The Real Value of AWS Certifications

Have you ever sat down to study for a test (after you are done with school)? It's kind of weird. If you were to ask some LLM to write about AWS certifications today they would generate something like… 

“In today’s cloud-driven world, AWS skills are in high demand. Whether you're an engineer, architect, or business leader, AWS certifications can provide a competitive edge. But beyond just looking good on a resume, they can be a game-changer in real situations.” 

In my never so humble opinion, getting an AWS certification is not about the certification; it’s all about the process of learning and gaining experience. There is a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay Self-Reliance (https://emersoncentral.com/texts/essays-first-series/self-reliance/) that resonates with me when I think of this topic… 

“There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried.” 

This is a profound idea that gets us to the heart of why we do our work. This is not just a journey, as GenAI would have us read, that says “AWS skills are in high demand… blah blah blah… get more money”. No, this is a process of taking “that plot of ground” and transforming it into something that will nourish our world. It makes the long hours of learning and the awkward post-college proctored test situations normal and maybe even worthwhile.  

Does an AWS Certification even matter?  

The real answer is no! Your skill and experience are what matters. But a few years ago, I was on a new customer call with an SA who is the first Gold Jacket holder I have ever worked with – let’s call him VJ. 

This customer (ACME, Inc.) had just been hacked due to bad IAM policies and poor password hygiene. ACME, Inc. had 34 TB of data that had been deleted and was being held ransom for 0.016 BITCOIN. Another AWS partner that ACME, Inc. worked with took 24 hours to reply to their initial Wednesday afternoon help request. Their reply was a nice PowerPoint deck and a promise to be on a call to get the details a week later. Well, VJ and I quickly got on a call and, within an hour, quickly diagnosed their problem and identified a sophisticated resolution. A normal technical person would have been able to resolve the problem in 234 days, but our team created a solution that took 60 hours of coding work by the team and 3 hours to run. Our team volunteered to work over the weekend and, by Monday morning, all 34 TB were recovered, no money was paid, and AIM policies and security were updated.    

What made this possible was not the Gold Jacket, but rather what made this possible was the type of person this Gold Jacket represented. The Gold Jacket represented a person who was willing to go through the effort of learning, gaining experience, practicing, and staying focused on a long-term target. This was the type of person that could response quickly and solve a problem – because of the knowledge, experience, and motivation.  

Why AWS Certifications can be important 

1. Proof of Expertise 

AWS certifications demonstrate that your cloud skills are validated by AWS. They show employers and clients that you know what you're doing. 

2. Career Acceleration 

Certified professionals can earn higher salaries and get more job opportunities. 

3. Hands-On Learning 

The certification process forces you to go beyond theory and get practical. It’s not just about memorizing concepts—you apply them in real-world scenarios. 

4. Competitive Advantage for Businesses 

For companies, having AWS-certified professionals on the team builds credibility and can unlock AWS partner benefits, helping secure more projects and customers. This is especially true since AWS partner tiers require having a certain number of certified team members. Also, AWS Competencies require AWS certified team members. Both your partner tier and your AWS Competencies will unlock additional AWS funding buckets. 

5. Future-Proofing Your Skills 

AWS evolves constantly. Maintaining your AWS certifications will ensure you stay up to date with the latest cloud tech. 

AWS Certifications (https://aws.amazon.com/certification/) 

There are 12 different AWS certifications: 

There are 2 Foundational certifications that will help orient any one to the basics of the AWS concepts and platform.  

There are 5 Associate certifications that require broad practical hands-on-keyboard experience with AWS.  

There are 2 Professional certifications that build on the Foundational and Associate knowledge and skill, requiring people to go deeper. These are more difficult to obtain and demonstrate a profound depth of knowledge, skill, and experience.  

Finally, there are 3 Specialty certifications that represent a depth of experience and knowledge in key special areas. With so many services built and deployed to AWS, it is not a simple task to get 1 certification, let alone more than one.  

Foundational  

 Associate 

Professional 

Specialty 

Final Thought 

AWS certifications are just badges. The investment that you put into obtaining each badge is what counts. The skill, knowledge, experience, and (maybe most importantly) the motivation required to do the hard work is what counts the most for your career. Whether you’re looking to land a job, earn a raise, or build customer trust – do the work.