Introduction
Amazon Web Services – the world-leading Provider of Cloud Services has a lot of certifications in its collections, from Standard industry Cloud certifications to certificates of completion for AWS-backed training on Coursera. The blog post will review the AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate – one of the few AWS Certificates on Coursera.
This review will explore the AWS Cloud Consultant career,
- What does an AWS Cloud Consultant do?
- What’s in the Certificate Curriculum?
- Who is it for?
- The Skills you will learn
- The cost of the Certification
- The duration
- Demand for Cloud Technology Consultants
-
How much does an AWS consultant make?
- and whether or not it is worth it.
- Also, address some frequently asked questions relating to Cloud Technology Consulting.
What is a Cloud Technology Consultant?
A Cloud Technology Consultant understands Cloud Technology and business needs and can offer expert advice to businesses on the best cloud solutions specific to their business needs.
They act as a bridge between an organization’s technical (cloud) and business objectives. A Cloud Technology Consultant will typically offer professional advice on the design, development, and infrastructure of applications in the cloud.
What are the roles of an AWS Cloud Consultant?
The AWS Cloud Consultant helps organizations better utilize Cloud technologies and tools within the AWS Cloud Provisions and Services. Some of the consultancy roles or duties may include the following;
- They help organizations and businesses better understand AWS Cloud technologies and Services
- They offer advice on designing and developing cloud-based infrastructure to a company’s management and employees.
- They are involved in helping an organization move data and networks to an Amazon cloud-based environment.
- Cost-savings by helping organizations choose the appropriate AWS cloud services and tools.
What’s in the Certificate Curriculum?
The AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate consists of 9 courses. Each of these courses covers a separate part of Cloud Consulting. They are fully online, self-taught, and are available through Coursera.
- Course 1: Introduction to Information Technology and AWS Cloud – Foundational IT Knowledge, IT and the Internet, The AWS Cloud. 6 hours.
- Course 2: AWS Cloud Technical Essentials – AWS Overview and Security, Compute and networking, storage and Databases on AWS, Monitoring and Optimization. 25 hours
- Course 3: Providing Technical Support for AWS Workloads -Troubleshooting Cloud-related issues, Troubleshooting AWS Services, Topical Customer Scenarios. 7 hours
- Course 4: Developing Applications in Python on AWS – Introduction, Architecture comparison, Database, Messaging Services. 9 hours
- Course 5: Skills for Working as an AWS Cloud Consultant – Thinking as a Cloud consultant, Designing Solutions and Managing Projects, and Managing Relationships. Building your career. 10 hours
- Course 6: DevOps on AWS and Project Management – Defining the project, Project Management Methodologies, Introduction to DevOps. Building a Better Pipeline. 8 hours
- Course 7: Automation in the AWS Cloud – Why Automate, Infrastructure as a Code, AWS Services and Features Used for Automation. 8 hours
- Course 8: Data Analytics and Databases on AWS – Foundations of Data Analysis, ETL Pipeline and Database Foundations, AWS Services for ETL. 9 hours
- Course 9: Capstone: Following the AWS Well-Architected Framework – The AWS-Architected Framework 1 & 2, Preparing to be an AWS Cloud Consultant. 11hours
Who is the Program for?
This is a beginner’s level certification requiring no prior knowledge, degree, or experience. It is designed for anyone who aspires to learn skills for a Cloud Technology Consultant role.
The Skills you will learn
The Certification program will help you gain valuable skills relevant to the job of Cloud Consultant. You will gain skills in Cloud management, Data Management, Cloud Strategy, Cloud Architecture, and Cloud Computing security.
Also, you will learn other non-technical skills such as Teamwork, Interpersonal Communications and Problem-Solving skills
You will learn to;
- Provide technical solutions to businesses and help cloud implementation teams achieve them
- Match business goals with appropriate technologies and translate those goals into realities.
- Create the conceptual, logical, and physical design for cloud-based solutions for infrastructure and platforms
- Learn how to gather technical requirements, assess client capabilities, and analyze findings to provide appropriate cloud solution recommendations
Cost of the Certification
The AWS Cloud Technology Consultant Professional Certificate is obtained by completing the certification program on Coursera and passing the assessment. The cost of the Coursera subscription is $39 per month.
How much you pay in total depends on how long it takes you to complete the certification. There is also the option of assessing the training materials for free using the Coursera Course audit option (see how: HOW TO GET FREE COURSES ON COURSERA )
Duration of the Certification
The AWS Cloud Consulting certificate program is self-paced. The Coursera duration estimate is 4 months on a 10-hour/week study routine. However, most persons will complete the certificate program in about 2-3 months.
Demand for Cloud Technology Consultants
Cloud Consulting is one of the emerging early cloud careers with an increasing demand. Almost every business has some of its critical infrastructure deployed to the cloud. A Cloud Consultant will find their expertise crucial as the Cloud Technology advances further.
Cloud Development and Management – a key part of the Cloud Consulting career according to Draup Research, is the fastest growing major skill cluster. This has had a CAGR of 68 percent in the last 5 years(since 2019).
How much does an AWS consultant make?
The average salary for an AWS Cloud Consultant is about $124,500 per year (US, Glassdoor) or an hourly rate of about $60. The top-paying cities in the US are San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Oakland, CA, Hayward, CA, and Ashland, CA.
In Canada, the range is about $63K -$96K per year. In the UK, the salary range for an AWS Cloud Consultant ranges from £55K -£80K per year (Talent.com) while in Australia AUD100K – AUD 191K per year.
Is the AWS Cloud Consultant Certificate worth it?
There is much value in getting the AWS Cloud Consultant Certificate if your goal is to become a Cloud Consultant. The Certification is tailor-made for the job description. The Certificate is from AWS – the largest Cloud Service Provider- and taught by professionals in AWS.
The cost of the certificate is fairly priced, the duration is short and you get to build a Capstone project you can include in your work portfolio.
The certificate is however a certificate of completion, not the other standard certifications from taking a Professional exam from AWS. Certificates of completion are less credible from an employer’s perspective because you usually do not have to take a proctored Professional exam to get them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do AWS certifications expire?
The standard AWS Certifications have a validity of 3 years, upon expiration, you will need to recertify for the certificate to remain valid.
However, there are no indications that AWS Certificates (certificates of completion ) offered through Coursera e.g. AWS Cloud Technology Consulting Professional Certificates have any expiration dates.
Can I get AWS certification for free?
No. The materials for many AWS Certifications can be accessed for free – including those available on Coursera (using the audit option). The cost of each certification varies depending on the certificate.
What is the difference between a cloud engineer and a consultant?
Like all engineers, a Cloud Engineer designs, builds, deploys, implements, monitors, and secures cloud solutions. Cloud A Consultant on the other hand offers professional advice or suggestions on how best to tailor their business needs with a Cloud solution.
A Cloud Engineer focuses more on the technology while a Cloud consultant bridges the Business and Technology and does a lot of non-technical things like presentations and even sales.
How do I become an AWS cloud consultant?
A good way to become an AWS Cloud Consultant is to take the AWS Cloud Technology Consulting Professional Certificate available on Coursera. You need to be familiar with AWS products and Services to be a Consultant on those Solutions.
You will also need to develop your non-technical skills like Communication, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, sales and presentation skills, etc.
https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/aws-cloud-technology-consultant
