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Skills for working as an AWS Cloud Consultant

Being a successful cloud consultant is finding the balance of soft skills and hard skills when investigating and solving customer problems. This course is designed to improve students’ understanding of key soft skills necessary to become successful cloud consultants. The course's first week provides foundational knowledge of what cloud consulting is and then dives into important skills for solving customers’ business problems. During the second week, students learn how to work with customers (gather requirements, propose a solution, plan and build out the project, monitor progress, and conclude final tasks) and how different soft skills can help them throughout all stages of the process. The third week of the course focuses on helping students develop and maintain strong business relationships. The main emphasis of this week is on developing soft skills that are necessary to build relationships, earn trust, manage changes, establish a brand, and build a good reputation. Finally, in week 4, students receive different recommendations and techniques on how to design a plan to improve their soft skills and grow as a leader.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

Examine essential soft skills for solving customers’ business problems
Describe the process of working with customers and how to use different soft skills throughout all stages of the process
Develop soft skills that can help strengthen relationships, establish a brand, and build a career

Receive recommendations and techniques on how to improve soft skills and grow as a leader
Apply the knowledge you gain in this course to update your resume

Examine essential soft skills for solving customers’ business problems
Describe the process of working with customers and how to use different soft skills throughout all stages of the process
Develop soft skills that can help strengthen relationships, establish a brand, and build a career
Receive recommendations and techniques on how to improve soft skills and grow as a leader
Apply the knowledge you gain in this course to update your resume

Syllabus

Week 1: Thinking as a Cloud Consultant

Introducing Cloud Consulting

Improving critical thinking skills

Developing analytical skills

Week 2: Designing solutions and managing projects

Communicating, analyzing, and designing solutions

Managing time and projects

Concluding the project

Week 3: Managing Relationships

Strengthening relationships

Creating your brand

Week 4: Building your Career

Continuously improving skills

Preparing for technical questions

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Presented by Amazon Web Services, which is a leading provider of cloud computing services and a major player in the cloud consulting industry

Focuses on soft skills, which are often overlooked in technical training but are crucial for success in client-facing roles such as cloud consulting

Provides a structured approach to understanding the cloud consulting process, from initial customer interaction to project completion and relationship management

Includes guidance on building a personal brand and managing professional relationships, which are essential for career advancement in consulting

Offers practical techniques for improving soft skills and leadership abilities, which can be applied immediately in professional settings

Requires learners to update their resume, which may be difficult for learners who do not have prior experience in cloud computing or consulting

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Skills for working as an AWS Cloud Consultant with these activities:

Review 'The Trusted Advisor'

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Learn how to build trust and rapport with clients, a critical skill for cloud consultants.

View The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition on Amazon

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Read 'The Trusted Advisor'.
Identify key takeaways related to building trust.
Reflect on how to apply these takeaways in client interactions.

Review 'The First 90 Days'

Show steps

Learn how to make a strong first impression and quickly adapt to new client engagements.

View The First 90 Days, Newly Revised and Updated on Amazon

Show steps

Read 'The First 90 Days'.
Identify key strategies for accelerating learning.
Reflect on how to apply these strategies in your consulting career.

Practice active listening

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Improve your ability to understand client needs and concerns by practicing active listening techniques.

Browse courses on Active Listening

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Find a partner to practice with.
Take turns being the speaker and the listener.
As the listener, focus on understanding the speaker's message.
Summarize the speaker's message to confirm understanding.

Four other activities

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Create a project communication plan

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Develop a plan for effectively communicating project updates and issues to clients.

Browse courses on Communication Plan

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Identify key stakeholders for a sample project.
Determine the communication needs of each stakeholder.
Create a schedule for regular project updates.
Define the channels for communication (e.g., email, meetings).

Create a personal branding statement

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Develop a clear and concise statement that communicates your unique value proposition as a cloud consultant.

Browse courses on Personal Branding

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Identify your key skills and experiences.
Define your target audience.
Craft a statement that highlights your value to that audience.
Get feedback on your statement from peers or mentors.

Simulate a client consultation

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Practice your consulting skills by simulating a client consultation scenario.

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Define a realistic client scenario.
Prepare questions to ask the client.
Role-play the consultation with a partner.
Analyze the client's needs and propose a solution.
Reflect on your performance and identify areas for improvement.

