AWS Cloud Resume Challenge

I came across the Cloud Resume Challenge by my mentor as I am trying to build a career in AWS. I am a recent Masters' graduate majoring in Cloud Computing Systems. Up until this program I don't have much exposure to the cloud since I majored in Psychology for undergrad. Here is my github

How I Did

Front-End

With experience from a full-stack program I coded my resume using basic HTML and CSS. Then I uploaded my file to an S3 Bucket which then connects to a CloudFront.

Back-End

I started by deploying my backend services using the AWS Management Console. I began with Amazon DynamoDB, setting up a table with an ID and a value of 1. Then, I created a Lambda function to increment this value each time it was triggered. Initially, I deployed two Lambda functions—one for reading the value and another for writing (incrementing) the value. However, this approach made my architecture unnecessarily complicated and caused multiple issues with API Gateway integration.

Infrastructure as Code with Terraform

While the challenge suggested using AWS SAM, I decided to use Terraform because it is more widely used in the industry and has excellent documentation. Coding my entire backend in Terraform presented its own set of challenges, particularly with CORS issues in API Gateway. Unlike the AWS Console, Terraform does not have a simple "Turn on CORS" button, which made this part of the project the most time-consuming. I spent approximately 25-30 hours resolving these issues. Despite the frustration, this was also the most exciting part of the challenge, as it significantly deepened my understanding of infrastructure as code (IaC).

Implementing CI/CD Pipelines

I uploaded my front-end and back-end code to separate GitHub repositories and used GitHub Actions to build CI/CD pipelines. This setup ensures that my site updates automatically upon a push from my IDE. I also utilized branches to test new code for compatibility with the main branch. For security, I stored my credentials as GitHub secrets for the front-end and used Terraform Cloud to manage credentials for the back-end.

After more than 100 hours of work, I finally completed the Cloud Resume Challenge.

Conclusion

This project has significantly expanded my knowledge of cloud services and enhanced my JavaScript skills. It is now a standout addition to my resume and a compelling example to present during job interviews. Moving forward, I plan to further develop my CI/CD pipelines by integrating Docker, Jenkins, and Kubernetes, and continue refining my project. Additionally, I aim to obtain the AWS Solutions Architect - Associate certification.

I highly recommend this challenge to anyone seeking hands-on experience with cloud technologies. It is particularly beneficial for college students looking to gain practical project experience. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned professional, you will find this challenge both rewarding and educational.