Aaron Guilmette is the author of Microsoft 365 Identity and Services Exam Guide MS-100 we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Aaron: I’ve been an author for a while. I had previously written for Microsoft Press and a content developer for Packt reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in authoring a book.
Q: What is the name of your book?
Aaron: Microsoft 365 Identity and Services Exam Guide MS-100.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Aaron: Since this is a book targeted at an exam, the outline is already very well-defined. Preparation involved reading the exam blueprint and using my past exam development knowledge to design materials that would answer the questions in each of the objective domains.
Q: Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Aaron: Here you go: https://www.undocumented-features.com.
Q: What key takeaways do you want readers to come away with from the book?
Aaron: Focus on following through with the exercises in the book. No amount of book reading by itself is good enough to pass most exams. Practical experience (even if it’s just in a lab environment) will help you understand how all of the pieces of the Microsoft 365 puzzle go together.
Q: Can you share any blogs, websites and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Aaron: https://learn.microsoft.com has a wealth of information on every product Microsoft puts out.
Q. Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Aaron: Like any author on any project, you have a “7th inning stretch” where you feel like you’ve hit a mental block for creating content. The tight timeline for this book is really what helped me overcome any of those hurdles.
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Aaron: It’s a good journey. Packt is very easy to work with.
Q. Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Aaron: This is the most up-to-date and complete text available.
Q. What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Aaron: Microsoft 365, Azure AD, Identity, Security, Power Automate.
Q. What advice would you give to readers jumping into this technology? Do you have any top tips?
Aaron: Identity and security are the most critical parts for any organization to get right. Attend free training that Microsoft and other vendors provide to stay up-to-date on current and emerging trends and technology.
Q. What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Aaron: These are foundational technologies for any practitioner in the Microsoft 365 space. They will only evolve into even more robust solutions in the future.
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Aaron: Since this book is based on a defined set of exam objectives, it’s organized to follow the objectives.
Q. What are your favorite tech journals? How do you keep yourself up to date on tech?
Aaron: My favorite tech journal is https://techcommunity.microsoft.com.
Q. Would you like to share your social handles? If so, mention them below.
Aaron: People can find me on Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronguilmette/.
You can find Aaron’s book on Amazon by following this link: Please click here