Compile a list of AWS resources for consultants

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Gather and organize useful AWS resources to help you quickly find information and solutions for clients.

Browse courses on AWS

Show steps

Identify key AWS services relevant to consulting.
Find official AWS documentation and tutorials.
Collect blog posts and articles from AWS experts.
Organize the resources in a searchable format.

Career center

Learners who complete Skills for working as an AWS Cloud Consultant will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Cloud Solutions Architect

A Cloud Solutions Architect designs and implements cloud computing solutions. This course helps a Cloud Solutions Architect by focusing on the consulting process, especially when working with clients. This includes gathering requirements, proposing solutions, and planning projects. The course provides guidance on how to work with clients, which is an essential skill for a Solutions Architect. The focus on relationship management helps to build long term client connections and establish trust. The course also touches on project management, which is a skill that a solutions architect uses every single day. Critical thinking, analytical skills, and problem solving techniques help a Cloud Solutions Architect make sound design choices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Solutions Architect

IT Consultant

An IT Consultant helps organizations with their technology strategy and implementation. This course is highly valuable for an IT Consultant who needs the soft skills to effectively communicate with clients, uncover their needs, and offer the best technological solution. The course's focus on process, from gathering requirements to project completion, directly aligns with the tasks of an IT Consultant. The course provides instruction on managing client relationships, which is critical for the success of any project. Furthermore, the course helps to develop a personal brand which can help an IT Consultant to cultivate a positive reputation.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Consultant

Technical Project Manager

A Technical Project Manager leads technology-focused projects, overseeing the project lifecycle from start to finish. This course helps a Technical Project Manager hone their soft skills such as communication, relationship building, and project management. The course's focus on client interactions, from requirement gathering to project conclusion, benefits a Technical Project Manager who will often serve as the main point of contact for clients. The skills taught in the course, such as managing time, building trust, and problem solving are extremely important in the role of a Technical Project Manager. The course’s emphasis on maintaining strong business relationships will help improve projects for the client and the project manager.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Project Manager

Business Analyst

A Business Analyst identifies and analyzes business needs and then proposes technical solutions. This course is particularly suited for a Business Analyst due to its strong focus on understanding client problems, gathering requirements, and proposing solutions. The analytical skills and critical thinking emphasized help a Business Analyst in breaking down complex problems. The course covers the entire consulting process, which a Business Analyst uses every day. Furthermore, the course's focus on relationship building helps a Business Analyst in order to maintain the trust of the client.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Cloud Engineer

A Cloud Engineer implements, manages, and supports cloud computing systems. While this role is technical in nature, this course may be helpful for a Cloud Engineer who is looking to move into a client facing role, or who needs to interface with clients. The course focuses on relationship building, which is a necessary skill for an engineer who is working with non-technical clients. The course emphasizes communication and project management, skills that would make a Cloud Engineer more effective when working on team projects.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Engineer

Management Consultant

A Management Consultant advises organizations on how to improve their performance, often through strategy and process improvements. This course may be useful for a Management Consultant who must interface with clients and work on complex projects. The course's focus on communication skills helps a Management Consultant to effectively present ideas and solutions. The course’s discussion of relationship management will improve the consultant's ability to build trust and maintain strong relationships with clients. The emphasis on problem solving will help the consultant to better solve complex client problems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Sales Engineer

A Sales Engineer uses technical knowledge to sell products or services to clients. This course may be useful for a sales engineer who wants to build their communication skills and learn how to work more closely with clients. The course teaches the process of gathering requirements, developing solutions and helping clients through the planning process. The focus on relationship building and developing trust also has direct applications to success in a sales role. The course further assists with understanding client issues by helping the student develop problem solving skills.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Engineer

Customer Success Manager

A Customer Success Manager works to ensure that clients are satisfied with a product or service. This course may be useful for a Customer Success Manager by teaching students how to manage client relationships, build trust, and solve client problems. The course's emphasis on communication and project management skills will also aid a customer success manager. The course teaches students the process of working with clients, from the beginning to the end, which is a very important skill for anyone working in customer success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager

Account Manager

An Account Manager is responsible for managing client relationships. This course may be useful for an Account Manager who works with technical clients. The course emphasizes communication and relationship management, which are the main day-to-day tasks of the Account Manager. The course's discussion of relationship building and maintaining trust is directly applicable to the role of account management. The course also helps develop critical thinking and analytical skills, which will help the Account Manager to better understand their client's needs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Account Manager

