As Malaysia’s demand for cloud talent grows, technical skills and certifications alone aren’t enough. Exabytes technical specialist, Khoo Sher Lyn, explains what it truly means to be “job-ready” in live cloud environments – from troubleshooting systematically to building confidence, fostering fundamentals, and supporting women in tech.

Why fundamentals and confidence matter more than credentials

AS Malaysia’s demand for cloud talent continues to grow, conversations often focus on certifications and technical skills. But in real production environments, the definition of “job-ready” can look very different.

For Exabytes technical specialist, Khoo Sher Lyn, readiness is less about memorising tools and more about habits – troubleshooting systematically, understanding how systems connect, and operating responsibly when real clients and live systems are involved.

She shares with Sarawak Tribune what fresh graduates often struggle with first, why fundamentals still matter in today’s cloud landscape, and how better support can help strengthen Malaysia’s future cloud workforce.

Q: When you say someone is job-ready for cloud work, what does that actually mean in a live production environment?

In production, job-ready means you can contribute safely. You don’t need to know everything, but you must have the habits that protect reliability: understand fundamentals, follow security basics, troubleshoot methodically, document clearly, and communicate what you’re doing.

Fresh graduates often struggle first with operating under uncertainty:

• translating theory into real workflows
• reading logs and alerts to narrow down causes
• knowing what’s safe to change
• documenting what they did and why
• escalating issues with the right context

For me, the most relatable struggle is learning to ask “Why?” instead of just saying “Yes.” Fresh graduates are often eager to prove they are helpful. If a client says, “I need this complex workaround,” their instinct is to build it immediately. They struggle to hit the brakes and ask investigative questions such as, “What is the actual goal here?” or “Is there a simpler way to do this?” They mistake “doing exactly what is asked” for “doing a good job.” It takes time for them to learn that sometimes, the best way to help a client is to challenge their request, not just fulfil it.

Q: What’s the biggest misconception juniors have about cloud roles?

That cloud work is mostly about memorising services or spinning up resources. In reality, cloud work is about responsibility: reliability, cost, security, and recovery. It’s closer to operations and systems thinking than “just build and deploy.”

Q: Are fundamentals weaker today compared to five years ago?

Not weaker, but different. There’s more access to tools and tutorials now, so people can build quickly.

What I see most often is that, because modern tools are so intuitive, people learn “how to click” rather than “how it connects.”

In my line of work, it is very easy to build a workflow or a database without writing code. The gap in fundamentals usually appears when things break. I often see people struggling to troubleshoot because they don’t understand the underlying logic – like how permissions inherit or how data flows between tables. They know the feature, but they lack the system thinking to understand why it works (or doesn’t).

Q: How important is structured troubleshooting compared to memorised commands?

Structured troubleshooting is far more important. Commands change. Interfaces change. But the ability to form a hypothesis, test it using evidence (logs/metrics), and isolate the problem is what makes you reliable in production. It also earns the trust of your team sooner.

Q: Can you describe a situation where strong fundamentals made a difference during an incident?

Yes. Strong fundamentals often decide whether an incident is a 10-minute fix or a multi-hour escalation.

A great example happened during a Day 1 rollout for a retail client. We had just onboarded their frontline staff, and immediately received a flood of reports from users unable to “Clock In” because the app said they were “Out of Range.”

The Signal: The error message was identical for everyone: “Location not verified.”

The Fundamental: Understanding Mobile Device Permissions vs. Application Logic was crucial. A generic “Out of Range” error can mean two things: either the user is physically at the wrong place, or the phone’s operating system is blocking the app from reading GPS data. Because the error messages look the same, experience is needed to know where to look first.

What I Did: Instead of wasting hours re-mapping backend coordinates, I immediately suspected the OS-level Location Services. Most staff had likely clicked “Don’t Allow” on the location pop-up during installation. I listed the exact steps to solve it: go to Settings > Privacy > Enable Location “While Using the App”, then force quit and reopen the app to refresh location data.

Outcome: The issues were resolved within minutes. In retail operations, time is money, and knowing that a simple app refresh was the missing link saved the client a morning of lost productivity.

You don’t need to know everything, but you must have the habits that protect reliability: understand fundamentals, follow security basics, troubleshoot methodically, document clearly, and communicate what you’re doing.

Q: Did seeing women in technical roles influence your confidence?

