The tech industry moves fast—so how do you keep up? For Truong Quoc Cuong or Ron, a Software Engineer Lead at Bluebik Vietnam, the answer was clear: continuous learning. In just 4 months, he earned 3 major cloud & DevOps certifications—all while working full-time. Let’s dive into his skillmaxxing journey!
POV: You’ve Got a Side Quest
Every good adventure starts with accepting a challenge. For Ron, the challenge was to master major cloud platforms and DevOps practices by earning 3 certifications:
Why did he take on this challenge? Ron explains, “cloud-based architectures are the key to many more applications nowadays. To leverage cloud-based components into applications properly, I need to understand them well. It leads me to the need of achieving certifications from both cloud providers AWS and Azure.”
POV: You’ve Chosen the Hard Path
Ron selected the “hard mode,” as he was determined to acquire all 3 certifications in 4 months. This means committing to a brutal schedule.
“In the morning, after dropping my son off at school, I usually start studying at 8AM, then have a meeting with the team by 9AM. In the evening, after having dinner with my family, I went straight to my room and started studying immediately. The deadline was very tight, so I usually study late into the night.”
Balancing work and study required careful time management. Ron shares his approach: rigorous prioritization and making the most of every minute of the day. “I prioritized my full-time job while maximizing study time. I finished work efficiently and dedicated most of my free time to studying. I also utilized the down time in my work schedule, such as while waiting for feedback, to read more about the exam.”
POV: You’re VSing the Boss
Every journey has its boss battles—those particularly tough challenges that test your limits. What was Ron’s biggest challenge?
“The toughest challenge was earning two cloud platforms at once. AWS and Azure share concepts, but their implementations differ. I often found myself mixing up services between them. To overcome this, I focused on structured comparison—actively noting key differences and practicing in real-world scenarios.”
Of course, Ron, who practiced consistently and focused intensely during his study period, managed to beat this boss in the end!
POV: You’ve Skillmaxxed
After defeating the boss comes the reward. Ron’s certification journey has equipped him with valuable abilities:
“I achieved a lot from studying for my tests. The tests I had done focus on DevOps practices on cloud environments. I got familiar with them and could implement a variety of CI/CD (Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Deployment (CD)) solutions based on the needs of the clients. Besides that, my skills of learning new knowledge had improved as well.”
These new powers directly translate to better solutions for clients. “While getting ready for the exams, I practiced extensively. I’m now more familiar with diverse tools and resources from cloud providers. Now I can offer clients more options and help them select the most appropriate approach for their specific needs.”
POV: Your Guild Supports Your Journey
No player succeeds alone. Even the most skilled adventurers need support from their guild. For Ron, Bluebik helped turn Ron’s ambition into reality.
“The company sponsored me an Udemy course and paid the fee for the exams. However, the most essential and priceless support was the faith my teammates put in me. I feel more confident with them cheering me on.”
POV: You’ve Got a Tip for Fellow Adventurers
For those inspired to follow a similar path, Ron offers this advice, “my tip is to focus intensely during your study period and take the exam right away when you feel ready. Do not wait too long between finishing study and taking the test, otherwise you might forget it as the knowledge required for the exam is vast.”
In other words, the keys to success are maintaining momentum and not pausing your journey.
POV: Your Quest Continues
For Ron, earning these certifications isn’t the end of the game; it’s just one chapter in a longer adventure. He sees continuous learning as essential.
“There are 2 important benefits that continuous learning and developing skills bring to me. Firstly, when I become more skillful, I get a wider point of view to look at problems and can complete my work faster. Secondly, studying new things makes me happier. It would be very boring if I do the same work every day.”
Ron’s story serves as an inspiration for tech professionals everywhere: embrace the challenge and keep leveling up your skills. The game never ends—and that’s exactly what makes it exciting.
Ready to level up your tech skills? Start your skillmaxxing journey with Bluebik today! Explore endless learning opportunities with us: https://bit.ly/careersatBBIK
