Shadowing and Mentorship in Cloud Computing: Gaining Experience Before Your First Full-Time Role

Table of Contents

1. Why Mentorship Matters in Cloud Computing

2. Understanding the Value of Shadowing for Cloud Roles

3. Identifying the Right Mentors and Mentorship Programmes

4. Establishing Informal Mentoring Relationships

5. Demonstrating Your Value as a Mentee

6. Effective Ways to Shadow Cloud Professionals

7. Building Ongoing Relationships and Expanding Your Network

8. Measuring Progress and Celebrating Milestones

9. Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

10. Conclusion and Next Steps

1. Why Mentorship Matters in Cloud Computing

Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap

Cloud computing is an ever-evolving field, with major cloud service providers rolling out new features and services at a breakneck pace. While certifications and self-paced courses can help you learn the fundamentals—like networking, virtualisation, containerisation, or security—they often can’t replicate the complexity of real-world scenarios. Mentors fill that gap. They guide you through nuanced tasks, such as architecting highly available systems, optimising cost, automating deployments, or securing multi-cloud environments. This practical exposure is invaluable and accelerates your readiness for the workplace.

Strategic Career Guidance

Cloud technology extends far beyond simple virtual machines. Skilled professionals often specialise in areas like data engineering, serverless computing, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, or cloud security. A mentor with experience in your chosen niche can provide direction on which certifications to prioritise, which programming languages to master, and what real-world projects will make your CV shine. They can also shed light on job market trends—helping you focus on the roles and responsibilities in greatest demand.

Boosting Confidence and Soft Skills

Cloud roles are typically collaborative, requiring teamwork with software developers, cybersecurity specialists, and data scientists. Mentors can help you develop critical soft skills, such as communication, project management, and adaptability. They’ll also share strategies to navigate corporate culture, manage stress, and solve issues under tight deadlines—helping you become a well-rounded professional who can excel in challenging IT environments.

Networking Opportunities

One of the biggest benefits of having a mentor in cloud computing is the chance to tap into their professional network. Whether it’s an invitation to a cloud user group, a recommendation to hiring managers, or an introduction to colleagues working on cutting-edge projects, these relationships can open doors and give you a leg up when applying for full-time roles or specialised internships.

2. Understanding the Value of Shadowing for Cloud Roles

Real-World Exposure

Shadowing is about observing experienced professionals as they tackle day-to-day tasks, ranging from configuring cloud networks to implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC). Seeing these processes in action is far more illuminating than reading documentation or watching tutorials. You witness the challenges of working with legacy systems, dealing with unexpected errors, and optimising cost—experience that translates directly into problem-solving skills and practical knowledge.

Observing Decision-Making

In many cloud environments, every decision—from choosing a particular load balancer to deciding how frequently to run backups—has technical, financial, and security implications. By shadowing, you learn how seasoned experts weigh trade-offs, communicate recommendations to stakeholders, and pivot when projects evolve. This holistic view helps you cultivate sound judgement and strategic thinking.

Enhancing Technical Competency

While shadowing, you might watch mentors and their teams set up continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines, spin up microservices, or orchestrate container-based environments. You’ll gain hands-on familiarity with tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, or Azure DevOps. Even if you aren’t the one directly typing commands, immersing yourself in these contexts is a potent way to accelerate your technical growth.

Demonstrating Practical Experience

Employers often want to see more than a list of certifications. They look for tangible exposure to real cloud deployments. Shadowing a respected professional or team adds credibility to your CV. When interviewers ask about your background, you’ll have concrete anecdotes—rather than theoretical explanations—to demonstrate your preparedness for a live production environment.

3. Identifying the Right Mentors and Mentorship Programmes

Clarify Your Cloud Niche

Cloud computing is a broad realm. Common specialisations include:

• DevOps Engineering: Focused on automating software releases, managing CI/CD pipelines, and orchestrating cloud infrastructure.

• Data and Analytics: Emphasises data lakes, ETL pipelines, machine learning, and big data solutions on platforms like AWS EMR or Azure Synapse.

• Security and Compliance: Deals with identity and access management, threat detection, encryption, and regulatory adherence.