Yes. It signals “this is possible.” It reduces the feeling that you’re an exception. Representation matters because it makes it easier to ask questions and learn without feeling judged. It’s not about inspirational quotes; it changes everyday confidence and participation.

For me, inspiration comes from the community at our Lark events. Whenever I see women speakers take the stage to share their digital transformation journeys, I am drawn to their confidence and clarity. It’s not just technical skill; it’s about vision and execution. Seeing that reminds me that technical leadership requires both and motivates me to define my own path with intent.

Q: Does representation affect retention more than hiring?

It affects both, but it is especially important for retention. Hiring gets you through the door. Retention depends on whether you feel you belong, whether your growth is supported, and whether you can see a clear pathway forward. Representation helps create that environment and reduces self-selection when challenges arise.

Q: What practical steps help women stay in cloud teams?

• Three practical measures:
• Early ownership with guardrails (not just shadowing forever)
• Structured mentorship (milestones and feedback, not “DM me anytime”)
• Progression visibility (what skills define the next level and how to achieve them)

Culture also matters: whether questions are welcomed, whether mistakes become learning opportunities, and whether time for learning is protected.

As cloud adoption accelerates, technical capability will depend on more than credentials.

Q: If Malaysia wants to avoid a cloud skills bottleneck by 2026, what must change in the next 12 months?

We need faster conversion from learner to contributor:

• Employers must design structured exposure (shadow → guided tasks → ownership)
• Teams must value fundamentals, troubleshooting, and documentation as core skills
• Candidates must build proof of work (projects and write-ups), not just collect certificates
• A stronger ecosystem pipeline must link to measurable outcomes (completions, certifications, placements)

As mission-critical workloads move into local cloud regions, the demand for operationally ready talent will only increase.

As cloud adoption accelerates, technical capability will depend on more than credentials. According to Khoo, building a reliable cloud workforce requires strong fundamentals, structured troubleshooting skills, and the confidence to operate responsibly in live environments.

For Exabytes, this means helping newcomers move beyond theory into real-world problem solving through mentorship, early ownership, and clear growth pathways. As businesses shift mission-critical workloads into the cloud, the ability to convert learners into capable contributors will be key to strengthening Malaysia’s long-term digital capacity.

Full article from Sarawak Tribune.

As Malaysia’s cloud sector booms, companies face a critical challenge: while interest in digital careers is high, employers struggle to find job-ready talent. Exabytes ‘ Annie Ong explains why certification alone is not enough; the skills gaps that matter most, and how mentorship and hands-on experience – particularly for women – can turn potential into real-world capability.

The key to Malaysia’s digital competitiveness

AS businesses transition to the cloud (servers that are accessed over the internet), Malaysia faces a growing paradox: demand for cloud talent is soaring, yet companies continue to struggle to find candidates who are truly job ready.

According to industry projections by The National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM), salaries for cloud-related roles are expected to continue rising through 2026, signalling strong market demand. But while interest in digital careers is high, the gap between certification and real-world capability remains a major hurdle for employers.

For Exabytes’ Chief People Officer, Annie Ong, the issue is not simply about attracting more talent into the industry. It is about preparing candidates to operate in real-world environments, where cloud systems support mission-critical workloads, AI applications, and millions of users.

In an interview with Sarawak Tribune, Ong shares why employers are still struggling to hire job-ready talent, where the real skills gaps lie, and why expanding opportunities – particularly for women in cloud careers – could play a crucial role in strengthening Malaysia’s digital capacity.

Q: PIKOM says cloud roles are in high demand and salaries are climbing into 2026. If the market is clearly rewarding these skills, why are employers still struggling to hire job-ready talent?

Hiring isn’t only about interest or certificates; it’s about risk. When workloads are mission-critical, employers need confidence that a new hire can operate under real conditions: following security basics, troubleshooting systematically, documenting properly, and communicating clearly during incidents. That gap between being “trained” and “job-ready” is why employers continue to struggle, even when salary signals are strong.

The core issue is the gap between certification and real-world capability. Many candidates may hold credentials, but employers are looking for hands-on experience: managing live environments, handling outages, securing workloads, and working directly with customers. That exposure takes time to build.

Another factor is the rapid pace of cloud evolution. Technologies, tools, and security standards change quickly, and training institutions often struggle to update curricula at the same speed as industry demand.

There is also a mid-level talent gap. Entry-level talent exists, and senior architects are highly sought after, but professionals with three to five years of applied experience who can independently lead deployments remain scarce.

