Getting Started with Microsoft Azure for Data Engineers

Every cloud data platform starts somewhere, and for a lot of engineers right now, that somewhere is Azure. Not because it's trendy. Because most enterprise data work is already happening there, and knowing the fundamentals is what separates someone who can contribute from someone who's still catching up.

Apoorva Sharma keeps this one grounded in fundamentals on purpose. No assumed background, no jumping straight to advanced architecture. Just what cloud computing actually means in practice, how Azure is structured, and what a realistic path into cloud and data engineering looks like from here.

This is built for people early in that journey, not for engineers already deep into Azure who want edge-case tips.

• What cloud computing actually involves, beyond the buzzwords
• How Azure's core services fit together for data engineering work
• What skills actually get used day to day in this field, versus what's optional
• Where to start if a cloud and data engineering career feels overwhelming right now

Most people overestimate how much they need to know before starting. This session is really about correcting that.

• Core cloud computing concepts and why they matter for data engineering
• The basics of Azure's structure and the services most relevant to data work
• What a realistic starting point looks like for a career in cloud and data engineering
• Practical next steps and tools worth learning first in the Azure ecosystem

Getting started in Azure doesn't require mastering everything at once. It requires knowing which fundamentals actually matter, and building from there.