• Cloud Architecture: Designs end-to-end solutions, ensuring reliability, performance, and cost efficiency across multiple services or providers.

• Serverless Computing: Works primarily with managed services such as AWS Lambda or Azure Functions to build scalable, event-driven applications.

Nailing down your area of focus helps you target the right mentors—those with relevant expertise who can answer your most pressing questions and share practical insights aligned with your chosen path.

Where to Seek Mentors

1. LinkedIn: Look for professionals with keywords such as “Cloud Architect,” “DevOps Engineer,” or “Site Reliability Engineer (SRE).” Check their profiles for publications, projects, or certification achievements.

2. Cloud Community Groups: Whether online (e.g., Reddit’s r/aws, Slack channels, or GCP Community forums) or local user groups (like AWS User Groups or Azure Meetups), these are fertile grounds for networking.

3. Conferences and Workshops: Events like AWS re:Invent, Microsoft Ignite, and Google Cloud Next draw thousands of professionals. These venues are prime opportunities to meet experts face-to-face.

4. Educational Platforms: Some training providers and coding bootcamps have built-in mentorship or alumni networks you can tap into.

5. Employer-Sponsored Programmes: Larger tech companies often have structured mentorship initiatives, pairing junior employees or interns with senior cloud experts.

Formal Mentorship Programmes

If you prefer structure, look for mentorship schemes that feature:

• Scheduled Check-Ins: Weekly or monthly meetings to track progress.

• Set Curriculum: A defined syllabus or learning plan centred on cloud fundamentals.

• Clear Timeline: A specific duration (e.g., three to six months), which offers stability and goal-setting opportunities.

• Certificates or Recommendations: Recognition upon completion, which you can highlight on your CV or LinkedIn profile.

Vetting Potential Mentors

• Relevant Expertise: If you want to specialise in AWS solutions architecture, a GCP-heavy mentor might not be ideal.

• Time Commitment: Ensure they can meet with you regularly or are comfortable with asynchronous communication if schedules don’t match.

• Communication Style: Some mentors are hands-on, reviewing your code or walking you through tasks step-by-step, while others might provide higher-level guidance. Decide what aligns with your learning style.

• Track Record: Look for someone who has successfully mentored others, or who shows a sincere interest in fostering new talent.

4. Establishing Informal Mentoring Relationships

Make the First Move

Formal programmes are not the only way to gain a mentor. Often, the most fruitful mentorships arise organically. If you admire someone’s blog posts about cloud best practices, LinkedIn content, or open-source contributions, reach out with a short, tailored message expressing genuine interest. Mention a specific project or article of theirs you found insightful, and highlight any shared interests.

Offer Something in Return

Even if you’re a beginner, you can provide mutual value. Perhaps you can assist in writing documentation, test out new features in a side project they’re developing, or help with tasks like data organisation or research. Demonstrating willingness to contribute, rather than just receive, can set you apart in a pool of mentees.

Stay Adaptable

Informal mentorships often lack the structure of official programmes. A mentor might prefer monthly check-ins or occasional Slack conversations. Respect their schedule, remain proactive in seeking feedback, and don’t be discouraged by delayed responses. Remember, busy professionals may need gentle nudges to stay engaged.

5. Demonstrating Your Value as a Mentee

Be Prepared

Whether your mentorship sessions are scheduled or spontaneous, arrive ready. Outline the questions you’d like to ask, the problems you’ve encountered, or the new features you’ve been experimenting with. Preparation shows you respect your mentor’s time and maximises the value of your interactions.

Act on Feedback

When a mentor suggests improvements—like adopting a different approach to network configuration or strengthening your knowledge of container security—take tangible steps to implement these recommendations. Document your results and observations. During your next meeting, summarise what you learned and how it influenced your skill set.

Communicate Progress and Challenges

Share your wins and struggles openly. If you resolved a tricky issue with Infrastructure as Code or overcame a load-balancing puzzle, let your mentor know. Conversely, if you’re stuck on something—be it cost-optimisation or debugging a pipeline—ask for their insights. Genuine engagement keeps the mentorship dynamic and allows your mentor to offer relevant, timely advice.

