AWS Certifications vs Skills | Azure Certifications vs Skills (The Hiring Managers View)

Summary

In this video, Michael Gibbs, founder of GoCloud Careers, discusses the importance of certifications versus skills from a hiring manager's perspective. He emphasizes that while certifications can open doors, it's the skills that secure employment. Suggesting a balance, Gibbs advises obtaining challenging certifications to build your brand and complement them with the necessary skills. He also notes that certifications are more critical early in one's career and offers free resources to help viewers develop a successful tech career.

Takeaways

• 😀 Employers hire to get work done, they need people with the skills to accomplish specific tasks.
• 📈 Certifications can help you get an interview but skills are crucial to get hired and perform well in the job.
• 🏆 Challenging certifications like CCIE are highly valued as they often come with strong skills.
• 🚫 Not all certifications guarantee job skills; some may only test knowledge of service names or configurations.
• 🔑 Certifications, even easier ones, can still be valuable for learning and to get your foot in the door.
• 📚 Employers value both certifications and skills, but the ability to do the job well is paramount.
• 💼 As you progress in your career, the importance of certifications decreases, and the focus shifts to planning and strategy.
• 🌟 Getting 2-3 challenging certifications can significantly enhance your brand and open up interview opportunities.
• 📈 In early career stages, certifications play a more significant role in getting interviews due to less experience.
• 🎓 Free resources and webinars are available to help build skills and understand the tech career landscape.

Q & A

What is the primary reason employers hire employees?

Employers hire because they have work to be done and need people with the skills to accomplish it.

What perspective does Michael Gibbs provide in the video?

Michael Gibbs provides the perspective of a hiring manager, having been both an individual contributor and a manager in the tech industry.

Why are certifications important according to Michael Gibbs?

Certifications are important because they build your brand and can help you get an interview, which is a stepping stone towards getting hired.

How do certifications and skills relate to each other in the hiring process?

Certifications can indicate that you have the skills needed for a job, but having both certifications and skills is ideal as it increases your chances of getting hired.

What is an example of a certification that builds skills, as mentioned by Michael Gibbs?

An example of a certification that builds skills is the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), which is known for being challenging and thus often equates to having good skills.

What is the role of AWS certifications in the hiring process?

AWS certifications can be valuable for learning AWS features and functionalities, but they may not necessarily provide the practical skills required for a job, such as a Cloud Architect.

Why might an AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam not fully prepare you for a Cloud Architect role?

The AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam focuses on learning the names and configurations of AWS services, but the actual Cloud Architect role involves much more, such as understanding business goals, rearchitecturing, and managing stakeholders, which are not covered in the exam.

What is the impact of easier certifications with free retakes on their value?

Easier certifications with free retakes may lose their value because more people can pass them, and if they don't correlate with the required skills for a job, their significance diminishes.

What advice does Michael Gibbs give regarding the pursuit of certifications?

Michael Gibbs advises getting two to three challenging certifications that will help build skills and brand, which are more likely to get you good interviews.

How do certifications become less significant as you progress in your career?

As you move up in your career, the focus shifts from hands-on work to planning and strategy, which is why certifications become less significant for higher-level positions like CEO or CIO.

What resources does Michael Gibbs offer to help viewers build their tech careers?

Michael Gibbs offers free documents and webinars that can help viewers learn the right skills and build their careers in technology.

Outlines

00:00

📈 The Importance of Certifications and Skills for Employment

Michael Gibbs, founder and CEO of GoCloud Careers, discusses the significance of certifications versus skills from a hiring manager's perspective. He highlights that employers hire to get work done and they are interested in candidates who can perform the job well. Certifications can help secure an interview but skills are crucial for getting hired. Gibbs emphasizes that while certifications are valuable, they do not always equate to job skills. He suggests that having both certifications and skills is ideal, as certifications can build a candidate's brand. He also points out that challenging certifications like the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) are highly regarded because they typically indicate strong skills. However, easier certifications might not necessarily reflect the necessary job skills.

05:00

🎓 Balancing Certifications and Skills for Career Growth

Gibbs advises not to skip certifications as they can help secure interviews, especially early in one's career. He recommends obtaining two to three challenging certifications to build a strong brand. However, he also stresses the importance of developing skills, as certifications alone are not enough to guarantee job success. He warns against the devaluation of certifications that are easy to pass or can be memorized, as they may not accurately reflect a candidate's abilities. As one progresses in their career, the focus should shift from hands-on work to planning, and certifications become less significant. Gibbs offers free resources and webinars to help viewers build their careers and develop the necessary skills for their desired roles.

Keywords

💡Certifications

Certifications refer to official qualifications or credentials that prove one's competence in a particular field or skill. In the video, certifications are discussed as a way to demonstrate one's ability to potential employers. The speaker emphasizes that while certifications can help secure an interview, they are not as crucial as actual skills in performing a job. An example given is the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE), which is highlighted as a challenging certification that typically indicates strong skills.

