Entry-level cloud support engineer seeking first opportunity in AWS customer support

• 📍 Location: Florida (Remote preferred, Tampa Bay hybrid OK)
• 💰 Target Salary: $50k-$65k
• 📅 Availability: Immediate (2-week notice)
• 🕐 Shift: Flexible (can work evenings/weekends if needed)

Troubleshooting (My Strongest Skill)

✅ Read CloudWatch Logs and identify error patterns
✅ Debug EC2 connectivity issues (Security Groups, NACLs, routing)
✅ Troubleshoot S3 permission errors (IAM vs bucket policies)
✅ Analyze Lambda timeout/permission issues
✅ Follow systematic troubleshooting methodology
✅ Document root cause and resolution steps

AWS Services I Can Support

Translation for Hiring Managers:

• I can handle 70% of common EC2/S3/VPC/CloudWatch tickets independently
• I need guidance on complex IAM/Lambda issues (but learning fast)
• I'm honest about what I don't know yet (RDS, containers)

Why This Matters for Cloud Support:

✅ Stay calm when customers are frustrated
✅ Ask clarifying questions before troubleshooting
✅ Explain technical issues in plain English
✅ Follow up until issue is fully resolved
✅ Document everything for next time

Real-World Example:

Customer: "My website is down!"

Bad response: "Check your Security Groups and Route53 records"

My response: "I understand this is urgent. Let me check a few things. First, can you confirm if you're seeing an error message or is the page just not loading?"

[Investigation in CloudWatch Logs]

"I found the issue - your EC2 instance isn't receiving traffic because of a Security Group setting. I can explain what happened and walk you through the fix. This should take about 5 minutes."

This is cloud support. 50% technical, 50% communication.

Most entry-level candidates say "I took a course."

I say "I intentionally broke AWS infrastructure and practiced fixing it like a real support engineer."

Key Point: These aren't tutorial projects. These are troubleshooting practice labs that directly translate to cloud support work.

I practiced the exact scenarios I'll support as a cloud support engineer.

What I Can Do:

# Search CloudWatch Logs for specific errors
aws logs filter-log-events \
  --log-group-name /aws/lambda/my-function \
  --filter-pattern "ERROR"

# Analyze patterns in Lambda execution
aws logs tail /aws/lambda/my-function --follow

# Use Logs Insights for complex queries
fields @timestamp, @message
| filter @message like /timeout/
| stats count() by bin(5m)

Why This Matters: 90% of cloud support tickets start with "check the logs."

My Systematic Approach:

1. UNDERSTAND: What is the customer trying to do?
2. REPRODUCE: Can I reproduce the issue?
3. INVESTIGATE: What do CloudWatch Logs show?
4. DIAGNOSE: What's the root cause?
5. FIX: Implement solution
6. VERIFY: Confirm resolution with customer
7. DOCUMENT: Create runbook for next time

This is exactly how AWS Cloud Support handles tickets.

I've Created:

• 📝 10+ professional runbooks (RB-001 through RB-010)
• 📊 13 incident reports with full RCA
• 📚 Detailed troubleshooting guides
• 🔧 Step-by-step resolution procedures
• ✅ Before/After comparison metrics

Sample Runbook Structure:

## RB-001: EC2 SSH Connectivity Issues

### Problem Statement
Customer cannot SSH to EC2 instance

### Investigation Steps
1. Check instance state (running?)
2. Check Security Group rules (port 22 open?)
3. Check NACL rules (allow inbound/outbound?)
4. Check route table (route to IGW?)
5. Check VPC Flow Logs (traffic rejected?)

### Common Root Causes
- Security Group missing SSH rule (70%)
- Wrong key pair (15%)
- Instance stopped/terminated (10%)
- NACL blocking traffic (5%)

### Resolution
[Detailed fix steps with AWS CLI commands]

### Prevention
- Use Infrastructure as Code
- Document Security Group standards
- Enable VPC Flow Logs

This is production-quality documentation.

