AWS Certified Solutions Architect – beyond the hype
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification is one of the most demanded in the cloud universe in general, and in the AWS ecosystem in particular. Dozens of courses, posts and articles can be found on the net, promising great salaries and professional opportunities just by passing an exam
I have been able to verify this interest both in my direct professional environment, where I have been giving a series of guided trainings, and in the online / networking environment, where I receive a large number of messages, mostly from young professionals with – relative – little experience in general, and / or in cloud environments. It so happens that many of them either have already obtained the certification, or want to know if obtaining it will open the doors of the cloud world.
The question is self-answering simply by crossing the messages of these two groups. The reality is that there are a large number of certificates worldwide and a limited number of unfilled positions with these characteristics. There is a clear gap between supply and demand, which had not occurred in other historical moments of the appearance of new technologies: JAVA, IOS / Android etc … the demand was covered by professionals with little experience.
Therefore, several questions arise:
To what extent is the hype true? It is a professional validation test after all.
Is obtaining an architectural certification exam really the ideal starting point for a possible career in the cloud or technology sector?
Why are existing vacant positions not filled?
Becoming a Solutions Architect
The aws solutions architect certification is a complex discipline that encompasses a holistic knowledge of various domains and areas of expertise – not just technical: Architecture, Security, Infrastructure, Performance, Reliability, Integration, Design, Compliance, Stakeholder / Team Management, Cost Control, Patterns etc etc …
As we enter the field of Cloud Architecture, the issue becomes even more complex. Virtually no cloud system lives in isolation, but rather in conjunction with traditional on-premise / legacy systems , which it complements, extends or partially replaces. We are therefore entering the world of hybrid computing, where complex infrastructure and security issues – to begin with – make complicated projects into bobbin lace, where the combined cloud + digital or traditional knowledge is imperative.
Finding Solution Architects, who have less than 10 to 15 years of experience, experts in different domains and technology sectors, is complex. This role is reached gradually, through an evolutionary and maturing process that lasts for years. Most Cloud Architects come either from Digital Architecture, or from the Systems Administration environment – oriented to the DevOps Architecture, that is, they come from a progressive recycling.
It corresponds to my own experience.
Since 2010 I have participated in different projects that integrate elements of Cloud Architecture, and in this progressive and proactive way, I have been fully entering the sector.
Let us think that these types of projects are not of a Web application type , that they fulfill a very specific business domain role, and that they reside in the client’s infrastructure. They are projects that are an integral part of it, from backups in S3 to complete core business platforms , which in turn, can contain several of these Web applications. In any case, they require at least a study of integration, security, infrastructure, costs, etc. even for a simple case of Lift & Shift or backups in S3 .
We therefore find the cause of the gap between unoccupied positions and certified professionals . If in the past, professionals with limited experience were hired for development and architecture – especially Web applications – this fact no longer occurs today, due to several factors. Among them, the maturation of an industry with increasing technological complexity and systems that make up the “core business” of many companies, which are being digitized at a forced pace.
We can make a simple analogy. In case you need a cardiovascular surgeon, surely we prefer one who has already operated previously, in different cases and patients, even with traditional techniques. It is a matter of “trust”.
Beyond the hype
The certifications are a great way to validate knowledge about a domain by third parties, to give added confidence ahead of the professional labor market and a means of updating and expansion of knowledge.
Digital Marketing Lahore is a providing BEST SEO Services In Lahore. We are providing Social Media Services and ROI focused SEO Services
