TL;DR: It depends. If your goal is to learn AWS, then it’s definitely worth it. in my role as a Senior Software Engineer, it helped me design applications more effectively because of my deeper understanding of AWS. However, If you’re aiming for career advancement or a better job, the certification alone doesn’t guarantee success. In my case, I transitioned to the Cybersecurity team at my current company, and I believe one of the factors was my AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification.

My Journey to AWS Certification and Its Impact on My Career

In December 2022, my company offered us free AWS training. The training suggested that getting certified was worthwhile. Long story short, I dove deeper into AWS, prepared for the exam, and eventually passed the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam.

While studying for the certification, my knowledge of AWS expanded exponentially, especially in areas like AutoScaling, VPC, Networking, and IAM. Previously, I only knew how to use EC2, RDS, and S3 but had never set them up from scratch.

I also discovered a wide range of AWS services and gained an understanding of why AWS networks are so robust, including the importance of availability zones. I learned about cross-account AWS connections, and when to choose one service over another, and much more.

As a result, in my role as a Senior Software Engineer, it helped me design applications more effectively because of my deeper understanding of AWS.

In Q2 of this year (2024), I moved to the Cybersecurity team at my current company, and I believe that my AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification was a key factor, along with my software engineering skills and cybersecurity background from college.

Back to certification itself, based on my observations, having the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification is particularly valuable if you are a freelancer. This certification can help you stand out among other candidates.

If you are a full-time Software Engineer, there’s no strong need to pursue this certification. Instead, focus on deepening your knowledge of AWS services related to your job, such as IAM, RDS, S3, SQS, and SNS. However, if you are a freelancer building applications for clients on AWS, then this certification is definitely worth it.