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A Deep Dive Into AWS Certifications and the Solutions Architect Exam
A Deep Dive Into AWS Certifications and the Solutions Architect Exam
The public cloud market is growing at a staggering rate, as companies of all sizes move their technical architecture away from costly on-site configurations. At the top of this industry is Amazon’s public cloud service, AWS, with $35.4 billion in revenue last year and 38.9% total market share. Its closest competitor, Microsoft’s Azure, saw $19 billion in revenue and 21.1% market share. It’s understandable then that AWS skills are in high demand among companies wanting to scale their backend infrastructure and provide the best possible customer experience. As AWS features change quickly, companies are encouraging employees to prepare for and earn technical certifications in AWS services to keep current with the complexities of cloud computing. Certifications are an optimal way to train and validate employees’ skills in these tools. They can also be a crucial hiring qualification when recruiting candidates for a specific technical need.Since there are 12 available AWS certifications for technical employees to earn, it can be difficult to understand which is right for your company’s needs. We recently spoke with Udemy instructor and AWS expert, Chandra Lingam, about his perspectives on keeping cloud computing knowledge current and the AWS certification that will give your team a strong foundation in the cloud platform. Q: What is a particularly valuable AWS certification?A: I consider the Solutions Architect Associate as the foundational certification for people in the technical track. I like this certification, as it gives learners a breadth of understanding of AWS services and how to integrate them into a complete solution for your company. Q: What does a Solutions Architect do?A: An architect is responsible for translating a company’s business requirements into a solution blueprint. They need to ensure the solution is secure, avoids a single point of failure, and handles changes to traffic flows while being cost-effective.An architect also has to review existing solutions and identify areas for improvement. They don’t simply propose a solution and hand it off to colleagues for implementation. They’re closely involved with most implementation steps of a cloud system and provide guidance to the development team.Consider this example of how the skills of a Solutions Architect might be seen in practical application. Someone recently reached out to me to help lower their company’s AWS hosting cost. The company’s product provided information to manage medical health conditions, and the AWS monthly charges were very high. We analyzed the itemized bill, VPC Flow Log, ELB logs, and type of requests processed by the application. The issue turned out to be an application-level attack by bots to bring down the system. We protected the application by deploying the AWS web application firewall and immediately noticed an improvement in performance and reduced usage of server resources. The customer reached out for assistance on billing and performance issues, but the root cause was a security issue we were able to identify, thanks to the knowledge I have from the Solutions Architect Associate certification. Q: What sort of learner should take your AWS Solutions Architect Associate course? A: In my AWS Certified Solutions Architect course, we walk through several real-world technical scenarios and how to apply cloud architectural principles to them. People will learn how to avoid a single point of failure, properly secure and protect their workload, and design for high availability, among other use cases. I see three types of learners for this course:Learners without prior cloud experience who want to transition to a career in cloud computing. Learners who might have some cloud experience and need a structured introduction to AWSExperienced public cloud users who want to stay up-to-date with the latest changes in AWS.The exam will test learners on 200 to 300 possible scenarios, which is why technical team leaders see certification prep as an important part of their employees’ continued learning. By preparing for these scenarios, learners become versatile AWS Solutions Architects.  Q: How do you approach teaching topics like AWS that change so rapidly?A: I prioritize features and capabilities that I feel organizations would value. So, that is my subjective assessment, but I also get feedback from learners requesting specific topics. AWS certification exam questions tend to lag behind any changes in the product by a few months. I use this time to test the new features, understand how companies might use them, and then develop the educational materials to update my courses.As an example of how I might incorporate AWS platform changes into my courses, let’s look at S3, a popular cloud storage service in AWS. A recent change in this product focuses on how object security is managed in S3 when multiple accounts share a bucket — which is a common scenario in an enterprise. S3 now allows the bucket owner to automatically become the owner of all objects stored in the bucket. This enhancement of S3 security vastly simplifies cross-account permissions. This improvement is great for big data analytics and when querying millions of objects, as you are guaranteed to access the most up-to-date data.I also keep an eye on pricing model changes, which are critical for using a cloud provider efficiently. AWS offers Savings Plans that allow companies to purchase fractional compute capacity at a deep discount for long-term use. This fractional purchase model allows an organization to adjust to changing technology needs quickly. Both of the updates I describe here provide great value to a company, so those are lessons I’d be sure to include in a new course or in the regular updates I make to existing courses.Q: What are the major trends you’re seeing in AWS this year?A: As I’ve noted, cloud computing changes quickly, whether a company is using AWS or other popular public cloud vendors like Microsoft’s Azure or Google Cloud. In the world of AWS, two trends are standing out for me:Cloud security emphasis: One simple cloud environment can have thousands of resources and millions of events associated with it. Protecting each cloud instance from constantly evolving security threats is a huge challenge that I’m seeing more learners express interest in. AI-powered tools like Amazon GuardDuty can learn your environment’s normal usage and automatically flag malicious activities. And to protect against more sophisticated application layer attacks, we also need to use the AWS Web Application Firewall.Renaming of existing products: A frequent challenge for myself and my learners is that AWS often repackages or renames existing services into new ones. For example, AWS Single Sign-On is now renamed AWS IAM Identity Center. This introduces an additional layer of complexity and confusion as cloud computing professionals try to keep these product name changes straight. While I keep naming up-to-date in my courses, I’d like to see all cloud providers stick to industry standard terms when naming products within their platforms.Empowering your workforce with AWS cloud knowledgeTechnical and non-technical roles alike are learning AWS. Technical roles because it is the leader in cloud computing and essential for many roles within the field. The business impact of the platform is so widespread that other types of roles, like financial specialists and project managers, are also learning the foundation of AWS in greater numbers than ever before.

