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Two of my Big Tech Interview Preparation Workshop participants cleared AWS interviews recently. One of the participants, Amir Malaeb, transitioned from restaurant business owner to Technical Account Manager at AWS.
Last week in Part 1, Amir shared his journey of upskilling on AWS and cloud technologies. This week in Part 2, Amir shares how he got his resume shortlisted at AWS and cleared the online assessment for AWS TAM role.
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Before we continue, a quick update on the launch of BeSA (Become a Solutions Architect) Q1 2025 cohort.
Here are the details for Q1 2025 cohort: ⏰ Duration – 8 weeks 📅 Dates –15th Feb to 5th Apr 2025 🕒 Livestream Timings – Every Saturday from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM GMT
Transitioning careers is challenging enough, but when you have a diverse background like mine—spanning entrepreneurship, technology, and operations—telling a clear and compelling story on a resume becomes even more critical. Many career changers struggle with how to present their experience in a way that aligns with their new industry while showcasing their unique strengths.
When I first started applying to cloud engineering roles, I realized that a generic resume wouldn’t cut it. I needed a resume that would:
• Showcase my transferable skills from business ownership to cloud engineering.
• Avoid weak language like “aspiring” or “seeking opportunities” and instead present me as a capable, skilled professional.
• Incorporate strong metrics that highlighted my impact in previous roles.
This is where Teegan Bartos and Jolt Your Career (JYC), an expert career strategist, came in. Working with her was one of the best decisions I made during my job search. She helped me shape my resume in a way that highlighted my technical expertise, leadership, and problem-solving skills—without downplaying my non-traditional background. I highly recommend using her services.
The Power of a Strong Resume
Teegan helped me break down my past experience in a way that translated my entrepreneurial success into skills that hiring managers at tech companies would value. Instead of focusing on job titles, my resume focused on impact:
Instead of just listing responsibilities, we framed my achievements with measurable outcomes.
Instead of just saying “I ran a business,” we emphasized how I scaled my startup from $5K to $300K and introduced automation and cloud-based solutions to improve operations.
Instead of highlighting generic skills, we showcased my technical capabilities through real-world cloud projects and problem-solving experiences.
This approach ensured that my resume wasn’t just another document—it was a compelling case for why I was the best fit for a cloud engineering role.
Here are a few key takeaways from my resume transformation:
1. Use a Clear, Confident Title
Your resume should state your role upfront—Cloud Engineer, Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer—without hesitation. Don’t label yourself as “Aspiring” or “Entry-Level.” Your experience, projects, and learning efforts already make you a professional.
This is how my resume headline looks like:
2. Metrics Matter
Use hard numbers to back up your achievements. Instead of saying “I helped optimize business operations,” say “Implemented cloud-based automation that reduced operational costs by 25%.”
Here is a screenshot of my most recent experience I highlighted in my resume:
3. Highlight Real Projects
If you’ve built something—whether it’s a personal project, a lab, or an automation script—include it. Your projects prove your hands-on skills.
These are examples of projects I showacase in my resume:
4. Avoid Wasting Space on Unnecessary Sections:
My resume was a concise 1-2 pages, focusing on impact and results rather than fluff.
How My Resume and Network Led to an Opportunity at AWS
Once my resume was finalized, I started actively applying for roles. But what made the biggest difference in my job search wasn’t just cold applications—it was the network I had built over months of sharing my learning journey.
One of the pivotal moments in this process was my connection with Prasad Rao, a Principal Solutions Architect at AWS. I had been consistently sharing my progress, cloud projects, and insights on LinkedIn, and Prasad had been following my journey. Seeing my continuous growth and the effort I put into learning cloud technologies, he felt confident in referring me for an opportunity at AWS.
This underscores a crucial point: referrals matter. When you showcase your skills publicly, engage with professionals in your field, and build meaningful connections, opportunities can come from places you least expect. It wasn’t just about knowing someone—it was about demonstrating value over time.
Through this referral, I applied for a role at AWS and soon after received an email from an internal recruiter inviting me to take the online assessment.
What to Expect in the Online Assessment
Many people underestimate the importance of the Online Assessment, but at Amazon, every step matters. This isn’t just a formality—it’s a real evaluation of whether you move forward in the hiring process.
The AWS Online Assessment for the Technical Account Manager (TAM) and Solutions Architect (SA) roles is designed to evaluate a candidate’s technical breadth, customer-handling skills, and alignment with Amazon’s Leadership Principles. While prior AWS experience is not required, candidates must demonstrate a strong understanding of core technology concepts and problem-solving abilities.
The assessment can be paused and resumed, but Amazon highly recommends completing it in one sitting. You must submit it within a week from receiving the invitation.
Work Simulation Scenarios
This section presents real-world scenarios that a TAM or SA might face, such as handling customer escalations, resolving technical challenges, and managing competing priorities. Candidates must select the most effective response (from least effective to most effective), showcasing their decision-making skills, customer focus, and technical problem-solving mindset.
