If you are looking for a lucrative career with excellent scope for growth and development, becoming an Azure-certified expert will not disappoint you. Microsoft Azure is one of the leading cloud computing services, and Microsoft certifications are well-respected in the industry. Getting a Microsoft Azure certification can not only help you advance your career in the cloud computing field.
Curious about the field? In this blog, we will take you through the different Microsoft certifications, their benefits, and how you can get one.
What is a Microsoft Azure certification?
Microsoft Azure certifications are ideal for IT professionals, including AI professionals, data analysts, and developers, who want to advance their careers and work with Azure. Some of the Microsoft certifications are also suitable for beginners who want to learn the basics of Azure.
Microsoft offers three types of certifications based on the level of knowledge: fundamentals, associate, and expert. It also offers specialty certifications for people who want to get specialized in a specific field.
Becoming an Azure certified expert: Tips and resources:
Ready to become an Azure-certified expert? Microsoft certifications can be challenging to get, but they are certainly not impossible to achieve. Here are the steps you can follow to become an Azure-certified expert.
Develop skills:
The first step is to develop the relevant skills required to get an Azure certification. You can enroll in Microsoft online courses to prepare for the certification and develop the necessary skills. Many providers provide microsoft azure certification training. Carefully go through the reviews and study programs before enrolling in one.
You can also go through Microsoft’s official self-paced content that will help you prepare for the certification exam. You can also enroll in Microsoft’s instructor-led training. Another resource is the Microsoft Azure Virtual Training Days hosted by Microsoft. These sessions can help you get an idea of certification.
Meet prerequisites:
Most Microsoft certifications do not have a formal set of prerequisites for candidates. However, Microsoft recommends you have a good understanding of the skills that will be tested in the exam and have some hands-on experience working in the field in case of associate-level certifications. However, most Azure certifications have certain prerequisites that you must follow to enroll in the exam. You should also take practice exams before sitting for the exam and use Azure with a free trial subscription. This will help you better prepare for the exam.
Clear the exam and maintain your credentials:
The next step is to pass your certification exam. To pass the exam, you need to score at least 700 out of 1000. Once you have cleared the exam, the next agenda is to maintain your credentials. Some associate and expert-level certifications have renewal assessments that you have to pass to renew your certifications.
Advantages of Azure certification:
Getting a Microsoft Azure certification has many benefits. It can provide you with new opportunities, help grow your career, and even increase your potential to get a better salary. Let us discuss some of these benefits.
Multiple career options:
A Microsoft Azure certification gives the flexibility to choose from several career options. From a cloud developer to a solution architect, you can choose to work in any industry you want. Companies in all industries are migrating to the cloud because of its endless benefits, therefore you can apply for roles in different industries. You can enroll in any of microsoft online courses to prepare for any certifications and develop all the necessary skills which will help you in career growth.
Growth:
One of the biggest advantages of becoming an Azure-certified expert is that you will grow in your career. Microsoft certifications are among the most sought IT certifications. Therefore, they can help you get better job opportunities with higher salaries.
Better skill set:
Azure certifications can help you hone your skill set and take them to another level. You can become an expert in Azure concepts, including Azure access, security, identity, compliance, and governance.
Levels of Azure certifications:
As mentioned earlier, Azure has three levels of certifications. Here are some of them.
Fundamental level certifications:
- Azure Fundamental (AZ-900) – Best for fundamental knowledge of cloud concepts
- Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900) – Best for demonstrating AI skills
- Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900) – Best for learning core concepts of data
Associate level certifications:
- Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) – Best for developing Azure computing and storage
- Azure Network Engineer Associate (AZ-700) – Validates your knowledge of Azure network solutions
- Azure Security Engineer Associate (AZ-500) – Validates your knowledge of cloud-based security and management
- Azure Data Scientist Associate (DP-100) – Best for learning data science and Azure Machine Learning
- Azure Database Administrator Associate (DP-300) – Validates your skills in managing the operational aspects of data platform solutions
- Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104) – Best for developing a skill set in managing the Azure environment.
Expert:
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305) – Best for developing expertise in designing cloud and hybrid solutions on Azure
- DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) – Best for developing expertise in DevOps, Azure development, and administration
Specialty:
- Azure IoT Developer Specialty (AZ-220)
- Azure Virtual Desktop Specialty (AZ-140)
- Azure for SAP Workload Speciality (AZ-120)
And that’s it! You are well on your way to becoming an Azure-certified expert.