Studying: AWS Solutions Architect Associate

• Following Stephane Maarek Udemy course
• Doing Tutorials Dojo practice exams
• Building hands-on labs for every service
• No exam scheduled yet - learning thoroughly first

Why I'm not certified yet:

• I'm prioritizing hands-on skills over exam cramming
• Certifications don't prove you can troubleshoot
• I'd rather show real projects than a badge
• But I will get certified once I truly understand the material

For Cloud Support roles: AWS recommends Cloud Practitioner. I'm studying SAA because I want deeper knowledge.

I'm NOT claiming:

• ❌ "5+ years experience" (I have months of hands-on)
• ❌ "Expert in cloud architecture" (I'm a beginner)
• ❌ "Can handle any AWS service" (I'm learning)

I AM claiming:

• ✅ I can troubleshoot common EC2/S3/VPC issues
• ✅ I can read CloudWatch Logs and find errors
• ✅ I can communicate with non-technical customers
• ✅ I can document solutions professionally
• ✅ I can learn quickly with guidance

That's what entry-level means: coachable, eager, willing to learn.

Perfect fit for my skills:

Cloud Support Role Requires:
✅ Troubleshooting skills → I practice this daily
✅ Customer communication → 10+ years experience
✅ Documentation → All my repos show this
✅ Learning quickly → Self-taught everything here
✅ Following procedures → I create runbooks
✅ Working independently → Built this entire portfolio solo

What I bring that other candidates don't:

1. Real Customer Service Background

   • Most candidates have technical skills but no customer experience
   • I have 10+ years of handling frustrated customers
   • I can explain technical issues in plain English
   • I know how to de-escalate and follow up

2. Systematic Troubleshooting

   • I don't guess randomly
   • I follow a methodology (documented in my repos)
   • I check logs first, not last
   • I document root cause, not just symptoms

3. Honest About Knowledge Gaps

   • I admit when I don't know something
   • I ask good questions
   • I learn from mistakes
   • I won't BS customers or escalate unnecessarily

4. Extreme Reliability

   • I'm 40 with three kids—I take work seriously
   • I show up even when it's hard
   • I'm looking for a career, not just a job

Job Title:

• AWS Cloud Support Associate (L1/L2)
• Technical Support Engineer - Cloud
• Cloud Operations Support Engineer
• Junior SysOps Administrator

Responsibilities I Want:

✅ Respond to customer tickets via chat/email/phone
✅ Troubleshoot AWS service issues (EC2, S3, VPC, Lambda)
✅ Analyze CloudWatch Logs to diagnose problems
✅ Document solutions in knowledge base/runbooks
✅ Escalate complex issues to L3/engineering
✅ Follow AWS troubleshooting best practices
✅ Learn from senior engineers and feedback

What I DON'T Want:

❌ Senior/lead positions (I'm not qualified)
❌ On-call rotation immediately (willing after training)
❌ Unrealistic salary expectations (I know entry-level pay)
❌ Roles requiring 3-5 years experience (I'm entry-level)

Target Salary: $50,000 - $65,000

Why this is realistic:

• AWS Cloud Support Associate avg: $55k-$65k (Glassdoor)
• Entry-level SysOps: $50k-$60k
• Industry standard for entry-level cloud support
• Room to grow to $70k-$90k in 2-3 years

Location:

• ✅ Remote preferred (Florida-based)
• ✅ Hybrid OK if Tampa Bay area
• ✅ Contract-to-hire via staffing agencies OK
• ✅ Flexible on shift (can work evenings/weekends)

Start Date: Immediate (2-week notice to current employer)

Week 1-2: Onboarding

✅ Complete all training modules
✅ Shadow senior support engineers
✅ Learn your ticket system and workflows
✅ Familiarize with common customer issues
✅ Study internal runbooks and documentation