Technical Knowledge Assessment
Candidates are tested on general technology concepts, covering key areas such as:
✔ Compute & Virtualization: Understanding of servers, cloud computing, virtualization, and serverless technologies.
✔ Storage & Content Delivery: Familiarity with file storage, block storage, object storage, and caching solutions.
✔ Databases: Knowledge of SQL vs. NoSQL databases, relational vs. non-relational models, and database architecture.
✔ Networking: Core concepts like IP addressing, subnets, firewalls, load balancing, and CDN performance.
✔ Security & Compliance: Understanding of encryption, IAM (Identity & Access Management), authentication protocols, and compliance best practices.
✔ DevOps & CI/CD Pipelines: High-level knowledge of automation, continuous integration, deployment strategies, and infrastructure as code (IaC).
✔ Containers & Orchestration: Basics of containerization, microservices, and orchestration platforms like Kubernetes or ECS.
✔ Operating Systems: Familiarity with Linux and Windows administration and troubleshooting.
✔ Application Architecture: Understanding of scalability, high availability, and disaster recovery strategies.
This section does not require AWS-specific expertise but instead assesses how well candidates understand and apply core technology principles. I know it feels a lot but just have an idea and be prepared or maybe over-prepared for whatever comes your way. You are not required to know everything (no one can or does). These are just a multiple-choice questions.
Work Style Assessment
This behavioral assessment measures how a candidate’s work style aligns with Amazon’s Leadership Principles. Candidates answer questions about their decision-making approach, teamwork, and problem-solving mindset, helping assess their cultural fit within AWS.
Amazon’s Leadership Principles are embedded in every stage of the hiring process. If you haven’t already, take time to read and internalize them.
How I Prepared for the Online Assessment
Many candidates jump into the process without thorough preparation. I took a strategic approach to ensure I was ready. Here’s what worked for me:
Leveraging Glassdoor and Google Reviews
I started by researching Glassdoor reviews of AWS online assessments. These reviews provided valuable insights into the types of questions others had encountered. I highly recommend doing this because patterns emerge, and it helps you anticipate what to expect.
Using Online Resources for Practice
One of the best investments I made was using JobTestPrep Online Assessment Practice. This site offers practice tests that mirror real-world online assessments. These were extremely helpful in getting familiar with logical reasoning and situational judgment tests.
Recommended Study Materials
For those preparing for technical questions, here are some great resources:
These resources covered many of the high-level concepts tested in the assessment.
Mastering the Amazon Leadership Principles
One thing I always tell people: Don’t move forward without truly internalizing the Leadership Principles.
At Amazon, we live and breathe these principles—they aren’t just buzzwords. Every single step in the hiring process evaluates how well you think, act, and make decisions based on them.
My advice:
Go over them repeatedly until they become second nature. Before answering any behavioral question, ask yourself:
Does my answer reflect customer obsession?
Am I demonstrating ownership and bias for action?
How does my response align with Amazon’s way of thinking?
Mindset: Take It One Step at a Time
One common mistake I see? People worrying about the loop interview before even passing the online assessment.
The best approach is to take each stage seriously and focus only on what’s in front of you.
Clear the online assessment before stressing about technical interviews.
Pass the technical rounds before worrying about the final loop.
If you tackle each phase with full commitment, the next step will take care of itself.
My Experience & Final Thoughts
I completed my assessment in about 50 minutes and received confirmation the next day that I had passed. While the test can be paused and resumed, I highly recommend finishing it in one go to maintain focus and momentum. Take every stage seriously—don’t worry about the next round until you clear the one in front of you.
If you prepare thoroughly, this assessment is completely manageable. It’s your first step in demonstrating that you have the right mindset, technical depth, and customer focus to succeed at AWS.
What’s Next?
Passing the online assessment was a great milestone, but the real challenge lay ahead: the technical interviews.
In Part 3, I’ll dive into:
• How I prepared for technical interviews.
• The AWS interview format and expectations.
• What helped me succeed and the lessons I learned.
Stay tuned for Part 3: Cracking the Technical Interviews of AWS TAM roles!
I would like to extend a big thank you to Amir for sharing his journey with Big Tech Careers readers. Stay tuned for the upcoming two parts where he will be sharing following:
Part 3/4: How to prepare and clear AWS technical phone screen
Part 4/4: How to prepare and clear AWS Loop interview
Huge congratulations, Amir! Your journey into AWS is truly inspiring. The way you transformed your resume—focusing on impact, measurable outcomes, and real-world cloud projects—is a great example for anyone looking to transition into AWS Solution Architect or DevOps Engineering roles. As you mentioned, networking and consistently sharing progress are crucial for visibility in the job market. Looking forward to the upcoming parts of your series! 🚀
Thank you immensely for providing such detailed information and resources.
Huge congratulations, Amir! Your journey into AWS is truly inspiring. The way you transformed your resume—focusing on impact, measurable outcomes, and real-world cloud projects—is a great example for anyone looking to transition into AWS Solution Architect or DevOps Engineering roles. As you mentioned, networking and consistently sharing progress are crucial for visibility in the job market. Looking forward to the upcoming parts of your series! 🚀