Beyond certificates

Certificates are great to show one is willing to go the extra mile. They usually come with a structured learning path while you’re at it, and satisfaction when you receive that precious badge in your mailbox. It is easy to fall into the trap of grinding certificates one after the other, without applying the knowledge you have gained, keeping structured notes and practicing spaced repetition. I was the culprit myself - been there, done that. So please do yourself a favor, and invest your time into other areas such as networking, projects and volunteering. I promise it is a lot of fun, which will skyrocket your motivation to go even further. Organizations and vendors usually have some way of building and engaging their community for obvious reasons. Think in terms of conferences, online events, user group meetups, working groups, community projects, Slack and Discord channels.

Microsoft CCP’s

Their Customer Connection Program’s come in a few different flavors;

• Data Security and Privacy,
• Security,
• Management (Windows, Intune, endpoints),
• Microsoft Entra Advisors,
• Copilot for Security.

For example, joining the Security Customer Connection Program offers you the chance to engage in community calls, private previews, and focus groups with Microsoft’s product teams specializing in SIEM & XDR, Defender for Cloud, and Network Security. I am grateful for the valuable insights and the opportunity to influence the products. This can be your launchpad to joining a podcast or having a 1:1 with an engineer to discuss a topic of your choice. Please note, even though they are referred to as ‘customer’ connection programs, you can also apply if you work for a Partner of Microsoft (many MSP’s are member of the partner network), and other cloud solution providers.

AWS

I didn’t have the privilege to participate so far, but I have heard many great things about AWS’ Community Builders program. Applications are evaluated once per year, so this is something to plan ahead.

Cloud Security Alliance

Last but not least, CSA’s working groups are easily accessible and will welcome new members even with limited experience. Some groups are more established in their ways of working than others, but in general you can contribute straight away by reviewing papers prepared by your peers and eventually get involved in new projects.