As documented by Saptarsi Talukdar
Before, skills and vocations were learned for life. However, education and training are continual aspects of a more dynamic working style. It is made feasible by new learning options, such as online classes. Simplilearn’s Cloud Computing courses changed my life for the good. As I say, choosing a rewarding career is the success mantra for living a happy life.
The Journey
I completed my post-graduation in Chemistry from the University of Madras in 2004. I’m presently working as a Lead Solutions Architect in one of the most prominent organisations. I’ve been working since 2001 and have a sack full of 22 years of experience. In this span, my work revolved from being a customer service representative to being an IT analyst to Product Manager, Pre Sales Manager, Solutions Architect and Associate General Manager in a plethora of companies.
I am responsible for elucidating, articulating, and gauging the cost of the complete end-to-end solutions, service management and service engagement covering people, process, and tools. I am skilled in senior management buy-ins for the bids and various reviews for the response submission. I’ve grown my previous company’s revenue by 20% for two consecutive fiscal years.
However, I have been in this solutions architect role for the past ten years. Working in this sector, I realised that the market is changing rapidly. I have nearly 20 years of experience in the field and am used to working with outdated technologies. I worked at a renowned company as an Associate General Manager-Presales, which was more on the business side though I was also performing duties as a solutions architect. I wanted to do more technical work. I was looking for a domain change and promotion within my company. That is when I chose to upskill myself in 2021 with the PGP in Cloud Computing Course to improve my knowledge of the subject matter.
The Simplilearn Course
I have been associated with Simplilearn since 2012 and have taken multiple courses with Simplilearn like ITIL, PRINCE2, Agile, DevOps etc. Back in 2014-15, I was a part of Simplilearn’s faculty. So, the trust was always there. Moreover, I was interested in having a certification from a reputed institution, and Caltech is one such institution. It had always been my dream to study abroad in Ivy League colleges, but due to commitments at work and family, I could not leave my job and go abroad to study. I found out that Simplilearn was providing courses with Caltech, so it was easy for me to choose.
The experience this time with Simplilearn was excellent as well. From being a student to a faculty member and again a student at Simplilearn was terrific. The faculty of Simplilearn is very experienced, and they are not just from academia but people from the industry who share their experiences with us.
So, it was something I enjoyed. We were treated as professionals and not just students. The courses were well structured, considering the candidates, mainly working professionals and the industry requirements. I liked the AWS courses because the instructor explained them excellently and had real-time industry experience, which immensely helped.
Also, I had to take a break from studying while pursuing the course because tragedy struck, and my mother passed away. So, it took me more than usual time to get the certification. Simplilearn, let me do that. It allowed me to take a break to look after myself and my family.
The Result
The PGP Cloud Computing Certification Course helped me a lot. After I finished the course, I did land multiple job offers, among which I picked up my current job. In February 2022, after the course, I joined a leading company in India as the Lead Solutions Architect with a 40% salary hike. I must thank Simplilearn’s course, which cleared my basics; hence I could quickly nail the interview.
I am applying my learnings from the course at my current job. My role involves providing solutions to customers. Our customers include many big corporations that need to know which cloud service to choose. So, I meet with these clients and suggest what service suits their business. And for that, the course comes in because now I know my subject. Also, these companies would only trust someone knowledgeable. Caltech’s name helped me build that trust. I encourage everyone to consider taking up the course of their choice with Simplilearn.