Certifications vs Projects: What Gets You Interviews?

In Today’s Cloudbites:

🎓 Certifications vs Projects: What Gets You Interviews?

💼 Are AWS Certifications Useless? | How to ACTUALLY Get Hired in 2025

☁️ Online Cloud Events to Look Forward to

💡 PLUS: Cloudflare Just Made Blocking AI Bots Easy

Read time: 5 minutes

Hi friends, welcome back to Cloudbites

In this newsletter, I'll share the truth about certifications vs projects and what actually gets you interviews. I'll also show you how to build real-world projects that actually impress hiring managers.

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🎓 Certifications vs Projects: What Gets You Interviews?

Here's something I learned the hard way: having AWS certifications didn't get me as many interviews as I thought it would.

But building one solid project that solved a real problem? That changed everything.

Don't get me wrong - certifications matter. They show you understand the fundamentals and can pass exams. But here's the thing: so can thousands of other people.

Projects, on the other hand, show you can actually do the work.

Most hiring managers spend 30 seconds scanning your resume. They're looking for proof you can handle their specific challenges, not just theoretical knowledge.

A certificate says "I studied this." A project says "I built this, and here's how it works."

So how do you build real-world projects that impress? Here's what I've learned actually works.

#1 Start With a Problem You Actually Face

Think about something that bugs you or your friends in real life.

Maybe it's a script that backs up your photos to multiple cloud storage services or a dashboard that tracks your monthly cloud spending.

Real problems lead to real solutions.

#2 Use the Tech Stack They're Looking For

Check job postings for roles you want. If they mention Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS - use those.

Your project becomes a conversation starter: "I built this using the same tools you mentioned in the job description."

#3 Make It Public and Presentable

GitHub repositories with good README files are your friend.

Include what the project does (in simple terms), how to run it, screenshots or a demo video, and what you learned while building it.

#4 Add Some Complexity (But Not Too Much)

Your project should show you can handle more than basic tutorials.

Add features like database connections, API integrations, error handling, and basic security practices.

But don't overcomplicate it. A working simple project beats a broken complex one every time.

#5 Write About Your Process

Create a blog post or LinkedIn article about building the project.

Explain why you chose certain technologies, problems you ran into and how you solved them, and what you'd do differently next time.

This shows you can communicate technical concepts - a skill every employer values.

📝 Note: Focus on solving real problems.

The best projects solve actual problems using tools employers care about.

Document your process and make it easy for others to understand what you built.

💼 Are AWS Certifications Useless? | How to ACTUALLY Get Hired in 2025

Thinking about AWS certifications but wondering if they're actually worth it?

Check out my video on Are AWS Certifications Useless? | How to ACTUALLY Get Hired in 2025 where I break down the reality of certifications vs real-world skills.

If you're unsure what actually matters to land a cloud job, this will give you clarity. It breaks things down in a way that’s easy to understand and act on.

☁️ Online Cloud Events to Look Forward to

#1 AWS re:Invent 2025 (December 1-5, 2025)

The biggest AWS event of the year! Start planning early for keynotes, hands-on learning & networking in Las Vegas or virtually.

Click here to register.

#2 AWS Innovate: AI/ML Edition (July 17, 2025)

Free virtual event for developers, data scientists & ML engineers. Learn how to build real-world AI/ML solutions using AWS GenAI services.

Click here to register.

#3 Build On Live: GenAI Edition (July 9-10, 2025)

A 2-day virtual event with live demos, deep dives & expert talks focused on building with Generative AI on AWS.

Click here to register.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 🤖

🔒 PLUS: Cloudflare Just Made Blocking AI Bots Easy

Cloudflare just launched a new tool that gives website owners control over AI crawlers. Instead of letting bots scrape your content for free, this tool lets you block them or charge per crawl.

This is a big win for online publishers, creators, and educators, especially those losing traffic and revenue as AI models pull content directly.

Now, you can choose who gets access, how often, and at what cost, putting power back in the hands of content owners.

THAT’S A WRAP

Thanks for reading! 😊

P.S. How was today's email? Reply directly with your feedback, or DM me on LinkedIn @LucyWang-