While the market for web services continues to grow as a result of competition from Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, Amazon’s AWS maintains the lead with 33% of the global market share.
Despite such a large market for these services, many companies struggle to find an efficient way of implementing them at scale. As many companies aim their sights at supporting remote, hybrid and in-person work environments, they’ll need to invest more into cloud services. More spend means more opportunities, which can create new access to storage and computing capabilities, but without trained in-house staff, it can be a challenge to make sure these AWS services are being utilized as efficiently as possible.
Now more than ever, AWS certifications are in high demand. This post will detail a number of the different types of these certifications and what they contribute to businesses and their employees.
Breaking Down The Different AWS Certifications
The main AWS certifications categories are as follows: foundational, associate, professional and specialty. Earning these certifications requires passing an exam for each type of certification, which are scheduled via the aws.training website. These exams aren’t anything to scoff at, in fact, many professionals in the industry opt for pre-test training courses to confirm they’re prepared with the skills and knowledge necessary to pass their exams.
Within each of these certification categories, foundational withstanding, there are a number of certification options available. Amazon suggests six months of AWS cloud experience before IT professionals take on the Cloud Practitioner Foundational exam, and one year of AWS experience for associate certifications, including Solutions Architect, Developer and SysOps Administrator.
Other professional certifications, such as Solutions Architect and DevOps Engineer, will require more time to prepare for. Amazon suggests two years of designing and troubleshooting in the AWS cloud for this particular certification. Specialty certifications, meanwhile, are designed for staff with substantial AWS knowledge looking to specialize in areas such as advanced networking, data analytics, machine learning or security.
Understanding The Difference AWS Certifications Can Make For Your Career
AWS certifications offer several benefits for your career, some of which include:
- Increased pay: The AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Associate certification is one of the most financially beneficial qualifications for a professional to acquire. Professionals with this certification and position make nearly $160,000 per year on average. More specialized certifications can help increase your earnings even more substantially.
- Opportunities Aplenty: As more and more companies look to AWS for storage, computing, security, DevOps and machine learning services, more and more professionals are learning that they can benefit from an AWS certification. Many professionals have seen the number of opportunities that open up within their organization or finding a new position somewhere else improve as a result of their certification.
- Strong Sense Of Community: Earning an AWS certification also earns you the opportunity to join the AWS-certified global community. This includes both the AWS Certified Network and LinkedIn community. This also means that you can sport the Amazon-certified logo to showcase your expertise, while also getting access to information about new AWS releases and upcoming technical demos.
- Staying Ahead Of The Curve: With cloud technologies continuously evolving, staying ahead of the curve is important for job security. With Amazon’s strength and role in the cloud space, AWS certification ensures you’re ready for whatever comes next.
With spend continuing to increase in cloud computing for companies, the demand for certified staff continues to increase. If you’re struggling to currently find a position in the IT industry it might be worth considering how various AWS training programs can elevate your career.
Author Bio:- Anne Fernandez – Anne joined Accelebrate in January 2010 to manage trainers, write content for the website, implement SEO, and manage Accelebrate’s digital marking initiatives. In addition, she helps to recruit trainers and works on various projects to promote the business.
