Need Some Cloud Certification help here please

dony2015

Hi Team,
I have some training options at my work place to go for some cloud training:
Option 1, AWS Solutions Arch Associates, plus AWS Solution Arch Profession Plus TOGAF Foundation.
Option 2, Azure AZ-300, 301, plus AWS solutions Arch Associates. After any of the options, I must stay with company for the next 18 months or refund training cost. I will be looking at the contract market after the 18 months.

What do you guys recommend?

Zorodzai

I would mainly consider which cloud platform is used at my work place and which has more listings on job sites. Considering Amazon's dominance in the cloud space I would lean towards AWS

E Double U

I would self-study CCSP and just get the hands on with whatever platform is available to you at work. You can add the on-the-job experience to your resume without having the certification. 

srothman

If the organization is already invested in more of the Microsoft ecosystem, going the Azure route first makes sense. In any event, make sure you have at least a foundational understanding of both (AWS and Azure), and build out your competence and skill with whichever one you choose. You won't go wrong with the AWS route, and it will, at least for now, open many doors for you even if you don't have a lot of experience. Azure maybe a little less so, but it is gaining momentum (along with GCP and Ali Cloud).

Security-specific certs to either of those platforms, I honestly don't like either, and agree it is probably better to go vendor neutral for any security-related cloud certifications.

JDMurray

What are you doing, or will be doing, with Cloud at your workplace? Are you operations, engineering or architecture? If only operations then you probably don't need that AWS "pro" cert. You also don't need the CCSP and CCSK certs to be a Cloud ops guy.

Go for option #2 if your workplace uses both AWS and Azure. If your work actually uses TOGAF now, or is thinking of adopting it in the near future, your employer should include TOGAF training with both options. I'm guessing your employer is picking training courses that fit into a fixed, per-employee cost, and TOGAF added to option #2 would break that budget.

chrisone

Not going to try and ingest my personal philosophy here, just going to answer the question of which option I would choose. 

I would pick option 2, you get best of both worlds AWS and Azure. 

nisti2

You can check the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Exams that are also free exam till August. 

itdept

Don't bother with Oracle Cloud, they are a bad vendor and late to the game. Stick with AWS or MS and go with the one your employer is using.

jayc71

itdept said:

Don't bother with Oracle Cloud, they are a bad vendor and late to the game. Stick with AWS or MS and go with the one your employer is using.

I would agree with this, unless your company is just dead set on using Oracle's cloud for some godforsaken reason.  I had to do some work with it a couple years back, it was not a fun experience. 

RunningForward

This is a good thread and I am also leaning towards AWS since it is so popular, but then again, I am a noob.

How much overlap is there between Oracle and Azure and AWS though? Do companies want people to begin becoming certified in all three at some point? At least at the higher levels?