Start your cloud journey with confidence. This beginner-friendly challenge takes you from zero to cloud-ready with 5 essential AWS projects that build real-world skills.
This pathway is designed for:
You'll build hands-on projects that:
NextWork gives you:
Build real-world projects with comprehensive step-by-step guides that transform into portfolio-ready achievements. Every project you complete becomes a powerful showcase piece for your resume and professional profile.
Begin your AWS journey by understanding the challenge structure and getting oriented with cloud computing fundamentals.
Create and secure your AWS account with best practices. Learn to navigate the console and understand the Free Tier.
Deploy your first website to the cloud using Amazon S3. Learn object storage fundamentals and static website hosting.
Learn business intelligence fundamentals with Amazon QuickSight. Import data and create your first visualizations.
Master cloud security fundamentals with AWS IAM. Learn to create users, set permissions, and manage secure access to your AWS resources.
Join thousands of learners building real-world skills
Your learning journey includes detailed guidance that adapts to your experience level, ensuring you never feel lost or overwhelmed.
Connect with learners and experienced cloud professionals who understand exactly where you are in your journey.
Every project you complete becomes part of your professional portfolio, automatically documented and ready to showcase your skills.
Everything you need to know about the Beginner's Challenge learning path
Nope! Phase 1 starts from scratch. All you need is a laptop, an internet connection, and the drive to learn. We'll guide you through each project step-by-step, even if you've never used AWS before.
Awesome! That gives you a head start. If you're comfortable with the basics, you can skip Phase 1 and dive straight into the other phases. Each project is self-contained, so feel free to jump around and focus on the areas you want to level up in, whether it's Terraform, Kubernetes, or building a real CI/CD pipeline.
It depends on your pace! Each project is designed to take about 1 hour, but depends on how fast or slow you go - it's not a race! You can pause, revisit, and move at your own speed. Highlight your projects, leave notes, and it will all be there when you come back!
You'll get beautiful documentation of your NextWork projects which are great for showcasing on LinkedIn and your portfolio.
Yes! Every project you complete can be documented and added to your NextWork portfolio site, which you can share with recruiters, mentors, and your future self. It's proof of your skills…showcase not just what you've learned, but what you've actually built.
While our foundational projects are free, some of the advanced projects require a Pro subscription. With Pro access, unlock secret missions, unlimited quizzes and portfolio, customize your documentation and more!
You'll get step-by-step guidance in every project, access to a supportive community, and YouTube live sessions and walkthroughs to go deeper. Whatever your pace or path, support is always close by.
We won't lie to you…no roadmap can guarantee a job. But this one gives you the hands-on skills, portfolio, and real projects you need to stand out. Tech skills are always evolving, which is why learning is lifelong — and why we're constantly adding new projects to keep you ahead.
You've got plenty of options! Try any of our other roadmaps like Cloud Engineer or AI/ML Engineer to go deeper, explore different project series that catch your eye, or connect with our community for advice and guidance. Or you can check out our Personal Coach plan that gives you a custom learning path and 1-on-1 support to keep you moving forward at your own pace.