Show Appreciation

A quick message of thanks or acknowledgement can reinforce the mentor’s motivation to continue sharing their expertise. If their guidance helped you pass an AWS certification or deploy a proof-of-concept app, let them know the impact they’ve made.

6. Effective Ways to Shadow Cloud Professionals

Short-Term or Single-Day Visits

Some cloud professionals or companies welcome short observation periods. You may sit in on:

• Deployment Meetings: Observe how the team discusses release schedules, regression testing, and rollback strategies.

• Design Sessions: Watch how architects plan multi-tier solutions, factor in security groups, or choose which services to leverage.

• Client Calls: Gain insight into how cloud consultants gather requirements, address concerns, and propose solutions.

Pro Tips

• Ask ahead about any Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs).

• Prepare specific questions about the tools or methods you see in action.

Longer-Term Shadowing or Internships

Internships offer a deeper level of involvement, where you might:

• Handle Minor Tasks: Take on small responsibilities such as automating backup scripts, refining Terraform modules, or setting up continuous delivery for a microservice.

• Participate in Sprints: Join daily stand-ups, track tasks using agile boards like Jira or Azure Boards, and collaborate closely with DevOps teams.

• Work with Production Data: Under supervision, help maintain real-world workloads, learning how to monitor usage, implement auto-scaling policies, and manage resource allocation.

Keep a Journal
Document your day-to-day experiences, including any “aha” moments and challenges. This record will help you identify patterns, consolidate learning, and discuss your achievements in interviews.

Virtual Shadowing

Remote opportunities are increasingly common in cloud computing, with distributed teams working across time zones.

• Attend Virtual Stand-Ups: Even short daily syncs can teach you how tasks are delegated and monitored.

• Screen-Sharing Sessions: Watch as a senior engineer configures an AWS environment or debugs a Kubernetes cluster in real time.

• Participate in Chat Channels: Join Slack, Teams, or Discord channels where cloud practitioners discuss ongoing issues, solutions, and best practices.

7. Building Ongoing Relationships and Expanding Your Network

Consistent Communication

After a shadowing experience or the initial mentorship phase concludes, keep the relationship alive. Send occasional updates about your skill development, new certifications, or cloud projects you’ve worked on. Share intriguing articles or upcoming meet-up details that align with your mentor’s interests. These small gestures help you maintain meaningful connections without being intrusive.

Diversify Your Mentor Circle

One mentor might be an AWS guru, another could be an expert in GCP’s data analytics stack, and yet another might offer deep insight into DevOps culture. Embrace the variety. As the cloud sector spans multiple specialisms, building a diverse mentor network can fast-track your growth. Each professional brings a unique perspective, helping you gain a well-rounded understanding of the cloud ecosystem.

Attend Industry Events

Conferences, webinars, hackathons, and local user group meetings abound in the cloud domain. These gatherings offer ample chances to meet new contacts and reconnect with mentors. Networking at events can lead to fresh mentorship opportunities, collaborative projects, or even direct job offers.

8. Measuring Progress and Celebrating Milestones

Define SMART Objectives

Before diving into a mentorship or shadowing experience, outline specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals:

• Technical Goals: For example, learn how to set up a Kubernetes cluster and deploy a containerised web app within one month.

• Soft-Skill Goals: Improve presentation skills by giving a short demo on an AWS service in a user group setting.

• Certification Milestones: Schedule to pass an Azure or AWS associate-level exam by a particular date.

• Project-Based Objectives: Complete a mini-project on cost optimisation or build a scalable serverless architecture for a sample application.

Regular Check-Ins

Ask your mentor for periodic progress reviews, be it weekly or monthly. Discuss what’s been accomplished, what remains challenging, and how best to move forward. This structure keeps you accountable and provides a forum for feedback.

Maintain a Skills Inventory

Create a simple spreadsheet or Trello board tracking your newly acquired skills—like “Set up a multi-region architecture” or “Implemented container orchestration with ECS or Kubernetes.” Update it regularly. This visual record helps you spot knowledge gaps early and communicate your progression effectively.

