I want to make a career with AWS :)

I want to learn AWS & get Certified

I get lot of queries related to learning and making a career with #AWS. Some of the reasons people quote behind learning AWS are better salary, jump in their career, learning new technology, everyone is moving to Cloud etc.

It is really good that an individual is aware of the latest trends and is trying to catch-up and update himself. But, at the same time it is very important to do it RIGHT. All of us know very well about the situation a fresher goes through after coming out of college. The database and programming knowledge which he seemed to have mastered (validated by high CGPA & grades) do not help that time. Those who take pain of doing some real project in college do find it comparatively easy to relate with the upcoming work in industry. 

Similar type of analogy applies to learning AWS or any other new platform. No doubt, Cloud is one of biggest technology shifts happening; it has made things very different and opened up new ways for doing things. But, guys basics are still required (it's a must). You might not be required to master every thing at finest depth; but, you are required to know and practice enough that when there is a need you can make your path with the available documentation and googling. Trust me you cannot leave all the hard-work for the final day. 

AWS currently owns maximum market share and hence requirement of AWS professionals is at all-time high. Quite junior folks do get good salary having this skillset and these facts make it very attractive to learn AWS. Now, there is always a fight between "doing in less time" & "doing it right way". Trust me, you cannot choose one out of above (in absolute sense) if you want to remain competitive. 

Somehow the whole environment has become such a way that many have started to (or made to) believe that having a Certification (ALONE) in hand would prove their capability. AWS being such a big platform - trust me you can get certified in a month (2 weeks for some people) but knowing and practicing even 5-8 core services properly would take more time. Don't TRUST me?? Go and just explore all the attributes of EC2 alone in detail and find out the time you take :) 

Remember, exams have always been there and we have this wonderful ability to prepare and pass it one way or the other ;) But, the question is whether passing an exam has really proved much for your future, I don't think so. We all did our degress, but then went through another strict process to get into jobs. Same would happen again after you get AWS certified, your new BOSS who wants you in his team is gonna scan you thoroughly for your knowledge and showing AWS certificate (ALONE) would not be enough. 

My intention of writing this post is to give a suggestion to all the aspiring professionals - Go ahead and learn AWS and then get certified, as well. Don't take shortcuts, make sure you invest enough time in reading detailed AWS documentation and whitepapers. Don't just take an easy route to clear the exam. You can surely clear 3 AWS exams in a month, many have done that - VERY GOOD!! But, alongwith it make sure that you have read all those services in detail and practised as well in the same one month. If you do so, you deserve a CLAP !!

PS: Along with learning AWS, you have to make sure that you know about following

• OS administration (running commands, some amount of scripting)
• Database design
• Knowledge of Programming constructs
• Client-server architecture
• Web-applications architecture
• Basics of Networking etc. (this list is not exhaustive)