Tell us your name, country, university and degree?
Hi . I am Saad Aslam. I graduated from Government College University Lahore in Pakistan with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science.
Gold Student Ambassador Saad Aslam
When did you join the Student Ambassadors community?
I joined Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Community in January, 2020.
Was there a specific experience you had while you were in the program that had a profound impact on you? Why was it so impactful? For example – being involved in a Social Impact Project, Networking with a Cloud Advocate or MVP, Mentoring another Student Ambassador?
Back in 2019, I started joining Student Ambassadors-hosted events, specifically Azure Boot Camps by Gold Student Ambassador Rao Nisar and Microsoft MVP Usman Sheikh. They guided me to apply for this program and inspired me to lead a community to bridge the gap between industry and academia.
A couple of my fellows Fahad Ashiq and Saad Hassan also joined this program in the same tenure (2020) and they really helped me to Kickstart my community-building activities.
I started a couple of initiatives: One was a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors Community in my city, Lahore, Pakistan; the other was a community for Women in Tech specifically to hold events to showcase women in tech who empower them to pursue and excel in technology careers.
Just a few months after joining the program, the pandemic started and I had to shift my in-person events to online. At first, it seemed to be a challenge to perform these activities online but, it turned out to be a golden opportunity. I was able to expand my reach and community to not only encompass different universities in my city, but also different cities around the world. It was also an opportunity to interact and participate in Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors eevents from different countries.
Tell us about a technology you had the opportunity to learn during your time as a Student Ambassador? How have the skills you acquired helped you in your post-university journey?
I had the opportunity to learn about Microsoft Azure. especially the Azure Security track. I participated in multiple Microsoft Cloud Skills Challenges to learn more about Microsoft Azure through the interactive Learning Paths provided in Microsoft Learn and compete with peers in the industry through a virtual leaderboard.
I used these skills to train a community (Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors-Lahore) of around 2000+ members. This helped me to ace the Microsoft Expert Level Certification Azure Solutions Architect Expert and I was eventually selected as a Microsoft Certified Trainer.
What is something you want all students, globally, to know about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?
The Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors program provides a platform to showcase your leadership qualities, amplify your impact, establish yourself as a mentor in the community, and upskill yourself and your peers. One of the things I really liked about this program is that it focuses on both Leadership and Technical upskilling of students.
What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors, who are just starting off in the program?
My advice to new Student Ambassadors is to focus on your technical skills to upskill yourself and empower the local community as well to hone your leadership qualities.
What would you say to students out there about leveraging social media as a way to showcase a skillset?
Leveraging social media as a way to showcase your skill set can be highly beneficial for students, as it helps to build your personal brand and make connections within your industry. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and GitHub allow you to share your projects, network with professionals and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers. However, it's important to use these platforms wisely and be mindful of the image you present, as it can have a lasting impact on your reputation and future opportunities
Share a favorite quote with us! It can be from a movie, a song, a book, someone you know personally. Tell us why you chose this. What does it mean for you?
I would like to add a quote in Urdu:
ہر آغاز کی ایک انتہا ہے، اور ہر انتہا ایک نیا آغاز یے۔
It means that for every beginning (journey) there is an end, and every end is the beginning of a new journey.
Tell us something interesting about you, about your journey so far.
I love doing creative work like painting, designing and calligraphy. This passion helped me to guide my team of graphic designers to design attractive posters and banners for my community events.
Do you have any social handles you want to promote? If you are a social media influencer, what are you an influencer of? Include those pages and handles if you'd like.
I am a LinkedIn Influencer. I talk about Interview Preparation, System Design, Competitive Programming, and Personal Branding.
I have linked my social media handles here: Facebook, Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn