9 Tips To Get AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification

Young talent with a good knowledge of platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Salesforce, and many others are the need of the hour. Companies all over the world prefer candidates with certifications such as AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification, etc. Beginner, intermediate, or advanced-level certifications from these cloud providers add value to resumes and increase the chances of bagging a job offer by approximately 50 to 100 per cent. 

Why Are Such Certifications Important?

Wondering why companies are seeking such skills in their workforce? With everything and anything shifting to cloud, large organisations are willing to pay a premium to qualified candidates. The cost of operation of physical servers for most companies is too high. In comparison, services like AWS have reduced the pricing by about 75 times, as per the statistics available as of 2019. Most companies hence prefer to operate on the cloud which leads to a hike in the need for professionals skilled in these areas.

I recently attempted the AWS Cloud Practitioner Fundamentals certification and guess what, I qualified and earned the certification. In this article, I am going to share my experience of getting the certification and some tips regarding the same. 

Why Choose AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification?

AWS is the market giant and accrues about 30 per cent of the overall cloud market, followed by Azure which covers approximately 10 per cent of the overall market. As per these estimations, the value of AWS certification is slightly higher than Azure. However, I think that if you have basic knowledge of the cloud then both certificates are of high value.

If one is looking at simply gaining CV points then 3 days of prep time for the certification is more than enough. Those looking for knowledge and a prosperous career in the field will need longer. An intricate understanding of concepts and their workings will help you in the interview process and also in progressing further in your career. Having acquired the certification, my recommendation would be to dedicate a minimum of 1-2 months for preparation of AWS, considering a seating capacity of 2 hours daily.

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Tips On Completing The Certification

Here are a few tips on how you too can get the AWS certification and gain all the knowledge that comes with it. Have a look!

1. As per my research and understanding, AWS solution architect is valued more than the AWS cloud practitioner certification. Another thing to note is that the exam is slightly on the tougher side. One also needs deeper understanding of the concepts to bag this one! Do choose wisely what works best for you. 
2. As an alternative, if you are preparing for Azure, then you may want to attend the official webinars and challenges of Microsoft Azure. These events are organized periodically and all the relevant information is easily available on the Microsoft Learn Platform. Microsoft also provides users with vouchers to reduce the price of examination by up to 100 per cent, once they have attended the webinar. 
3. It is also a smart idea to make a cloud-based project after completing the certification since it adds value to the resume, over and above the certification. A complete website hosted on AWS is best. 
4. Whitepapers available on the AWS website are a great place to source your study material from. You can also refer to videos and tutorials on Youtube. 
5. Complete the hands-on labs at the AWS labs portal, which has free labs for the student community. 
6. It is also a good idea to make proper notes while studying/ preparing for the exam. I made proper notes while studying to help me remember the different types of services. And I can vouch for the fact that the notes can be useful for a quick revision or even when you are working and need to look up any information. 
7. Once all your preparation is done, schedule the examination with any vendor. You will need to pay the fees of 100 USD + GST to attempt the examination. 
8. 700 out of 1000 is the magic number to be considered as a pass and will fetch you the certification. 
9. If you face an issue during the examination, try to contact the service centre of the vendor immediately. They will review and do the needful. This is something that happens and is resolved. 

When you qualify the examination for the certification, then a congratulations message will pop out immediately. With this certification under your belt, you are well equipped to start a thriving career in the field of cloud-based products and services. 

The job market is a cut throat arena, now more than ever. Technology is ruling the rooster and staying current is the next logical step. A certification in cloud computing or any other such specialised skill will significantly increase your chances of gaining meaningful employment and building a promising career.

All the best to all those who are seeking to get the certification, hope this helps!

You might also be interested in reading the following:

1. Everything About The Amazon Recruitment Process
2. List Of Most Probable Amazon Interview Questions With Answers
3. 5 Interesting Coding Projects That’ll Make Your Resume Stand Out!
4. Understanding Cloud Computing Architecture