People are spoilt for choices if they want to start a career in the IT industry. Software development, project management, quality assurance, cybersecurity, IT service management, and cloud computing are some of the various areas one can consider, to begin with. If we focus particularly on cloud computing, a field that has been around for the past two decades, tech-savvy businesses are now realizing its many benefits and adopting it to run their organization more efficiently.
Cloud service providers like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure took cloud computing to the next level and lured companies to migrate their workload to the cloud. As Salesforce puts it, 94% of businesses claimed they saw an improvement in security after switching to the cloud. Moreover, 91% said that the cloud made it easier for them to meet government compliance requirements. So, it won’t be wrong to say that the demand for skilled cloud practitioners is high and going to increase as more and more businesses continue to leverage cloud services to increase their profit margins and better serve their customers.
However, with rising demand, companies are having trouble finding the right cloud professionals, and their digital skills gap is quite big. At such a time, professionals who achieve cloud computing certification can garner the attention of hiring managers and validate their cloud skills. Moreover, the key cloud players have been proactive to help professionals gain expertise in their services by offering a range of cloud certifications for different job roles. If you too are among the people who aren’t aware of such valuable certifications, then this article is for you. We have listed some of the best cloud certifications which you can consider adding to your portfolio and improve your career prospects in this field.
So, let’s get started!
Top Cloud Computing Certifications
The certifications mentioned below have an exam associated with them, along with some recommended prior knowledge. So, here are the details.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
Professionals who are well-versed in designing cloud applications and services on Microsoft Azure along with building, testing, and maintaining them can apply for this certification. Certification holders become capable of engaging in all phases of cloud development – from requirements definition to performance tuning and monitoring.
Prerequisites – One to two years of professional development experience and hands-on knowledge of Microsoft Azure.
Exam – AZ-204, measures your ability to develop Azure compute solutions, consume Azure services and third-party services, develop for Azure storage, and implement Azure security.
Google Cloud Platform: Associate Cloud Engineer
Google expects an associate cloud engineer to deploy applications, monitor operations, and manage enterprise solutions effectively. An individual who achieves this certification is able to use Google Cloud Console to perform common platform-based tasks to maintain deployed solutions that leverage self-managed services on Google Cloud. You’ll be tested on areas like setting up a cloud solution environment, deploying a cloud solution, ensuring a successful operation of a cloud solution, and configuring access and security.
Prerequisites – None. Around 6 months of experience using Google Cloud is, however, recommended.
Exam – Consists of multiple-choice and multiple select questions to be solved in two hours.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Cloud
This certification is designed to train cloud engineers, network engineers, and cloud administrators. It prepares individuals to work in an SMB cloud environment and support a senior cloud engineer in an enterprise environment. This associate-level certification tests your expertise in areas like cloud deployments, cloud characteristics and models, providing end-user support, cloud provisioning, chargeback and billing reports, and cloud remediation.
Prerequisites – None
Exam – 210-041 CLDFND (Cisco Cloud Fundamentals) and 210-055 CLDADM (Cisco Cloud Administration)
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
This certification by Amazon Web Services is targeted towards professionals in a development role who have hands-on experience developing and maintaining AWS-based applications. The certification holders have a clear understanding of the core AWS services, their uses, and basic AWS architecture best practices. They are also proficient in building, deploying, and testing cloud-based applications using AWS.
Prerequisites – (Recommended) In-depth knowledge of at least one programming language, application lifecycle management, writing code for serverless applications, how to follow AWS security best practices, and so on.
Exam – DVA-C01, consists of multiple-choice multiple answer type questions with a time duration of 130 minutes.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
As the name suggests, this certification is ideal for individuals working in a solutions architect role and have at least one year of experience in designing cost-efficient, scalable, and fault-tolerant systems on AWS. It verifies a candidate’s ability in defining a solution using architectural design principles based on customer needs and provides implementation guidance throughout the life cycle of the project.
Prerequisites – (Recommended) A clear understanding of the AWS global infrastructure, network technologies, AWS deployment and management services, and how to identify and define technical requirements for an AWS-based application.
Exam – SAA-C02, consists of multiple-choice multiple answer type questions with a time duration of 130 minutes.
Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP)
(ISC)² is a renowned certification body in the field of cybersecurity. Its CCSP certification is designed for someone who wishes to secure critical assets in the cloud. CCSP demonstrates that you are skilled in designing, managing, and securing data, applications, and infrastructure in the cloud. It is beneficial for professionals working as security engineers, systems architects, security consultants, and more.
Prerequisites – Five years of paid work experience in information technology, of which three years should be in information security, and one year in one or more of the six domains of the (ISC)² CCSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).
Exam – Consists of 125 multiple choice questions with a time limit of 3 hours. The passing score is 700 out of 1000 points.
Bottom Line
Society’s transition into the digital 21st century coupled with an exponential increase in data has led companies to adopt cloud computing and stay afloat in this highly-competitive market. So, even if you didn’t start your tech career in the cloud, now is the best time to give it a thought and take that necessary step. With any of the above certifications, you can not only step into this promising career but also expect a pay premium on top of your base salary.