TL;DR
According to Cloud Engineer Academy, Alex was a helicopter pilot for 10 years before discovering cloud engineering. He left a comment on Soleyman's YouTube asking if he could work with him someday. That response made him join the academy. He completed the 12-week program in just 6 weeks, stayed #1 on the leaderboard, built a massive capstone project, and was hired by Cloud Engineer Academy within months. He now helps run workshops, create content, and support students in their cloud journey.
Cloud Engineer Academy Graduate Outcomes
| Total Graduates | 400+ |
| Job Placement Rate | 92% |
| Average Starting Salary | $85,000 |
| Average Salary Increase | $25,000+ |
| Program Duration | 12 weeks |
The YouTube Comment That Changed Everything
Before Alex even joined the academy, he did something most people wouldn't think to do. He left a comment on one of Soleyman's YouTube videos:
"Hey, if I shine in the academy, is there any chance I can work with you?"
He wasn't expecting a response. Most content creators don't reply to every comment. But Soleyman did:
"Can't make any promises, but we're always looking for talent."
— Soleyman Shahir, Founder of Cloud Engineer Academy
That response changed everything. Alex purchased the academy that same day.
"What actually made me purchase the academy that day was your response. I liked the idea that you were open to investigating people and seeing their worth and talent. I thought: if you're going to give me a shot, I'm going to go all in."
— Alex
From Military Pilot to Tech: The Background
Alex spent 10 years as a helicopter pilot, including time in the military. He'd always been a "geeky type of guy" — building computers, playing video games, and creating automation scripts to handle Excel spreadsheets and finances in the aviation industry.
The pivot to cloud came when a friend asked him to build an application for their tour company.
"I had no idea what I was doing. I built this mock app in Google Sheets and used AI to code the backend functions. But I realized that for the functionality to work, I needed to deploy it on the cloud. I had no idea what that even meant."
— Alex
He first deployed the app on Heroku — "slow and clunky." Then he discovered AWS. "I was like, oh, I really like this. I really like the idea of cloud."
Why He Chose Cloud Engineer Academy
Alex had specific requirements. He had a full-time job. He had a family. He couldn't lock into a rigid Monday-through-Friday bootcamp.
Self-Paced Learning
Could fit around full-time job and family
Concise Content
Not lengthy 30-minute theory PowerPoints
Hands-On Projects
Not just theory — actual building
Industry Professional
Learning from someone with real experience
"I want to learn from another professional. Based off your video quality and the content and the way you edit, I knew that if that's how your YouTube is, I can only imagine what your academy would be like. I took a chance."
— Alex
How He Completed a 12-Week Program in 6 Weeks
Alex's military background gave him an edge: discipline.
Alex's Time Management Philosophy:
"I come from a military background where if you need to achieve something, you're going to do it no matter what. Once I set a goal, I designate certain times throughout my day that are non-negotiable."
He calculated the minutes he spent scrolling LinkedIn or YouTube — "that's an hour right there" — and redirected that time to learning. Budget time like you budget money.
His favorite quote:
"Success is nothing more than the sum of small efforts performed daily."
How He Stood Out From 400+ Students
Alex didn't just complete the exercises. He asked himself: "How do I differentiate myself from all the other students?"
Went Above and Beyond on Every Exercise
"If it said build the architecture and documentation, I deployed the actual application."
Created YouTube Videos of His Projects
"People were just writing Medium articles. I filmed videos and posted them."
Stayed #1 on the Leaderboard Every Week
"The gamification drove me. The more I showed up, the more I was recognized."
Built a Massive Capstone Project
"I launched an end-of-year capstone that encapsulated everything from week one."
"When you told me 'just keep building,' I said okay, here we go. I have something for you. I built this massive project. If you tell me to do something, I'm going to do it."
— Alex
From Student to Team Member
About a month after completing his capstone project, Soleyman reached out:
"Hey man, need a little bit of help with the academy. What do you think? Do you want to come on board?"
— Soleyman to Alex
Today, Alex is a core part of the Cloud Engineer Academy team. He helps run workshops, creates content, supports students in the community, and works on Soleyman's AI cloud security consultancy.
"The reason I hired you is because I knew if I don't hire you, someone else will. People like this need to be part of my own team."
— Soleyman Shahir
What Made the Academy Different
Beyond the technical skills (Terraform, CI/CD, GitHub Actions), Alex highlighted one module that surprised him: the First Principles Engineering module.
"People don't cover the mindset side of things. It's not just about having technical skills. It's about having that above-and-beyond mentality to figure out what is the problem and what's the solution. Even if you don't have 5 years of technical experience, if you can speak this to an employer, that speaks way more value than just knowing how to code."
— Alex
Frequently Asked Questions
Can military veterans transition to cloud engineering?
Yes. Alex transitioned from 10 years as a helicopter pilot (with military background) to cloud engineer. His discipline, goal-setting, and mission-focused mindset from military service translated directly to success in tech. He completed the Cloud Engineer Academy in 6 weeks instead of 12.
How long does Cloud Engineer Academy take to complete?
Cloud Engineer Academy is a 12-week self-paced program. However, motivated students like Alex have completed it in as little as 6 weeks while working full-time. The self-paced format allows you to go faster or slower based on your schedule.
Can you work while doing the bootcamp?
Yes. Cloud Engineer Academy is self-paced, designed for working professionals. Alex completed the program while working full-time as a helicopter pilot and managing family responsibilities. He budgeted 1-2 hours daily for learning.
How do I stand out in a cloud engineering bootcamp?
Alex's advice: Go above and beyond on every exercise, document your projects on YouTube and LinkedIn, be visible in the community, and don't just complete the minimum requirements. He deployed applications when only documentation was required, filmed YouTube videos, and stayed #1 on the leaderboard.
Is the tech industry still worth getting into in 2026?
According to Alex: "Now is the best time. The industry is going heavily towards AI and security. Companies are always growing, always moving to the cloud. There's so much room for growth and opportunity for everyone."
Alex's Advice for Career Changers
Just do it. Don't say 'I'll decide tomorrow.' Just do it.
Budget your time like you budget your money.
Find someone you resonate with and take their advice.
Give 100% effort. You'll never know if it's right until you go all in.
Lock into a community that's going to help you succeed.
Don't feel like you need every box checked to get a job.
"A lot of people think they have to have all these boxes checked to get a job. It's not that way. We see people in week 5 or 6 in the academy that are applying for roles and getting interviews. It's crazy."
— Alex
"No matter how long it takes — 12 weeks, one year, two years — it's going to be worth it. You can complete this academy and have a full-time tech job making the same money as someone who went to university for four years. People don't realize that."
— Alex, Former Helicopter Pilot → Cloud Engineer @ Cloud Engineer Academy
