Why getting an AWS certification is important for your career

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Amazon offers just about everything to consumers nowadays. With just a click of a mouse (or a verbal command to Alexa), you can have any number of things delivered to your home in just a couple of days — or even the same day. Amazon also offers cloud products and other services through its AWS (Amazon Web Services) platform. From content delivery to database migrations, AWS has become a one-stop shop for many companies looking for solutions to help their businesses run more efficiently.

What is AWS certification?

Whether you’re just looking to expand your knowledge with an industry-recognized credential, or you’re hoping to land an AWS job, getting certified is a must. There are several different types of AWS certifications available, depending on your needs and goals. Before taking an AWS exam for your certification, however, it is important to receive the best training possible so that you can ace your exam the first time around.

Why do you need an AWS certification?

Depending on the industry they work in, professionals commonly struggle with this decision. It’s a question they ask themselves often: Should I receive formal training through an education program, or will hands-on experience be sufficient? After all, enrolling in an education program takes time and costs money. It’s important to evaluate the need for advanced training in the particular field you’re interested in.

If you’re serious about a career in IT and cloud computing, getting certified is highly recommended. Getting your AWS certification, in particular, can help you to stand out among the competition. Not only can it help you find a job in general, but it can help you get a higher paying job. It’s certainly an investment in your future that’s worth making.

Major benefits of getting an AWS certification

In general, earning a certification can provide some huge advantages. If you’re on the fence about getting your AWS certification, consider some of these major benefits:

AWS experts are in high demand

Amazon controls 33 percent share of the cloud computing market, which is three times more than one of their biggest competitors, Microsoft. Additionally, AWS is currently achieving year-on-year growth of 43 percent, which indicates that they’re likely to dominate the cloud computing market even more in the future. With these different numbers mind, there’s no denying that certified AWS experts are in high demand.

You’ll likely earn more

According to a recent Global Knowledge survey, AWS certification training has increased the salaries for the average certified professional by as much as 25.9 percent. Certified respondents reported an average annual income of $113,932 USD, while those who didn’t have an AWS certification earned $90,512 USD annually on average.

A certification demonstrates commitment to the profession

Getting certified takes time, effort, and commitment. This level of commitment makes a good impression on potential colleagues, employers, and partners.

If you are in the job market or considering a change, certifications can give you an advantage during the hiring process and help you stand out in a competitive market. A survey from HR.com revealed that all respondents agreed that they favor candidates with industry certifications during the hiring process.

AWS certifications can be easier to earn than other certification

Earning a certification can be hard work, no matter what you’re getting certified in. But when it comes to AWS certifications, it may not be as difficult or time-consuming as other comparable certifications. If you’ve already got a full plate, but you also have ambitions and want to further your training in a technology field you’re passionate about, an AWS certification can be the perfect compromise.

Most popular AWS certifications

As mentioned above, there are several AWS certifications available. If you’re torn as to which AWS certification is right for you, we’ve broken down some of the basics on the most popular AWS certifications available, which can help you make a more informed decision.

Simplilearn explains how to choose the right course in AWS for you that suits your skills and requirements.

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AWS Technical Essentials Certification

If you’re looking just to get certified in the fundamentals, the AWS Technical Essentials may be your perfect fit. This certification is ideal for IT developers and SysOps administrators, or even someone who is brand new to AWS and looking to get fully trained in the basics.

This AWS Technical Essentials course from Simplilearn is designed to train students on various AWS products, services, and solutions. Students will learn an array of new skills, including how to navigate the AWS management console and all about AWS security measures. The course features seven hours of instruction, two live projects, hands-on project execution using the AWS console, and much more.

Prerequisites:

This certification is the basic AWS certification that teaches fundamentals and other introductory skills. Although it’s beneficial to have some programming language knowledge, no experience or prerequisites are required.

AWS Developer Associate Certification

Those who receive the AWS Developer Associate Certification will typically be able to write code and design apps, and will also be proficient in Elastic Beanstalk, CloudFormation, S3, and more.

The AWS Developer Associate Training program from Simplilearn picks up where the AWS Technical Essentials course leaves off, showing you how to plan, design, and deploy scalable cloud solutions using AWS. Aside from those who have taken the first course and are ready for the next step, it is also a good option for those who already have a basic understanding of AWS through relevant experience. The course is designed to improve your AWS skills and can help you pass the AWS Developer Associate Exam on the first attempt.

Prerequisites:

To take the AWS Developer Associate Certification exam, you must have earned an AWS Technical Essentials Certification, or have relevant hands-on experience. It’s also required that those seeking this type of certification are familiar with messaging and queuing services, as well as developing API interfaces. They should also have an understanding of stateless and loosely coupled distributed applications, as well as relational and non-relational databases.

AWS Solution Architect Certification

Whether you’re working as a solutions architect, or you aspire to work in a similar role, the AWS Solution Architect Certification may be the ideal choice for you. In order to successfully pass the exam to receive this certification, you’ll be required to prove your ability to operate various AWS technologies, such as architecting and deploying robust and secure applications. Out of all AWS certifications, this one tends to be the most popular.

This AWS certification course was designed to help students prepare for the current AWS Solution Architect Certification exam. Through 36 hours of instructor-led training and 20 hours of self-paced learning, students learn how IT architecture and cloud computing works together. Through Amazon best practices, students also learn all about designing and scaling AWS cloud implementations.

Prerequisites:

While any level of AWS experience can be beneficial, there are no required prerequisites to take the AWS Solution Architect Certification exam.

AWS SysOps Associate Certification

As a certified AWS SysOps Associate, you’ll be technically proficient in deploying, managing, and operating fault-tolerant systems on AWS. Certified individuals also have the skills needed to analyze various CloudWatch metrics, in addition to building scalable fault-tolerant architecture using AS, Route 53, and ELB. System administrators with at least one year of experience in cloud applications may prefer this AWS certification over the others.

The AWS SysOps Associate Training will teach you a variety of skills needed to succeed in your certification exam. You’ll also learn all about the AWS management console, AWS and data flow, operational cost controls, tagging in analysis, CloudFormation features, and so much more.

Prerequisites:

To apply for the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate certification, you must fulfill a few different prerequisites. It’s crucial to have experience in provisioning, operating, and maintaining systems running on AWS. Those seeking certification should also be capable of providing AWS operations and deployment guidance, as well as best practices throughout the lifecycle of a project. Before taking the exam, you should be able to define a solution that’s built and operated on AWS. Finally, all prospective exam takers should have completed a relevant training course. In lieu of AWS certification training online, those looking to be AWS SysOps Administrator Associate certified should have a significant amount of hands-on experience.

Need help deciding which certification program is right for you? The following is a comparison table for popular AWS certifications, which can help make it easier to decide which AWS certification to pursue:

If you’re still undecided, you should highly consider the AWS Technical Essentials Certification if you’re new to cloud computing. This certification can give you the foundation you need to learn some of the fundamentals, which can help you better prepare for some of the more advanced programs and certifications later on. Even on its own, this basic certification can still help you succeed as an AWS professional.