What do you look for when selecting a career domain for your future – it should align with your interests, a challenging job, pays lucrative salaries, and probably something that will remain in demand for a long time. What if we tell you there is a domain that satisfies all the career benefits you are seeking. No, we are not referring to the much-hyped data scientist or artificial intelligence engineer role. It is a field that is going hand-in-hand in popularity with AI and big data analytics. Yes, we are talking about cloud computing – a technology being greatly leveraged by tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and IBM.
If the stats provided by Burning Glass (a portal that conducts data analysis for corporate clients and education institutes) are anything to go by, the overall prospects for cloud computing jobs look pretty good. Companies that adopt cloud services are predicted to increase by 14.7% over the next decade. Moreover, the average base pay for cloud computing roles is USD 107K which is quite higher than many other roles in the technology sector. Software developers, data engineers, IT project managers, and network architects are some of the top roles for which companies request cloud computing skills.
When dealing with cloud computing, it is inevitable to come across the term Amazon Web Services or AWS – a well-established leader in the cloud services market. Due to the global popularity of AWS, professionals are keen to apply for AWS-related job roles available across countries. Many have acknowledged that AWS training and certification have helped them expand their career opportunities, some even gain a higher salary as a direct result of cloud certification. Haven’t thought about getting AWS certified yet? Well, we give you compelling reasons to achieve AWS certification and how you can pass its exam easily in this article.
So, let’s get started.
The Importance of AWS Certifications
Launched back in 2006, AWS had a modest start by offering two fairly simple services. Today, it offers over 165 cloud services globally, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain, the Internet of Things, and Augmented Reality. Some of the renowned enterprises run part of or all their software environments on AWS. Companies across 190 countries are using AWS services and many migrate to AWS daily. So, if you want to verify your technical skills and cloud expertise to grow your career, then AWS certifications are for you.
AWS has categorized its diverse certifications into Foundational, Associate, and Professional levels. Such certifications are role-based for those who work as cloud practitioners, developers, operations, or architects. There are Specialty certifications in specific technical areas as well. Here are some of the top reasons why AWS certifications are important for your career:
- Helps professionals gain in-demand skills and organizations to build effective, innovative teams for cloud initiatives.
- Get a chance to network with your peers by gaining access to the AWS Certified community on LinkedIn.
- AWS certifications have been making it to the list of top highest-paying IT certification surveys lately.
- Cloud computing is predicted to be in high demand in the future. Adding AWS certification will enhance your career prospects in this field.
- You can become a qualified subject matter expert and get a chance to participate in remote and in-person events that focus on reviewing exam content.
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Certification
Commanding an average base pay of over $149,000, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate is one of the best cloud credentials you can add to your resume. The certification validates your understanding of architecting and deploying secure and robust applications on AWS technologies. It helps you gain expertise in defining a solution using architectural design principles based on customer needs and providing implementation guidance throughout the life cycle of the project.
Candidates are expected to have some prior knowledge when applying for this certification – identify and define technical requirements for an AWS-based application, AWS global infrastructure, AWS deployment and management services, security features and tools provided by AWS, and more. It is more suitable for a candidate who has performed a solutions architect role and designed fault-tolerant, cost-efficient, and scalable distributed systems on AWS.
Your Roadmap to Achieve the Certification
Here are some of the steps you can take to clear the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C02) exam in a single attempt.
Be thorough with the exam guide
The SAA-C02 is an exam that consists of multiple-choice, multiple answer type questions with a time limit of 130 minutes. The exam guide consists of all the details regarding the test domains, their weightings in the exam, and how your score report will be created.
Explore the AWS learning resources
Apart from the certification, AWS also offers learning resources to help you prepare for different AWS certifications. There are online training courses, whitepapers, tutorials, and exam-readiness sessions you can get for each certification on the AWS website.
Take up a training course
There are some reputed training providers who offer high-quality online courses on AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate credential mentored by industry experts. Apart from theoretical course materials, such courses are packed with industry projects and case studies to enhance your practical knowledge.
Lastly, solve some practice exam questions
Thorough preparation for any exam is accomplished when you test your understanding by solving some sample questions or taking up mock exams. They give you an idea of what topics you have prepared well and those that need more attention. So, find some good mock tests online and get a look and feel of how the actual exam will be.