💡Skills

Skills are the practical abilities or expertise one possesses to perform tasks or jobs effectively. The video underscores the importance of skills over certifications, stating that an individual's ability to do a job well is what ultimately matters to employers. Skills are what get someone hired, as they directly relate to job performance. The speaker contrasts certifications with skills, suggesting that while certifications can open doors, it's the skills that keep one employed.

💡Employers

Employers are the organizations or individuals who hire workers to perform jobs. The video discusses employers' perspectives on hiring, emphasizing that they seek individuals who can effectively complete the work required. Employers are portrayed as being more interested in an applicant's ability to perform rather than just their credentials, which shapes their hiring decisions.

💡Hiring Managers

Hiring managers are the individuals responsible for recruiting, interviewing, and selecting new employees. In the context of the video, hiring managers are depicted as the gatekeepers who decide whether a candidate's combination of certifications and skills make them a good fit for a job. The speaker shares insights from his experience as a hiring manager to advise viewers on how to better position themselves for employment.

💡Interview

An interview is a meeting where a potential employer assesses a candidate's suitability for a job. The video mentions that certifications can help an individual get an interview, but it's their skills and performance during the interview that will determine if they get hired. The interview is presented as a critical stage where both the candidate's skills and the value of their certifications are evaluated.

💡Cloud Architect

A Cloud Architect is a professional who designs and oversees the implementation of cloud computing solutions. The video uses the role of a Cloud Architect to illustrate the difference between what is learned in certifications and the actual responsibilities of the job. The speaker explains that while a certification might teach the basics of AWS services, the role requires a broader set of skills, such as understanding business goals and redesigning technology strategies.

💡AWS Certifications

AWS Certifications are credentials offered by Amazon Web Services that validate cloud computing skills. The video discusses AWS certifications as an example of how some certifications might not fully equip an individual with the necessary skills for a job. The speaker points out that while AWS certifications can be valuable, they should be complemented with practical skills to be effective in a job role.

💡CCIE

CCIE stands for Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert, a high-level certification in networking. The video uses CCIE as an example of a certification that is both challenging and indicative of strong skills. The speaker suggests that having a CCIE certification can significantly boost a candidate's chances of getting an interview and being hired for network engineering roles.

💡Career Development

Career development refers to the process of growing and advancing in one's professional life. The video advises on career development by recommending a balance between obtaining challenging certifications and developing practical skills. It suggests that early in one's career, certifications play a more significant role, but as one progresses, the focus should shift more towards skill development.

💡Brand Building

Brand building in the context of the video refers to the process of establishing and promoting one's professional identity. Certifications are mentioned as a tool for building one's brand, which can lead to better interview opportunities. The speaker advises obtaining a few challenging certifications to enhance one's professional brand and increase the likelihood of being noticed by hiring managers.

💡Free Webinars

Free webinars are online seminars offered at no cost, often used for educational or informational purposes. The video mentions that the speaker's company offers free webinars as a resource to help individuals learn about different tech careers and develop the necessary skills. These webinars are presented as a valuable, no-cost way for viewers to gain insights and ask questions to advance their careers.

Highlights

Employers hire because they have work to be done.

Certifications and skills are both important for job seekers.

Hiring managers look for the ability to do the job well.

CCIE certification is an example of a challenging exam that builds skills.

Some certifications may not directly translate to job skills.

AWS certifications can help you learn AWS features but may not provide all necessary skills.

Certifications can be valuable for getting interviews, especially early in your career.

As you progress in your career, the importance of certifications decreases.

Certifications can be weakened if they are easy to pass or have free retakes.

It's recommended to get 2-3 challenging certifications to build your brand.

In the early stages of your career, certifications are more significant.

As you move up, focus shifts from hands-on to planning, reducing the importance of certifications.

Combining certifications with skills is a winning strategy.

Free resources are available to help you learn the right skills and build your career.

Free webinars are offered to discuss tech careers and answer questions.

The video provides insights to help with your technology career.