Finally, SMEs compete with larger enterprises and global companies for the same talent pool. While salary matters, job-ready talent also evaluates learning opportunities, project exposure, and career progression.

At Exabytes, solving this challenge requires stronger collaboration between industry and education, structured apprenticeship pathways, and giving emerging talent early exposure to real cloud environments.

Q: Is this really a pipeline shortage or a readiness gap?

It’s mostly a readiness gap, not an awareness gap. Malaysia has a strong interest in digital careers. The pipeline exists. The opportunity lies in accelerating the transition from learning to real-world application.

Where pipelines do exist, the missing piece is structured exposure: mentorship, milestones, safe environments to practise, and early real-project responsibility with guardrails.

With AI tools now enhancing learning environments, we can shorten this gap, but structured exposure remains essential.

Q: What do employers actually look for in candidates?

From an employer’s perspective, we look for:

• Security-first and risk-aware thinking
• Clear communication with clients and cross-functional teams
• Ownership of outcomes, not just tasks
• Practical understanding of how cloud supports AI workloads and business use cases
• Comfort using AI tools responsibly to improve productivity and problem-solving

In other words, job readiness is less about what you know and more about whether you can operate.

Q: Why should “women in cloud” be viewed as a national capacity issue rather than just a diversity narrative?

Because the market is signalling a capacity constraint. PIKOM’s outlook shows sustained demand for specialised roles, such as cloud architects, with salary pressure continuing into 2026.

When the economy competes for cloud capability, expanding and retaining the talent pool becomes a national productivity issue. Women represent a significant part of Malaysia’s potential workforce; improving conversion and retention into cloud roles is one of the most direct ways to increase capability at scale without lowering standards. This is why “women in cloud” should be framed as a matter of capacity and competitiveness, not just representation.

Annie believes the issue is not simply about attracting more talent into the industry, but more about preparing candidates to operate in real-world environments.

Q: What structural supports actually move the needle – beyond panel talks and International Women’s Day posts?

Inclusion is not something we talk about once a year – it is part of how we live our ACTION values every day.

Through Accountability, leaders take responsibility for developing their teams, not just achieving targets.

Through Ownership, women are given meaningful responsibilities early: real projects, real decisions, real growth.

Through Nurturing, structured support, mentoring, and sustainable leadership pathways are provided.

Through Teamwork, collaboration and mutual support are prioritised over competition.

Progress happens when people feel seen, supported, and trusted. Beyond awareness campaigns, Exabytes focuses on building systems that provide clarity, opportunity, and confidence at every career stage. Inclusion is not about visibility – it’s about belonging and growth.

Q: How can smaller companies support certification without burning budgets?

Don’t sponsor everything; sponsor strategically:

• Sponsor role-relevant certifications only
• Use structured study cohorts or shared study time
• Tie sponsorship to milestones (e.g., completion + project proof)
• Prioritise vendor resources and hands-on labs (many are low-cost)
• Combine certification with real tasks so ROI is immediate

SMEs can also partner with ecosystem initiatives rather than fund everything alone. Exabytes participates in cloud skills ecosystem programmes tied to measurable outcomes, such as completions, certifications, and placements.

Q: If Malaysia wants to avoid a cloud skills bottleneck by 2026, what must change in the next 12 months?

Three major shifts are needed:

• Hire for proof, not perfection: Evaluate portfolios, troubleshooting approaches, and readiness behaviours, not just years of experience.
• Build the bridge: Structured exposure, mentorship, and protected learning time should be standard, not optional.
• Outcome-based pipelines: Programmes must track conversions, completions, certifications achieved, and job placements – not just participation.

This is particularly important as mission-critical workloads move locally into cloud regions. For example, Maxis announced migrating mission-critical and 100 per cent of its digital workloads – including apps serving millions – into the AWS Malaysia Region. This shift increases demand for operationally ready talent.

Ultimately, closing Malaysia’s cloud talent gap will require more than producing more graduates or certifications. The real challenge lies in transforming interest into capability through structured exposure, mentorship, and meaningful project experience.

With industry demand projected to remain strong, as highlighted by PIKOM, the next few years will be critical. Whether Malaysia can avoid a cloud skills bottleneck depends on how quickly education providers, employers, and the wider tech ecosystem bridge the gap between learning and doing.

Full article by Sarawak Tribune.