Google Cloud Certification success story: Meet Gabby

Setting a goal of achieving a certification is a personal and professional milestone! Each journey to certification is different though and it is dependent on many factors such as prior experience, exposure to technology, motivation, and more. This month we’d like to feature one particular journey of our colleague Gabby - Customer Engineer, Application Modernization at Google Cloud in Los Angeles  and a holder of four Google Cloud certifications. Read the interview with Gabby conducted by Magda Jary, Head of Google Cloud credentials and certifications. 

Key takeaways:

1. Google Cloud certifications are a key to open exciting new doors for your career and personal growth.

2. These certifications are achievable if you want them, regardless of your technical background. 

3. Getting a Google Cloud certification may require a lot of  time commitment, focus and grit, be ready to accept the mission, completing it is totally worth it!

Q: Congratulations on achieving four Google Cloud certifications very recently, Gabby. Please tell us about your journey to understanding Cloud technology at the certification level? How did this all begin for you?

Cloud technologies are a cornerstone for shaping what’s next in our world and I wanted to help design and build a better future for myself. Getting Google Cloud certifications has opened up a range of new and amazing opportunities to choose from for my career and life. 

Q: So how do you go about achieving four certifications in only a few months? What has been your approach and methodology?

Make no mistake, it was not easy to achieve. The Google Cloud certifications are a high bar , but they are achievable, regardless of your background.

• Believing: I found inspiration in reading the Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect All-in-One Exam Guide, by The Certs Guy. Here he states that failing an exam may be part of one's journey to becoming Google Cloud certified. This helped me accept the potential of failure, and view it as an opportunity to go deeper and strengthen my confidence around unfamiliar topics. Now that I understood that failure was an option, my concerns surrounding a passing score on the first time lessened. It was time to pave my way toward Google Cloud certification.

• A Solid Methodology: I divided the readiness content into manageable pieces and created a study plan. See, in my case I didn’t have much experience in some of the technologies listed in the exam guides, such as computer networking or Kubernetes. I had to learn the fundamental underlying computer technology concepts for each topic before I even started studying it at the next level. My approach was to first learn the basic computer concepts, and then to study the topics in the cloud context. Forming these connections helped me grasp the topic at the certification level over time.I kept applying this approach to learning, until I felt comfortable with all of the topics listed on the exam guides. 

• Riding the Momentum: Passing the Professional Cloud Architect certification granted me two things that were instrumental to achieving three additional certifications: the certainty that “I” could do it and the understanding of key cloud solutions. I was also fascinated by learning, and because I had established a solid rhythm and discipline, I decided to ride the wave and pursue the Profesional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification. My third certification was the Professional Cloud Network Engineer, a fundamental piece when building solid computer systems. Lastly, I wanted to learn how to enable people to make decisions and take actions based on intelligent and holistic insights derived from massive amounts of data. The Professional Data Engineer certification was my path for it.  

Q: What would you say is the biggest impact that achieving certification has had on your life?

A: Achieving Google Cloud certifications has fundamentally changed my professional life. Believe me, a certification will take your career to the next level.The personal benefit was unexpected and it is changing my life. I discovered the intoxicating feeling of inspiring and helping others and I am chasing it! I am writing this blog, telling my story and hoping it will help at least one person. I also host bi-weekly mentoring sessions to be the proof that they need to believe that it can be accomplished.

Q: How would you encourage someone stepping into the world of cloud to set a goal of achieving a certification?

A: I will leave you with three things: 

1. I know that it CAN be done so if you are thinking about it, just take the leap!
2. Know that it is not an easy task. Sacrifice, discipline, and commitment will be required. But as long as you are committed you can make it happen.
3. Your effort and achievement will be a great reward ! Go for it!