Transcripts

would you like to know if employers care

more about your

certifications or your

skills if so this video

is my name is Michael Gibbs and I'm the

founder and CEO of gocloud careers and

I've been working in technology now for

well over 25 years and I've spent more

than two decades helping people just

like you get your first tech job or get

permitted in Tech and I want to answer

the question of certifications versus

skills for you and I want to give you

the perspective from the hiring manager

perspective because I've been both the

individual contributor like the network

engineer the cloud architect the network

architect the Enterprise architect and

I've also been the manager that hires

people and when you look at it from the

manager perspective versus the worker

perspective we often see things

differently and since I want you to

either get the best jobs or get promoted

I want you to be able to understand it

from the hiring managers perspective so

let's talk about why employers hire

employers hire because they have work to

be done whether they need a cloud

architect to say design their Cloud

systems or they need a cloud engineer to

build their Cloud systems or they need

some ssops people to maintain their

systems or even Some Cloud security

people to secure their systems employers

hire because they have work to be done

and what an employer will do is they

will look at the amount of work that

needs to be done they will look at their

current Staffing and say do I have the

people with the skills to get the work

done and if the answer is yes they don't

hire if the answer is no and they need

people to do more work or bring in

additional skills than the employer

hires so when you understand things from

the employer perspective it'll help you

manage your career much better the key

to remember is the employer hires

because they have work to be done so

understanding that let's talk about

certifications versus

skills if the employer has work to be

done they care about your ability to do

the job and they care about your ability

to do it well if you can't do the job it

doesn't matter if you have three phds

and 100 certifications sadly they can't

hire you but if you can do the job and

you can do it well you could and should

be hired assuming you do a good job on

the interview so think about that now

does this mean that we should only focus

on skills and not certifications no

because you are certified and you can do

that job because you've got the good

skills now you're really in a good place

and we'll talk about that but let's go

back to the certifications versus skills

do certifications give you the skills to

do the job because the key is if you

could have both certifications and

skills then you're really good

certifications will build your brand and

help you get an interview and the skills

will get you hired so let's think about

this and evaluate this there are some

certifications that are so challenging

that after completing these

certifications you generally have good

skills my favorite example of a

certification that builds your skills is

the Cisco certified internet expert

otherwise known as the

CCI this is an incredibly challenging

exam people take it every single day and

after 30 years Cisco has only certified

about 65,000 Cisco certified internet

experts and if you pass that exam

chances are you've got really good

skills and hiring managers know that so

if you've got a CCI in your resume and

you're applying for a network

engineering job chances are you're going

to get an interview and chances are

you've got great skills to actually get

hired but what about other kinds of

certifications what about some of the

AWS certifications for example or some

basic

certifications well here's the challenge

you can easily pass these exams and

still not have any of the skills to do

the job I'll give you the example of the

cloud architect if you were to take an

AWS Solutions architect professional

exam you'll learn the name of an AWS

service and how to configure that but

what you will do in your job will have

absolutely nothing to do with that for

example that cloud architect will

interview the executive team of an

organization to find their business

goals and their business Vision that

cloud architect again would then go to

understand the business how the business

operates and then uh the business

processes that exist and that cloud

architect after that would then help

rearchitecturing

after that the cloud architect for

example would learn and examine the

organization's carent technology and

then redesign a technology strategy

based upon that organization's goals and

needs that will include a lot of

documentation a lot of vendor

relationship a lot of stakeholder

management a lot of presentation skills

writing skills and sales skills and

there's much more that goes into the

cloud architect role but none of these

things are covered in the AWS Solutions

architect professional so that doesn't

mean those exams aren't worth they're

very worth it it gives you the

opportunity to learn some AWS things

some AWS features and functionality but

don't count on that exam getting you the

skills to get the job you're going to

have to learn those skills on your own

so certifications plus skills is

honestly a beautiful recipe but

certifications especially the weaker

ones and why are they weaker ones

they're weaker ones because they may

have a free exam retakes and when

there's free exam retakes many more

people can pass them and when we've got

a lot of people that can pass an exam

especially if it doesn't have the

required skills it loses its value you

can also for some of the easier exams

buy a copy of the exam from certain test

providers and literally go memorize the

questions and answers to the test and go

take these tests and there are also

people that will take some of these more

basic exams for you so what do we do do

we skip certification no don't skip your

certifications because certifications

will build your bread and help you get

an interview I suggest you get two to

three very difficult very challenging

big certifications the certifications

that will help you get

skills and the certifications that are

going to build your brand because most

people want to attempt them and that'll

make it more likely for you to get the

good interviews and I will show you with

someone that's willing to work and go

above and beyond and that's something

that every hiring manager needs on their

team now continuing our discussion

earlier in your career the

certifications are much more significant

because they will help you get those

interviews when your resume or your CV

and your LinkedIn profile are lacking As

you move up in your career you go from

typically Hands-On doing things to

planning things and that's why there's

not going to be any certifications for a

CEO or a CIO or an EVP so leverage

certifications build your brand and also

focus on developing the skills for your

career do that and you have the winning

combination have an incredible technical

care if you desire become a cloud

architect or an Enterprise architect or

an AI architect we've got free documents

in the description of this video that

will help you learn the right skills

learn how to build your career and

they're completely free for you we also

have free webinars where we talk about

certain types of tech careers you can

come join us on Zoom you can ask us

questions and we'll do anything we can

to help you through all these webinars

are completely free and if you've

enjoyed this video please give it a like

please subscribe to our Channel and hit

the Bell to be notified of new videos to

assist you and your technology career

this is Mike Gibbs signing off for now

and I'd look forward to seeing you in

another video take care