Celebrate Small Wins

Whether you’ve automated a simple cloud function, reduced monthly costs, or successfully migrated a database, take a moment to appreciate these achievements. Recognising small but significant steps can keep you motivated and demonstrate to your mentor that their guidance is bearing fruit.

9. Common Challenges and How to Overcome Them

Limited Mentor Availability

Cloud experts often juggle multiple projects and tight deadlines, making it hard to secure dedicated mentorship time.

• Solution: Be flexible. Propose different meeting formats—like quick 15-minute calls, asynchronous Q&A via email or Slack, or monthly “office hours.” Respect their time constraints by prioritising your most pressing questions.

Difficulty Finding a Mentor

Not everyone responds to outreach attempts, especially when they receive a flood of similar requests.

• Solution: Persist with polite follow-ups. Attend local tech events and meet-ups to introduce yourself in person. Engage in cloud communities online by answering basic questions from other newcomers, demonstrating that you’re a contributor, not just a taker.

Conflicting Advice from Multiple Mentors

When you seek guidance from various experts, you may find discrepancies in their techniques or opinions.

• Solution: Remember that cloud solutions can be highly context-dependent. Evaluate each mentor’s advice based on your specific goals, environment constraints, and personal learning style. Over time, you’ll become adept at reconciling different approaches and choosing the most suitable path.

Lack of Real-World Project Opportunities

You might struggle to find practical, hands-on experiences beyond textbook exercises or simulations.

• Solution: Look for hackathons, open-source projects, or volunteer to assist non-profits with their cloud infrastructure. Even if you can’t land an official internship immediately, these smaller-scale projects can bolster your experience and confidence.

10. Conclusion and Next Steps

Cloud computing is a thrilling, fast-moving field that demands both solid technical expertise and adaptive thinking. By pursuing shadowing and mentorship, you can gain early exposure to practical, real-world scenarios that surpass the insights gleaned solely from textbooks or certifications. Whether your goal is to excel in serverless computing, strengthen DevOps pipelines, or master data analytics in the cloud, a trusted mentor can guide your journey and open doors that might otherwise remain closed.

Key Takeaways

1. Identify Your Specialisation: Focus on a niche—like DevOps, cloud architecture, or data analytics—to find mentors who can provide targeted expertise.

2. Strategically Seek Mentors: Utilise LinkedIn, user group meet-ups, and educational platforms. Evaluate mentors for their domain relevance, communication style, and time availability.

3. Shadow with Purpose: Whether for a single day or through a formal internship, observe professionals closely, ask targeted questions, and document your learnings.

4. Show Your Commitment: Arrive prepared for mentorship sessions, implement feedback, and keep your mentor updated on your challenges and successes.

5. Expand Your Network: Maintain relationships after the formal mentorship ends, pursue multiple mentors for broader perspectives, and attend events that offer networking prospects.

6. Measure Progress: Set SMART goals, keep track of newly acquired skills, and celebrate each milestone—no matter how small.

7. Adapt to Challenges: Address limited mentor availability with flexible communication, reconcile conflicting advice thoughtfully, and always seek out real-world project opportunities to build a strong portfolio.

Charting Your Cloud Career

Once you feel prepared to transition into a professional cloud role—thanks to mentorship, shadowing, and ongoing practice—it’s time to put your experience into action. Update your CV to emphasise the skills and projects you’ve tackled, and be ready to relay compelling anecdotes about the troubleshooting, design, and collaboration challenges you overcame.

If you’re ready to explore job opportunities in the UK—whether you’re interested in cloud engineering, DevOps, architecture, or other cloud-centric positions—visit www.cloud-jobs.co.uk. Our dedicated platform features a wide range of postings that cater to both entry-level and experienced candidates. By combining practical experience (gained via shadowing and mentorship) with a keen eagerness to learn, you’ll be well on your way to carving out a successful, fulfilling career in this expanding sector.

Remember: cloud computing is all about agility—both for organisations and for professionals looking to grow. Embrace the spirit of continual learning and adaptation, and you’ll find countless opportunities to innovate, solve complex problems, and make your mark in the cloud. Good luck on your journey!