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Which Azure certificate will get you a job?
In the last few weeks, a couple of .NET developers asked me in the LinkedIn DMs:
“Which Azure certifications do you recommend for progressing my .NET career?”
At first, my answer was sneaky: “It depends.”
But since that is a horrible answer, let me answer the question in this email.
I’ll cover two main points:
- What Azure certificate should you go with?
- Will getting an Azure certificate progress your career or get you a new job?
What Azure certificate should you go with?
You should focus on the certificates where you already have some work experience.
Or if you a total beginner, choose a path that interests you the most.
There are a couple of paths you can choose from:
- Security path
- Development path
- Infrastructure path
- Data & Analytics path
Here is a handy map if you want a nice visual of what exams are available in each path within the Azure ecosystem.
My recommendation is to start with AZ-900 - Azure Fundamentals, even if you already have some experience with Azure.
And choose your next exam based on your interests.
Will getting an Azure certificate progress your career or get you a new job?
Before we discuss whether you should get the Azure certificate, here are 3 benefits of certifications, based on my experience:
- More money in your pocket – Some companies value certified developers. They’ll cover exam costs, give bonuses for passing, and if they’re Microsoft partners, they need certified devs to keep their status.
- Stand out from the crowd – Certs don’t prove you’re an expert. But they show you’re motivated. Some companies see them as a sign you’re serious about learning and growing.
- Great learning material – Even if you don’t take the exam, certification prep material covers a ton. It’s a solid way to explore technology and see what’s out there.
Also, certificates increase in value if you back them up with experience.
But if you cheat to pass exams, you will get found out sooner or later. That will happen as soon as you start working in the area that the certificate covers. Unfortunately, some developers do this.
That’s why some interviewers are skeptical of someone with certificates.
And will pick someone with experience without certs.
Over someone who has certificates.
But no experience.
Having said all that, the value of certificates has decreased in the last few years, based on my experience of talking to different developers, recruiters, and companies.
And a certificate alone won’t get you a job.
But, if you use material from exams to learn fundamentals and concepts and build something on your own, then that experience can help you significantly.
Hope this answers the question.