environment where I grew as a developer, engineer, and architect.

1. The Beginning – My First Step into Cloud Computing (2017)🦔

It all started in 2017, during my first year at university, when I was first introduced to Cloud Computing through Firebase. I was guided and inspired by my Programming I lecturer, A. Kiratijuta Bhumichitr (Fair), and my senior Sittisak Tangpradithcai (Kij), who introduced me to the fundamentals of deploying and managing applications in the cloud. Those early experiments with Firebase and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) sparked my curiosity. I spent late nights learning how backend services worked, experimenting with authentication, and building small applications that taught me how powerful cloud technology could be—even at a student level. That was my first real exposure to the cloud, and it built the foundation for everything that came later.

2. The Turning Point – Exploring AWS (2019)🔥

By 2019, things began to change. Most of my lecturers and advisers mentioned that AWS was the more enterprise-grade and industry-leading cloud platform. One of my lecturers, A. Chayapol Moemeng (One), told me that he had a friend working at AWS Singapore as a Technical Account Manager (or a similar role), I don't remember the specific role🥹, correct me if I'm wrong. That story piqued my interest—AWS sounded more sophisticated, mature, and dominant in the enterprise space. I took his advice to heart and decided to go all in with AWS. It was a bold move, but one that felt right. Around that time, some of my university friends participated in a competition and received $5,000 in AWS credits. Thanks to that opportunity, we had the resources to experiment with AWS infrastructure and explore its full potential. In June 2019, together with Thanathas Chawengvorakul (Oat) and Grid Kornsutatipkul (Jai), we started our POC and MCP project using .NET Core Web API and MVC hosted on AWS. We explored services like EC2, S3, RDS, Elastic Beanstalk, ALB, Lambda, EBS, CloudFront, and Linux administration. Those projects were our first real AWS playground—hands-on, experimental, and transformative.

3. The Disruption and Deep Dive – The COVID Era (2020)🦠

Then came 2020, and with it, the global disruption of COVID-19. Remote learning and working became the new norm. During this time, I took several courses from A. Chayapol Moemeng, including one that became a major turning point for me—"Enterprise Application Development". This course wasn’t just about software; it was about understanding Cloud Engineering and DevOps Engineering in a practical way. He chose AWS as the main cloud platform for instruction, aligning perfectly with the foundation I had already built. Many students, including myself, created AWS Free Tier accounts to explore the platform further. These classes bridged academic learning with real-world engineering and deepened my passion for AWS.

4. The Challenge Within – Facing Imposter Syndrome🦉

As I gained more exposure to AWS, I began to realize just how vast the platform was. With hundreds of services and intricate configurations, I started feeling the imposter syndrome—a sense of being overwhelmed by how much there was to learn. I often asked myself, “How could I ever master all of this?” At that moment, one of my mentors gave me advice I will never forget: “It’s not about the tools or platforms. It’s about how you solve business problems.” That insight changed everything. I learned that true cloud expertise isn’t about memorizing services or collecting badges—it’s about designing practical, reliable solutions that deliver business value.

5. Reflection – The Growth Mindset and Next Step🦦

From 2017 to 2025, my journey evolved from curiosity into conviction. What began as playful experimentation with Firebase turned into a deep pursuit of cloud mastery through AWS. I realized that growth in the cloud industry isn’t linear—it’s iterative. Every project, outage, and misconfiguration taught me lessons that no course could. These experiences built the mindset I needed for the next phase of my journey: preparing for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) exam. On March 2023, I achieved my first AWS certification — the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, which laid the foundation for validating my understanding of core cloud concepts. Later, in August 2025, I passed the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, one of the most challenging and rewarding milestones in my cloud career. As of now, I hold five distinct AWS certifications that represent years of dedication and persistence. Why did it take nearly six years (2019–2025) to reach the AWS SAP level? Because mastery takes patience, consistency, and experience. I invested time in learning, exploring, building, and researching, applying my knowledge in startups, telecommunications, and banking environments. Each experience helped me translate theory into real-world problem-solving—bridging business needs with technical solutions. What I’ve learned is that having certificates without true understanding is meaningless. Knowledge, experience, and application matter far more. As I often say: “AWS certifications will get you through the door, but real hands-on knowledge is what keeps you in the room.”

6. Beyond Certifications – Building with Purpose and Best Practices🐉

Getting hands-on experience, conducting research, building proofs of concept (POCs), and developing minimum viable products (MVPs) are all valuable—but without proper best practices, they remain incomplete. To truly adopt the cloud at scale, one must align with the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF), which defines six core perspectives: Business, People, Governance, Platform, Security, and Operations. These perspectives ensure that organizations not only deploy workloads but also operate them responsibly and efficiently. While certifications validate your knowledge, they do not guarantee operational excellence. Real-world experience is what reveals the challenges—uptime issues, cost optimization, compliance, and architecture trade-offs—that truly shape a cloud professional. A certificate will not save your system from downtime or outages. So my advice to anyone pursuing AWS certifications is simple: Don’t chase the badge first. Learn the fundamentals, solve real problems, and build solutions that matter. The certification should validate your journey—not define it.

7. Staying Focused – The Reality of Cloud Expertise🔋

Why not other cloud service providers? Cost, time, and complexity—these are the main barriers. The learning curve across multiple cloud platforms is steep, and mastery requires years of focused experience. We cannot be experts in multiple Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) at once. Real expertise takes time, effort, and constant hands-on exposure. If I ever have the opportunity to operate, engineer, or architect solutions on Azure, GCP, or Oracle Cloud, I would gladly take it. However, the reality of the job market is clear—employers, especially in banking and fintech, expect Cloud Engineers, Solutions Architects, and Security Architects to have at least five years of deep, hands-on experience with one primary CSP. It’s nearly impossible to be equally outstanding in two or more at the same time. These industries demand depth, precision, and proven reliability. The technology landscape is constantly shifting—AI, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Generative AI are disrupting the market. Many claim that Azure will overtake AWS, or that GCP is gaining ground, while Oracle expands its data centers globally. All these changes are exciting, but I’ve learned to stay focused on my path and be great at what I do. As Cillian Murphy once said: “Believe your instincts. Instinct. Instinct. Instinct over intellect. Always instinct. Just because you can rationalize it, doesn’t mean it’s right. If you feel it — then it’s right.” I’ve learned not to get caught up in every new trend or debate about which cloud is “better.” Follow your passion, your goals, and your end results. There are professionals who have built remarkable careers as experts in VMware, Oracle, IBM Private Cloud, or programming languages like C, C++, Java, PHP, and even COBOL. I’m not saying we shouldn’t upskill or adapt—continuous learning keeps us relevant. But real progress comes from mastery, consistency, and focus. Be proud of what you do, stay committed, and let your expertise speak for itself.

Conclusion – The Journey Continues🚀

My journey into AWS isn’t over—it’s just evolving. From Firebase experiments in 2017 to AWS projects, DevOps practices, and now professional-level certification pursuits, I’ve come to see that cloud computing is not just a skill—it’s a mindset. AWS continues to challenge and inspire me to think bigger, build smarter, and design with purpose. The more I learn, the more I realize how vast the cloud truly is—and that’s exactly what keeps me motivated to go further.

Final Note🏁

If you’re reading this and beginning your own AWS journey—remember: Don’t rush to the destination. Learn deeply, practice relentlessly, and follow your instincts. That’s where true mastery begins.

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