Cloud platform vendors around the world are still competing to hold the largest share in the market. For the past few years, AWS has held a commanding lead in the market. According to an IDC report, global industries are set to double their spending on cloud services and infrastructure within the public domain. In 2019, the cloud industry was worth $229 billion and is predicted to reach a valuation of $500 billion by 2023, which translates to a 22% CAGR. The main focus areas of this high-growth period can be classified as follows
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Professional services investment - 25.6%
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Telecommunication services investment - 24.1%
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Retail applications investment - 23.7%
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Resource industry investment - 23.3%
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Personal and consumer services investment - 23.1%
The breakup mentioned is an estimated indication of the cloud services most widely used by organisations and the ones they will invest in potentially in the coming years. But the main purpose of this breakup is that it demonstrates the promise of cloud services as a career option. Not only is the cloud industry growing at a rapid pace, but there are also different areas and domains that you can focus on to take your career to the next level.
What is AWS?
Amazon Web Services, known as AWS, is an evolving and comprehensive cloud computing service platform offered by Amazon. It is a mix of Iaas (Infrastructure as a service), Paas (Platform as a Service) and SaaS (Software as a service) offerings.
Benefits of an AWS Career
1. The most widely-used global cloud platform
Through its service offerings and global user base, AWS has established itself as a market leader across the world. Consider Iaas (Infrastructure as a Service) as an example, one of the main segments of the cloud sphere in the public domain. Statista collected data that showed that AWS has over 33% of the market share in the IaaS segment alone. For some context, this is almost equal to the market share that
Microsoft Azure and the Google Cloud platform hold together. These are the next market leaders after AWS in the cloud market. To top that, AWS has shown signs of evolution and growth even in markets other than IaaS. In fact, the SaaS (Software as a Service) market is over double the IaaS market in size.
2. The fastest-growing cloud platform
AWS was launched way back in 2006. The rest of the competitors only came in more than 7 years later. Since its inception, AWS has been the world’s fastest-growing platform for cloud services. It continues to hold its fast growth rate, growing from 42% in 2017 to 52% in 2020.
3. Growing demand for AWS certified professionals
As AWS progresses along its growth trajectory, the applications for cloud platforms continue to grow. This has directly resulted in increased job roles within the AWS market, compared to the number of existing professionals in the market. In the US, organisations have revealed that hiring professionals for AWS services and its different segments is challenging. There is a huge gap in the market that needs to be filled. Tech giants and cloud companies offer handsome remuneration packages for professionals in the AWS space. The existing gap between the AWS professionals in the market and the growing AWS roles will not fill up any time soon. If you wish to switch careers, now is your best chance.
4. Cloud computing skills in IT professionals
The rate at which
cloud computing will be adopted is going to increase in this decade. According to a report by Forbes, the two main causes of this increase are going to be AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning). Additionally, over 50% of professionals in the IT industry have reason to believe AI and ML are going to continue growing and advancing the role that cloud computing plays within industries across user journeys. As AWS is the market leader of all the cloud service platforms, it is easy to see how AWS skills will increase in demand within the IT sector. This will help facilitate an easier transition for organisations to a cloud computing model.
Starting an AWS Career
IT industry experts and professionals agree that there are two very important factors for success within the technology segment. These are skill-based understanding and learning, and industry experience. As a platform, AWS has multiple new opportunities on offer for learning new skills within as well as beyond traditional learning models. There are many colleges that teach AWS within their learning curriculum. There are also several certifications that applicants can earn to complete their training in role-based skills and the newest market trends in the industry.
You no longer need to do a comprehensive four-year programme to learn AWS skills. You can simply take up certification training that is directly related to your desired role and learn at your own pace. There are 11 AWS certifications you can choose from, all of which are available on Koenig.
Benefits of Earning an AWS Certification:
The certifications that AWS offers are highly regarded around the world through the information technology industry. There are many advantages to earning an AWS credential.
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An AWS certification validates your expertise as a skilled professional within a domain or a particular AWS product.
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There aren’t too many prerequisites to AWS certifications, so almost anyone can pursue them.
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You don’t need to take a break or leave your job to complete an AWS certification.
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The preparation schedule is flexible, so you can choose when you want to give the exam and reschedule it if you need to.
Getting certified by AWS is the right move for anyone already working within the IT industry, no matter which domain. Not only will you learn the technical skills needed, but also soft and personal skills such as
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Logical reasoning
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Communication skills
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Comprehension abilities
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Solution-oriented working
How to Learn AWS?
AWS began issuing certifications in 2013. Since that time, many resources have come up and been shared within the public domain. There are several e-books, manuals and course materials, as well as practice exams available online. These resources are easily shared among groups of AWS aspirants and certified professionals renewing their credentials.
It is important to find the right learning experience for you. This would mean a training program with holistic learning from beginning to end. Choose a certification program that is in line with your career goals for the long term, but also check that it fits your budget, a flexible learning pace and lets you learn the skills required for some of the most prized roles and careers in the industry today.
There are several career pathways that you can choose from with an AWS certification. The certification you choose to pursue can either be role-based or solution-based.
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Role-based: This type of certification refers to the role that you wish to fill, including AWS cloud architect, developer, operator or cloud practitioner.
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Solution-based: This type of certification refers to the solution or technology that you wish to learn. This can include storage services, media, predictive input or machine learning.
You also have the option to choose a specialisation area that can help you focus on a certification that validates your credentials within the specified area.
What are the AWS Certification Paths?
Amazon offers 11 certification paths that you can choose from. Let’s look at them in a little more detail.
Foundational Certifications
This certification introduces a new IT professional to cloud computing and gives an understanding of cloud computing and AWS’ role within the global industry.
Associate Certifications
The certifications under this level are
The associate-level certifications give more insight into the development and architecture of AWS and its operations.
Professional Certifications
This level has the following certifications
These certifications give you a deeper understanding of AWS engineering and the architecture of the cloud platform.
Specialty Certifications
The certifications at this level are
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Security
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Advanced Networking
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Big Data
These certifications verify your skills as a specialist in advanced areas and domains.
AWS Careers You Can Choose From:
1. Solutions Architect
An AWS solutions architect has a specialisation in the architecture of cloud computing and are required to have a working knowledge of recommendations for the AWS toolset currently in use. They are also responsible for the creation and maintenance of applications as well as ensuring scalability and cost-efficiency in an AWS environment.
AWS solutions architects earn approximately $130,883 per annum at the entry-level. This can grow to $150,000 at the professional level.
2. DevOps Engineer
An AWS DevOps engineer needs proficiency in AWS design solutions, should be capable of understanding and implementing servers while ensuring maintenance, patching and bug fixes. You can earn $137,724 per year in this career.
3. SysOps Administrator
An AWS administrator requires proficiency in installing, configuring, provisioning, operating and maintaining physical and virtual systems as well as software infrastructure. You can earn as much as $130,610 per year as a SysOps administrator.
4. Certified Developer
AWS Cloud developers can build and develop applications and software for businesses. They also must have a working knowledge of the tools related to cloud compatibility. You can earn about $130,272 per year in this career stream.
5. Cloud System Integrator
An AWS system integrator works as part of a team and is responsible for complex deployment situations and handles troubleshooting problems too. You can earn more than $81,000 per year with an AWS Cloud System Integrator certification.
According to PayScale, most AWS careers pay over $100,000 per annum. Give your career the boost it needs and enrol in a training program today.
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