Latest / The Career Change Podcast with Fexingo: Switching Fields, Bootcamps, and Reskilling / How Bootcamp Grads Can Transition Into Cloud Architecture
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this stat that's been bouncing around in my head. According to LinkedIn's 2025 emerging jobs report, cloud architect is the number one role in terms of hiring growth that doesn't require a four-year computer science degree. We're talking a nearly 40 percent year-over-year increase in job postings. Luna: Forty percent. That's massive. And I bet a lot of those postings say 'or equivalent experience' which is where bootcamp grads can slide in. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the angle I want to drill into today. Not whether bootcamp grads can become cloud architects — because they clearly can — but what the specific on-ramp looks like. The skills, the certs, the projects, the networking. Luna: Give us a real person. Who's a bootcamp grad who actually did this? Lucas: I talked to a guy named Marcus. He graduated from a general web development bootcamp in early 2024. No prior IT background — he was a barista before. Within 18 months he landed a cloud architect role at a mid-sized SaaS company. His total comp is around one hundred thirty thousand dollars. Luna: That's a huge leap from barista. Okay, so what was his first step? Lucas: He didn't start by studying for the AWS Solutions Architect exam. He started by getting his hands dirty. He spun up a free tier AWS account and built a simple static website hosted on S3 with CloudFront for CDN. That's like a weekend project. But it gave him the vocabulary — buckets, distributions, IAM roles. Luna: Right. So he's not just reading theory, he's actually doing it. I think that's key because cloud architecture interviews love scenario questions. Like, 'design a fault-tolerant architecture for a photo-sharing app.' If you've never touched the console, you're lost. Lucas: Absolutely. And Marcus told me the first cert he went for wasn't even the Solutions Architect Associate. He started with the Cloud Practitioner cert. It's less technical, more foundational. He said that gave him the confidence to move on to the Associate level. Luna: That's smart. Cloud Practitioner is often overlooked by people who think it's too basic. But if you're coming from a bootcamp with no cloud exposure, it's a solid starting point. Lucas: Now, here's where it gets interesting for bootcamp grads specifically. Marcus didn't just study for the cert in isolation. He built a project that combined his bootcamp skills — frontend and backend — with cloud infrastructure. He created a serverless web app using Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB. Luna: So he's showing he can code AND deploy in the cloud. That's a killer combo. Most traditional cloud architects come from sysadmin backgrounds and may not have strong coding chops. Bootcamp grads have that advantage. Lucas: Exactly. And that project became the centerpiece of his portfolio. He documented everything on GitHub with a detailed README, and he wrote a couple of blog posts explaining his architecture decisions. That helped him get noticed. Luna: I want to talk about the job search itself. How did he actually land interviews? Because cloud architect isn't exactly entry-level. Lucas: He networked. But not in a sleazy way. He joined cloud-focused Discord servers and the AWS community on LinkedIn. He'd comment on posts from cloud architects, ask thoughtful questions, share his own learnings. He told me one of his interviewers actually recognized his name from a comment he left on a LinkedIn post about serverless best practices. Luna: That's the kind of thing that feels like luck but is actually just consistent effort over time. And it's free. Lucas: Right. And here's a concrete tip he gave me that I think applies to any bootcamp grad targeting a cloud role. He said, 'Don't apply for job titles that say 'cloud architect' if you have less than two years of experience. Instead, look for 'cloud engineer' or 'cloud developer' or 'associate cloud architect.' Those roles are more open to career changers.' Luna: That's a good filter. And the pay is still great. Cloud engineer salaries start around ninety to one hundred ten thousand dollars in most metros. Lucas: Exactly. And once you're in, you can grow into the architect title. Marcus is already being groomed for a senior role after just a year. So the trajectory is there. Luna: Let's talk about certifications a bit more. Which ones do you think are worth the money for a bootcamp grad? Lucas: I'd say start with AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Then go for AWS Solutions Architect Associate. After that, if you want to specialize, maybe the AWS Developer Associate or the Azure equivalent. But honestly, the Solutions Architect Associate is the gold standard. Marcus said that cert alone got him past the HR filter. Luna: And what about Google Cloud? Does that matter? Lucas: It depends on your target companies. If you're looking at startups that are all-in on Google Cloud, then sure, the Google Cloud Associate Engineer cert is great. But AWS still has the largest market share — around 32 percent as of late 2025. So AWS is the safest bet for a first cert. Luna: Makes