Why You Should NOT Study For AWS Certifications in 2024

In Today’s Cloudbites:

🎓 What is it About AWS Certifications?

🤓 You Shouldn’t Focus ONLY on Certifications

☁️ Online Cloud Events to Look Forward to

🤫 PLUS: You Can Now Improve Your Sleep Quality with AI

Read time: 6 minutes

Hi friends, welcome back to Cloudbites

Today, I’ll talk about why AWS certification(s) shouldn’t be the only thing to focus on in your Cloud career journey. I’ll also share some resources to help develop your Cloud skills, as well as news on an AI-powered headband that could help you sleep better.

CLOUD COMPUTING ☁️

🎓 What is it About AWS Certifications?

You might be wondering, why is focusing solely on AWS certifications not the best approach in 2024?

Well, while AWS certifications are valuable for a career in cloud computing, they should not be the sole focus.

AWS certifications still serve as a solid foundation for you to build your Cloud career. Gaining a certification(s) will validate your technical skills, boost employability, and demonstrate your willingness to grow with AWS technologies.

#1 Recognition

AWS certifications are widely recognized by employers globally. 

Having an AWS certification means that you’re proficient in designing, deploying, and managing AWS services and tools. 

Studying for an AWS certification will lead you to a structured path for learning AWS, which will expose you to a thorough coverage of Cloud concepts and best practices.

#2 Career Progression

Holding AWS certifications can open doors to career opportunities and even promotions. 

Many organizations trust applicants with AWS certifications to perform well, according to the AWS Training and Certification Blog by AWS.

This shows how having an AWS certification could help you to advance in your career faster. 

#3 Continuous Learning

AWS regularly updates its certifications and curriculum to stay relevant with the latest Cloud trends and technologies.

In other words, pursuing AWS certifications will keep you updated on the industry developments. 

This could enhance your skills and adaptability in an innovative tech landscape, which would help you to build your problem solving skills in different circumstances.

🤓 You Shouldn’t Focus ONLY on Certifications

While AWS certifications validate your technical understanding, they should be complemented with your experiences, soft skills, and interview preparation to land a Cloud role. 

Here are key aspects beyond AWS certifications that employers look for:

#1 Practical Hands-On Experience 

Hands-on experience in this case translates to real-world Cloud projects. 

This is a great opportunity to apply and experiment with the concepts that you’ve learned. 

If you’re interested in building projects but unsure what to build on, check out my YouTube video on 5 AWS Cloud Projects to Get You Hired in 2024 (For Beginners). 

Once you’ve built several projects, you could build a portfolio to store everything in one place to be able to showcase your skills and reflections in a more professional way to your employers. 

Here’s my YouTube video to help you get started with building your portfolio: How to Document Your AWS Cloud Projects (To Get Hired). 

#2 Interpersonal Skills

Cloud environments often present complex challenges. 

That being said, demonstrating your problem-solving and critical thinking skills is important to engage well in your team. 

Practicing effective communication, teamwork, and collaboration are also essential because candidates who can work well with others, articulate technical concepts clearly, and contribute to team goals are prioritized by employers.

If you’ve completed an AWS certification but still unsure where to head next, check out my YouTube video on I got an AWS Certification… What next?.

#3 Cloud Interview Preparation

Last but not least, preparing for your job interview is a combination of your technical and non-technical skills.

In a Cloud interview, you will encounter hypothetical questions that test your problem-solving skills in Cloud architecture, scalability, cost optimization, etc., depending on the role that you applied for. 

You will also be asked to explore your past experiences, teamwork, and leadership skills via behavioral questions. 

I’d advise you to draft your responses using the STAR method, which I have talked about in my newsletter post: What Cloud Hiring Managers Look For in Applicants.

☁️ Online Cloud Events to Look Forward to

#1 AWS – Cloud Practitioner Essentials (June 29)

Learn how to use AWS services to improve business processes and gain an understanding of how to benefit from AWS security and compliance services.

Click here to register. 

#2 AWS – Machine Learning Basics (July 5)

An overview of the concepts, terminology, and processes of the exciting field of machine learning.

Click here to register.

#3 AWS – Deep Dive into Amazon Q (June 28 – July 26)

Discover how Amazon Q, a generative AI-powered assistant, can revolutionize your workflow and boost productivity across organizations.

Click here to register.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 🤖

🤫 PLUS: You Can Now Improve Your Sleep Quality with AI

Elemind, a tech startup, is developing devices that utilize AI and brainwave technology to enhance healthcare. 

After 5 years of testing, it recently introduced a headband designed to enhance sleep quality by guiding brainwaves away from wakefulness and into deeper sleep states.

💡 Here’s what you should know about the headband:

• It uses rubber EEG sensors to assist your brain waves in naturally slowing down as you drift off to sleep

• It sends noise pulses, similar to how noise-canceling headphones work, to signal your brain that it's time to rest

• Once you’re asleep, these pulses will be reduced to ensure uninterrupted sleeping

Currently, access to Elemind’s headband is only limited to the US and Canada, but it plans to expand its distribution line before 2025. 

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THAT’S A WRAP

Thanks for reading! 😊

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