Week 3-4: Start Taking Tickets

✅ Handle simple tickets with supervision
✅ Ask questions and learn from feedback
✅ Document new knowledge in personal notes
✅ Start contributing to team knowledge base

Goal: By day 30, handle 5-10 simple tickets independently per day

Taking Tickets Independently

✅ Handle EC2/S3/VPC tickets without constant supervision
✅ Properly escalate complex issues to L3
✅ Maintain 90%+ customer satisfaction
✅ Meet ticket SLA targets
✅ Start recognizing patterns in common issues

Contributing to Team

✅ Create 2-3 new runbooks for common issues
✅ Improve existing documentation
✅ Help newer hires if any join
✅ Participate in team knowledge sharing

Goal: By day 60, be a reliable team member handling 15-20 tickets/day

Performance Metrics

✅ Handle full ticket load independently
✅ Become go-to person for specific services (EC2, S3)
✅ Reduce average resolution time through better troubleshooting
✅ Zero customer escalations due to poor service
✅ Contribute significantly to team knowledge base

Going Above & Beyond

✅ Identify gaps in documentation and fill them
✅ Create troubleshooting tools/scripts to help team
✅ Volunteer for less desirable shifts if needed
✅ Start studying for AWS certification on own time

Goal: By day 90, be one of your most reliable L1 engineers

Month 1-3: Prove I Can Do the Job

• Learn your systems faster than typical new hires
• Take ownership of tickets without handholding
• Ask smart questions that show I'm learning
• Show up every day, on time, ready to work

Month 4-6: Become Reliable

• Handle tickets independently with 90%+ CSAT
• Create runbooks for recurring issues
• Help train newer hires
• Take on increasingly complex tickets

Month 7-9: Add Value Beyond Tickets

• Identify process improvements
• Build tools to make team more efficient
• Become subject matter expert on specific services
• Reduce team's average resolution time

Month 10-12: Prove You Made the Right Call

• Be your best L1/L2 engineer
• Have deep knowledge of common issues
• Be the person customers ask for by name
• Make you glad you took a chance on me

I'm looking for growth, not quick jumps:

• Stay minimum 18-24 months (prove loyalty)
• Earn AWS certifications (SysOps, then others)
• Move to L3 when ready (not rush it)
• Eventually mentor junior engineers
• Grow with your company

Why you can trust this:

• I'm 40 with three kids—I value stability
• I'm serious about building a career in cloud
• I understand this is a long-term investment
• I won't leave for a small pay bump elsewhere

I'm 40 years old, married with three kids (ages 12, 11, and 2), transitioning to cloud operations from non-technical work.

Why I'm doing this:

• I want a stable career with growth potential
• Cloud support roles value skills over degrees
• I can work remotely (important with three kids)
• AWS is hiring and growing
• I'm willing to start at entry-level and prove myself

What makes me different:

• I'm not a 22-year-old fresh from college
• I have 10+ years of real-world customer service
• I've handled pressure and difficult situations
• I understand accountability and follow-through
• I'm looking for a career, not just a job

My approach:

• Self-taught through hands-on AWS labs
• Practice troubleshooting by intentionally breaking things
• Document everything professionally
• Study systematically (currently AWS SAA)
• Build real projects, not just watch videos

What I'm proving:

• I can learn technical skills without a degree
• I can troubleshoot systematically
• I can communicate clearly
• I can work independently
• I'm serious about this career change

I know what you might be thinking:

"40 years old, career changer, self-taught... why should I take a chance?"

Here's why:

Look at my GitHub. Look at my projects. Look at my documentation.

This isn't someone who watched a few videos and called it learning.

This is someone who:

• ✅ Built real AWS infrastructure (account 722631436033)
• ✅ Created professional runbooks and RCAs
• ✅ Practiced systematic troubleshooting
• ✅ Documented everything like a real engineer
• ✅ Showed up every day and did the work

I'm not asking you to take a risk on potential.

I'm asking you to look at proof.

Give me 90 days to show you I'm one of your best entry-level hires.