I was recently accepted into the AWS Community Builder's program, so I shared my excitement and gratitude on social media, which naturally led to congratulatory messages in response. Some people actually thought I had landed a new position at AWS. I must admit, living in Cameroon and working for a company like AWS would be a good thing, but sorry, I'm not on Amazon's payroll (yet 🤫). In this post, I want to share with you what the AWS Community Builders program is all about, who can apply, and the advertised benefits of joining the program.
So what is the AWS community Builders program?
The AWS Community Builders program offers technical resources, mentorship, and networking opportunities to AWS enthusiasts and emerging thought leaders who are passionate about sharing knowledge and connecting with the technical community. The program isn't a lifetime achievement. It runs in 12-month intervals for each member, but if you feel you need to acquire more skills, say in another topic, you can re-apply to remain in the program.
What are the benefits of the program?
When you sign the NDA and join the program, you will eventually receive;
- Access to AWS product teams and information about new services and features.
- Mentorship from AWS subject matter experts on a variety of topics, including content creation, community building, and securing speaking engagements
- AWS Promotional Credits and other helpful resources to support content creation and community-based work
Who can apply?
I know it sounds like you need to be quite skilled before applying for the program. After seeing what other builders were contributing on Twitter and LinkedIn, I personally felt like I wasn't yet ready for it. Although you must be 18 years of age or older, you must keep in mind that there are no single specific criteria for being accepted. However, your application will be reviewed for evidence and accuracy of technical content, such as blog posts, open-source contributions, community organization efforts, online knowledge sharing, etc. Community organization efforts, such as hosting AWS User Groups, Meetups and other events, are also reviewed. In my case, I started my blog in December 2020 and organized the first AWS user group in Douala in January before applying for the program.
What are Topics, and how many are there?
You would be asked to choose a topic when applying for the program. Topics are simply categories that cover specific technology areas. I think it is a brilliant idea because otherwise, it would be challenging to navigate the breadth of AWS services. I chose the Networking and Content Delivery Topic, which is lead by Michael Yitayew. The other topics include Containers, Data (databases, analytics, and BI), Developer Tools, Front-End Web and Mobile, Game Tech, Graviton/Arm Development, Management and Governance + Migration, Machine Learning, Security & Identity, Serverless, and Storage. Note that you are not bound to the topic you chose when applying. You are encouraged to join other topics of interest when accepted into the program. In my case, I chose Security & Identity.
Wrap up
If you are an AWS enthusiast, you create content, build software or organize events around AWS services, then you should definitely apply to join the program. You will find a lot of opportunities to connect to and learn from like-minded people. Now that you know what the program is and the benefits of being accepted, I hope you have had enough reason to apply and join me and the others. We would love to network with you. New applications will be open in Q3. Add your name to the waiting list and be notified when the next opportunity to apply opens later in 2021.
Useful Links
AWS Community Builder landing page 👉🏽aws.amazon.com/developer/community/communit..
Add your email to get notified when the next opportunity to apply opens up 👉🏽pages.awscloud.com/aws-community-builders-p..
If you want to have an idea on what you would fill in the online application, here is an apt post by my fellow community builder Adit Modi; 👉🏽dev.to/aws-builders/aws-community-builders-..
For all other public announcements, follow 👉🏽 Jason Dunn