Certify for Success

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Earning an IBM Cloud certification is a reason to celebrate.

Earning all 14 IBM certifications offered by the IBM Center for Cloud Training calls for an extraordinary level of dedication—and a reason for celebration.

Recently, we sat down with Kleber Rodrigo de Carvalho, Cloud Technical Specialist and Solution Architect in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to discuss his certifications and explore how his new skills help him support clients and partners.

We had an insightful conversation about why he pursued these certifications and how he completed this ambitious journey.

Here is Kleber’s success story. I hope this will spark ideas for achieving your own learning goals.

IBM: Hi Kleber. And Welcome! Please tell everyone about yourself.

Kleber: I am a Solution Architect helping clients and business partners learn more about – and better use – the cloud. I have been in this role for two and a half years. I started my career as a Java developer, and quickly moved into technical leader and application architect roles as part of global teams.

IBM: And what prompted you to look into IBM Cloud training and certifications?

Kleber: As a Solution Architect, I work with colleagues throughout the world and lead clients and business partners on their hybrid cloud journeys. So, my manager encouraged me to pursue certifications.

I knew that certifications would be one more way to demonstrate value and help my clients evaluate potential solutions. In my role, I answer a lot of questions. I also knew that I wanted to go deeper with the answers so I earned all 14 IBM Cloud certifications.

The Satellite specialty certification enabled me to clearly explain how the solution works. Earning the VMware certification allowed me to describe how IBM Cloud for VMWare solutions work. Every certification has helped me better understand all elements of IBM Cloud. And the more certifications you have, the more ready you are able to talk with clients.

IBM: Can you share an example of deepening skills in cloud computing?

Kleber: Sure. I wanted to better understand Site Reliability Engineering – and my clients’ requirements and concerns. The IBM Cloud curricula and certifications in this area helped me become a better professional. After passing the certification exams, I can provide deeper answers to clients’ questions and collaborate with site reliability engineers on projects.

IBM: What did you accomplish?

Kleber: I am proud to say that I have achieved all 14 IBM Cloud certifications. There were 11 months of study with more than one certification every 30 days. At one point, I earned five IBM Cloud certifications in five weeks (5 in 5).

IBM: Congratulations! How did you prepare for your certification exams?

Kleber: I studied independently, moving at my own pace, though I also connected with a community of colleagues to reinforce key points.

For example, I joined a developer Slack channel, where I could ask questions and find answers to better understand a service in the Developer certification. I also relied on the IBM Cloud Prep app with its study guides and flashcards to test my knowledge.

IBM: What was the most helpful study resource?

Kleber: I want to thank the Center for Cloud Training for creating its comprehensive study guide pdf. This became my best friend on my certification journey! It prepared me for the certification exam by reinforcing core training content and presenting questions and answers.

IBM: So, what’s next?

Kleber: In addition to earning my own certifications, I have been helping our business partners in Brazil to pursue cloud training and certification. I have been encouraging them to take their skills to the next level and I’ve been offering them jam sessions to prep for their certification exams.

And by investing in their skills, our partners are already increasing their customer signings and deploying more solutions.

I will continue to be an advocate for cloud training and certifications. I am excited to earn other cloud certifications including the new IBM Cloud Power VS specialty being released later this year – our clients expect us to know cloud!    

What an incredible story!

I hope you are inspired, and ready to learn more.  Whether you are pursuing one certification or challenging yourself to earn the entire portfolio, you can:

• Visit the IBM Center for Cloud Training to discover what is possible
• Set your learning goals
• Invite a colleague to join you as a study companion
• Enjoy the training and certification journey, and all the new experiences
• Elevate your conversations and career with confidence, knowledge, and new skills
   
  

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