Technical Trainer

A Technical Trainer teaches technical concepts and skills to students or employees. This course may be useful for a Technical Trainer, especially those who will train other technical workers in a client-facing role. The course focuses on communication, relationship building, and problem solving, which are important skills when training complex material to students or employees. The course’s emphasis on soft skill development will help the trainer to more effectively engage their students, and improve the overall result of a training session.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Trainer

Project Coordinator

A Project Coordinator assists Project Managers with the planning, execution, and tracking of projects. This course may be useful for a Project Coordinator as it teaches project management, and how to work with clients through all stages of a project. The course helps develop communication skills and stresses the importance of relationship management, which is a skill that is used constantly in project coordinating. The course also helps to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills, which will help the coordinator in their day-to-day work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Coordinator

Sales Representative

A Sales Representative focuses on selling a product or service by interacting directly with clients. This course may be useful for a Sales Representative by teaching communication skills and relationship building strategies. The course teaches the importance of building relationships and maintaining trust, which are excellent skills for anyone who works in sales. The course discusses how to gather client needs and propose solutions, which are also main functions of a sales representative.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Representative

Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates technical documentation for a variety of audiences. This course may be useful for a technical writer as it focuses on communication and project management. The course's emphasis on understanding technical problems could also be useful for a technical writer. The course also discusses developing analytical skills, which can assist the technical writer when they are attempting to understand a complex technical feature. While not a perfect fit, some of the skills taught in the course could potentially be applicable to this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Writer

Recruiter

A Recruiter is responsible for finding, interviewing, and hiring new employees. This course may be useful for a technical Recruiter who must understand a client's needs and build a solid relationship with hiring managers. The skills taught in this course such as building relationships, communication, and problem solving are also applicable to recruiting. The course may help the Recruiter to understand the consulting process, which can help when recruiting future consultants. While not a perfect fit, some of the skills taught in this course could potentially be applicable to this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Recruiter

Marketing Manager

A Marketing Manager is responsible for planning and executing marketing campaigns and strategies. This course may be useful for a Marketing Manager who works closely with technical teams or clients. The emphasis on communication and relationship building may be helpful when working with various team members and stakeholders. The course’s focus on creating a personal brand may also be useful for the marketing manager who is building a public profile. While not a perfect fit, some of the skills taught in this course may be applicable to this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Skills for working as an AWS Cloud Consultant.

The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

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Provides a framework for building trust-based relationships with clients, which is crucial for cloud consultants. It explores the 'Trust Equation' and offers practical advice on how to increase trustworthiness. Reading this book will help students develop the soft skills needed to establish strong client relationships, a key focus of Week 3 of the course. It highly recommended resource for anyone in a client-facing role.

The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

Paperback

The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition

Kindle Edition

The First 90 Days, Newly Revised and Updated

Save

Provides a framework for successfully transitioning into a new role, which is relevant for aspiring cloud consultants. It offers practical advice on how to accelerate your learning, build relationships, and create momentum in a new environment. While not directly focused on soft skills, it provides a valuable perspective on navigating the initial stages of a consulting career. It useful resource for those looking to make a strong first impression.

The First 90 Days, Newly Revised and Updated

Paperback

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The First 90 Days, Newly Revised and Updated

Kindle Edition

Check price

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Effort

2 to 4 hours per week for 4 weeks

Level

Introductory

Via

edX

Institution

Amazon Web Services

Instructors

Alex G

Oksana Hoeckele

Language

English

Transcript

English

Good to know

Presented by Amazon Web Services, which is a leading provider of cloud computing services and a major player in the cloud consulting industry

Focuses on soft skills, which are often overlooked in technical training but are crucial for success in client-facing roles such as cloud consulting

Provides a structured approach to understanding the cloud consulting process, from initial customer interaction to project completion and relationship management

Includes guidance on building a personal brand and managing professional relationships, which are essential for career advancement in consulting

Offers practical techniques for improving soft skills and leadership abilities, which can be applied immediately in professional settings

Requires learners to update their resume, which may be difficult for learners who do not have prior experience in cloud computing or consulting

Share and help others discover this course.

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