Welcome to my corner of the cloud! ☁️

After 16 years as a systems administrator and cybersecurity specialist in Qatar, I've decided it's time to document my journey into the exciting world of cloud engineering. If you've been following me on LinkedIn, you might have seen my posts about the Cloud Resume Challenge - but this blog is where I'll be sharing the complete story, including all the technical details, lessons learned, and occasional missteps along the way.

Why I Started This Blog

You know that moment when you realize technology has evolved and it's time to evolve with it? That's where I found myself recently. With Qatar's growing cloud adoption and the recent launch of local data centers by Microsoft and Google, the opportunity to transition into cloud engineering couldn't be better timed.

Instead of just updating my resume with buzzwords like "cloud skills," I decided to build something that actually demonstrates what I can do. That's how I found myself taking on the Cloud Resume Challenge - turning a simple resume into a full-fledged cloud application.

And yes, think of this blog as watching a duck glide smoothly on water while paddling furiously underneath! I'll be sharing both the smooth results and the furious paddling that makes it all possible.

What You'll Find Here

This blog will be a more comprehensive home for:

• Technical deep-dives: The architecture behind my projects, code snippets, and solutions to technical challenges

• Learning resources: Tools and approaches that have helped me learn cloud technologies

• Career insights: Reflections on transitioning from systems administration to cloud engineering in Qatar's unique tech landscape

• Cloud services exploration: Hands-on experiences with Azure services and beyond

My Cloud Journey So Far

What started as a simple online resume has evolved into a full cloud application with:

• Serverless Backend: An Azure Function API built in Python that tracks and displays visitor counts

• Database Integration: CosmosDB with MongoDB API for persistent data storage, keeping costs under $1/month

• Automated Deployments: CI/CD pipelines using GitHub Actions with separate workflows for frontend validation, backend testing, and production deployment

• Performance Optimization: Azure CDN implementation that reduced page load times by 33% across global regions

• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform implementation to define and manage all Azure resources in a repeatable way

The most fascinating part hasn't been building these components individually – it's understanding how they work together. For instance, when someone visits my resume site, their browser requests the page from Azure Storage, the visitor counter JavaScript makes an API call to my Azure Function, which connects to CosmosDB, increments the counter, and returns the updated value - all happening in milliseconds while respecting security boundaries.

My Learning Toolkit

I believe in transparency about modern development practices. Here's what I'm using:

• VS Code with GitHub Copilot ❤️: My coding companion

• GitHub: Where all my code lives

• Claude.AI: Helping me understand complex concepts

• Azure Services: Where it all comes together

These tools have transformed how I learn. Instead of drowning in documentation, I use AI to break down complex concepts into digestible pieces. For instance, I created what I call "The Journey of a Click" - a detailed breakdown of how a visitor counter works in the cloud.

I'm Actively Seeking Cloud Engineering Opportunities

I'm excited to bring my unique combination of 16+ years of systems/security experience and newly-developed cloud engineering skills to forward-thinking organizations in Qatar. What makes this combination valuable is the ability to bridge traditional infrastructure knowledge with modern cloud practices, especially when it comes to secure implementations and cross-team collaboration.

My current projects demonstrate not just technical skills, but the ability to:

• Architect cost-effective cloud solutions (my entire Cloud Resume Challenge runs for under $5/month)

• Implement proper security controls and CORS configurations

• Build automated CI/CD pipelines for reliable deployments

• Optimize performance for global accessibility

Let's Connect!

I'm particularly interested in connecting with:

• Cloud professionals in Qatar

• Organizations building cloud solutions in our region

• Anyone interested in Qatar's cloud computing future

• Those on similar career transition journeys

If your team is looking for someone who combines enterprise systems experience with modern cloud skills, I'd welcome a conversation about how I can contribute to your cloud initiatives. Feel free to reach out via email, connect with me on LinkedIn, or just comment on these posts!

Remember, the biggest tools we need are curiosity, positivity, and persistence!

What's Next?

In the coming weeks, I'll be sharing more details about my Terraform implementation, exploring multi-cloud strategies with AWS, and diving deeper into specific Azure services. I'm also planning some posts about cloud computing opportunities specific to Qatar's growing tech scene.

Check out my Cloud Resume Challenge project at talharesume.com or explore my code on GitHub.

Thanks for joining me on this journey. The cloud might seem vast, but we're navigating it together!

#CloudEngineering #Azure #QatarTech #CareerTransition #CloudResumeChallenge