sense. What about the cost? Bootcamp grads are often tight on money after paying for the bootcamp itself. Lucas: Yeah, certs aren't cheap. The Cloud Practitioner exam is one hundred dollars, and the Solutions Architect Associate is one hundred fifty. That's doable. And there are tons of free resources — A Cloud Guru has free tiers, and there are YouTube playlists that cover the entire exam syllabus. Marcus used a mix of free videos and the official AWS practice exams. Luna: Let's pivot to the interview process. What kinds of questions should bootcamp grads expect? Lucas: Marcus said the technical screen was mostly scenario-based. They gave him a business requirement — like 'we need a scalable e-commerce backend' — and he had to whiteboard an architecture using AWS services. He didn't have to memorize everything; they wanted to see his thought process. Luna: So it's less about rote knowledge and more about system design thinking. That's something that can be practiced. Lucas: Definitely. And there are great resources. The book 'System Design Interview' by Alex Xu is a classic. Marcus said he worked through a few of those case studies and adapted them to AWS services. Luna: I also think bootcamp grads should emphasize their ability to learn quickly. That's a huge asset in cloud because the landscape changes fast. A new service comes out every week. Lucas: Right. And that's actually something that came up in Marcus's interviews. He talked about how in his bootcamp he had to pick up a new framework in a week and build a project with it. That's exactly the kind of adaptability cloud teams look for. Luna: So if you're listening and you're a bootcamp grad thinking about cloud, what's the first thing you should do tomorrow? Lucas: Create a free AWS account. Deploy a simple static site. Then read about IAM roles and S3 bucket policies. That's a one-afternoon project that teaches you the core concepts. Then start studying for the Cloud Practitioner cert. And while you're doing that, join a cloud community on LinkedIn or Discord and start engaging. Luna: That's a clear plan. And I'd add: don't be afraid to apply to jobs even if you don't meet all the requirements. Many job descriptions are wish lists, not checklists. Lucas: Exactly. Marcus applied to about forty roles before he got his first interview. But he only needed one yes. And that yes changed his career trajectory completely. Luna: You know, speaking of changing careers — if you've found this episode helpful and you're thinking about your own next move, we want to keep making content that helps you make those decisions. And the way this show stays ad-free and independent is through listener support at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Even a small contribution helps us keep the lights on and the episodes coming. Lucas: Yeah, we really appreciate everyone who's already chipped in. It allows us to focus on practical advice without any sponsor pressure. So if you've gotten value from episodes like this one, consider tossing a coffee our way. But either way, let's get back to the blueprint. Luna: Alright, so beyond the first cert and project, what's the longer game for a bootcamp grad in cloud? Lucas: Long term, you want to build depth in one area. Maybe that's security — becoming a cloud security architect — or maybe it's data engineering on the cloud. Marcus is now studying for the AWS Security Specialty cert because he sees demand for that niche. Luna: Specialization definitely pays off. The cloud security architect roles I've seen list salaries from one forty to one eighty thousand dollars. Lucas: Right. And bootcamp grads have an edge because they're already comfortable with coding. Many traditional cloud architects struggle with scripting and automation. If you can write infrastructure as code using Terraform or AWS CloudFormation, you're immediately more valuable. Luna: That's a good point. So learning Terraform should be on the roadmap after the first cert. Lucas: Absolutely. Marcus picked up Terraform by converting his manual AWS console setup into code. That was his second portfolio project. And he put it on GitHub with a diagram of the architecture. Interviewers loved it. Luna: I want to wrap up with a question Marcus might have answered: what's the biggest mistake bootcamp grads make when trying to break into cloud? Lucas: He said they try to learn everything at once. They want to master all AWS services, all certs, all tools before applying. The key is to learn just enough to be dangerous, then apply, learn on the job, and fill gaps as you go. You don't need to know everything on day one. Luna: That's the same lesson for any career change. Start small, build momentum, and trust the process. Lucas: Exactly. And cloud is one of the most welcoming fields for non-traditional backgrounds right now. The demand is high, the barriers are lower than people think, and the payoff is real. If you're willing to put in the time on the console and in the community, you can absolutely make the switch. Luna: Great episode. Thanks, Lucas. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And thanks to Marcus for sharing his story. For anyone listening, we'll put some links to the resources we mentioned in the show notes. Good luck with your cloud journey.