AWS Certification: Why and How
The number of technologies available for individuals to learn is staggering, so it’s easy to get lost in the forest of languages, frameworks, and other tools. Given that no one has the time to learn every technology, many people often struggle on deciding what to learn next. On top of the fact that there are so many skills to pick up, trends are always changing, so that framework that’s high in-demand today may not be as sought after tomorrow. I was mulling over what skill to pick up next; after researching various technologies that appealed to me, I had a meeting with my manager and determined that one skill I should focus on developing is becoming an AWS Certified Developer - Associate level.
Soundtrack: Blinkhorn, “Sketch 1 | Woodland Solo”
From my research and experience both at my current and last job, there seem to be a shortage of AWS Certified professionals, so individuals with AWS Certifications are incredibly valuable. There are several different AWS certifications available, but my manager suggested I work towards the AWS Certified Developer - Associate certification because I have a background in development, so this certification makes sense for me. I also have a working knowledge of AWS, so he suggested I study for the AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam instead of the Cloud Practitioner exam.
My manager suggested I take the AWS Certified Developer - Associate Level course on Linux Academy and I’ve completed 35% of it so far — I’m currently in the AWS Lambda section. The course provides solid fundamentals and I haven’t encountered anything that’s over my head yet. My one critique about this Linux Academy course is that it’s from early 2018, so some of what they are teaching is already outdated, which I notice if I go into the AWS Console and compare what I see there to what’s displayed in the videos. So when I complete the course on Linux Academy, I’ll likely head over to Udemy and take this more recently updated course; this way, I’ll have the most up-to-date knowledge before I take the exam.
I think I’ve adequately addressed why I’m deciding to become AWS certified and how I’m preparing myself for the exam. In future posts, I’ll get more technical into what I’m learning.