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Cloud competition is heating up as off-site security comes to rival on-prem deployments, connections become more robust and advanced features become commonplace. As noted by data from Gartner, however, there’s clear frontrunner: Amazon.

The online giant’s AWS public cloud services captured almost 50 percent global market share in 2018, well ahead of nearest competitor Microsoft Azure, posting steady 26.8 percent growth over the year as organizations shift both resource-hungry web applications and more critical back-office operations to the cloud.

What does this mean for IT pros? That there’s never been a better time to get in the cloud game. So if you want to play in the big leagues, you need the right training and certification — demonstrable proof that you understand AWS functions, can iterate on key designs and can help companies build a better cloud.

Ready to jump-start your cloud career? Here’s how to become an AWS Solution Architect.

Where Science Meets Art

According to Business News Daily, the AWS Solution Architect ranks as the top certification for 2019. Not only is it the most-requested cloud certification in job postings but also boasts the highest salary, coming in at just under $130,000 on average.

But what exactly is a cloud solutions architect?

Put simply, cloud architects are responsible for planning, designing, and deploying AWS networks across their organization. If this doesn’t sound simple, you’re right — it isn’t. From interoperability of cloud networks and legacy systems to effective security measures to industry best practices, architects are constantly juggling user, C-suite and compliance demands to create cloud networks that deliver on performance without compromising on IT control over oversight.

In practice, cloud architects need a combination of technical skill and artistic flair —the ability to design robust, secure cloud deployments that are also streamlined and straightforward, in effect reducing complexity even as they ramp up scope and scale.

What You Need to Know about AWS Solution Architect Training

The AWS Solutions Architect certification is intended for IT professionals with hands-on experience “designing available, cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed systems on AWS,” according to the official Amazon description.

This makes sense given the highly technical nature of cloud deployments; resources must be scaled on-demand and endpoint access effectively controlled in-situ to deliver consistent performance and reliable results. The skills necessary to provide this kind of adaptability require in-depth experience with cloud deployments — experience that isn’t available through coursework alone.

The result? If AWS architecting and development is on your radar, but you’re just starting in the IT industry, consider training in AWS technical essentials to both boost your knowledge of Amazon cloud operations and prepare you for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

Getting Started with AWS Architect Certification

If you’re an experienced cloud professional looking to design advanced infrastructure for your business — or increase the impact of your resume with advanced AWS training — the Solution Architect certification may be your best fit.

In this course, students go in-depth with topics including:

• The Well-Architected Framework — Building cloud frameworks that are strong, stable, and streamlined using AWS tools and resources.
• Networking with AWS — Ensuring service and system connectivity and consistent function across enterprise networks.
• Core AWS Availability — Creating highly stable and available environments to deliver both agility and reliability.
• Event-Driven Scaling — Deploying new resources and compute instances in response to key network events.
• Automation — Automating key processes to streamline operations and reduce total complexity.
• Serverless Designs — Using highly-available AWS frameworks to create serverless designs that deliver consistent performance.
• Ongoing Growth — Mapping the expansion of architecture from initial cloud adoption to large-scale deployments and integration.

Completion of this course combined with hands-on cloud experience helps prepare IT professionals for the AWS Solution Architect exam, which is a 130-minute multiple-choice evaluation.

Building Your Cloud Career

Cloud experts are in-demand. AWS Solutions Architect certification opens the door to both cloud design and deployment opportunities and paves the way for other options such as AWS Developer Associate Training or consultant-based cloud assessment, design, and security evaluation careers.

Worth noting? It’s not just what you know, but where you look for cloud opportunities that matter.

For example, Forbes reports that Washington, DC is one of the top five cities in America for cloud computing jobs, competing with mainstays like New York and San Francisco thanks to a rapidly developing DC technology sector.

From an AWS-specific perspective, Data Center Knowledge points out that Northern Virginia hosts one of Amazon’s large-scale data centers, making it a hotbed of cloud activity and a great place for cloud-certified IT professionals to advance their IT careers.

Moreover, in terms of sheer volume, it’s hard to beat Maryland — according to data from job search site Indeed, more than 800 job postings target cloud infrastructure engineers and architects, with the vast majority paying upwards of $100,000 per year.

Architecting Your Advantage

AWS Solution Architect certification provides a critical foundation for advanced, cloud-driven IT careers. Ready to build a better future? Get started today.