Fri, 16 Dec 2022
The Best Way to Prepare Your Team for Technical Certifications
The Best Way to Prepare Your Team for Technical Certifications
Employees who earn technical certifications drive outcomes that business leaders care about — increased productivity, accuracy, and quality of work, along with reduced project costs. But even if leaders are concerned about seeing the return on investment with technical certifications, it might not be obvious how to help your employees prepare for them. We asked several Udemy Business technical certification instructors — Jason Dion, Scott Duffy, and Alan Rodrigues — to share their tips and tricks. Familiarize yourself with the available modes of learningIn the past, employers that wanted to offer technical certification education to their employees had limited options. One of the most common styles of preparing employees for certification involved paying an instructor to come in and lead an intensive boot camp. This approach to development costs several thousands of dollars per learner and takes time away from learners’ daily tasks. On the other side of the spectrum, books were a low-cost and easily accessible option, but they required a lot of heads-down time to study and absorb the information. Today there are plenty of more flexible options. Here are some of the insights the Udemy Business instructors shared about the different learning modes available now.VideosJason Dion is a big proponent of video content because it’s fast and convenient: “For a lot of things, it’s easier to see a video to demonstrate it. Something that might take five to ten pages in a book could be shown in a two-minute video, and it’s going to be a lot more effective because I can watch the person doing the steps and follow along.” Practice examsPractice exams give learners the chance to put their knowledge to the test — literally. By going through exercises that are likely to appear on the certification exam, they’ll get a good sense of how prepared they are and identify any knowledge or skill gaps. Jason says practice exams are one of the most important ways to prepare for certification.Virtual lab environmentsVirtual lab environments or sandboxes are another way learners can gain practical experience. “It’s very easy to practice using a lab product,” says Scott Duffy. Jason adds that virtual lab environments are ideal because you can have your team gain hands-on experience without affecting your production network. Maximize the support your company and managers provideOffering training to help prepare for certification is a great first step, but there’s more your company and managers can do to maximize employees’ chances of success.Create learning pathsTechnical certification skills often build on each other, so starting with foundational knowledge is helpful before moving on to more advanced topics. Alan Rodrigues recommends having teams or departments create their own learning paths. When you have an online learning platform like Udemy Business, it’s easy for technical leaders to outline the necessary skills or courses they’d like their team members to take.Structure workload to allow for study timeWhen managers get involved in the certification preparation process, they can support their team members by allowing time to study, says Scott Duffy. For example, if a manager knows the certification exam is coming up, they can take some story points away from the people taking the test to allow more time to study or prepare. They can also work with their team members to predict when their workload might be heavier and when it would be best to avoid scheduling the certification exam.Regularly ask team members about their professional goalsScott Duffy says the certification provides an ideal starting point for professional development conversations. If managers know someone on their team is about to take a certification exam or just completed one, it’s a good time to check in about their longer-term goals and career plans. And if you’re the person doing the certification, don’t be afraid to take this opportunity to kick off these conversations with your manager.Technical certification training is just the startIf you’re going to invest the time and money in technical certifications for your team, you want to ensure you’re setting them up for success. Simply providing a learning and development budget or giving access to training materials still puts the onus on employees to find the time and acquire the skills and knowledge they’ll need. 

Fri, 16 Dec 2022
Managing Up: How Managers Can Work Effectively With Their Own Managers
Managing Up: How Managers Can Work Effectively With Their Own Managers
Regardless of what size team or company you work with, your manager plays a key role in the work you do, the projects you contribute to, your career growth, and even your happiness. Because of their significance in your success, it’s important to prioritize your relationship with them, even if you’re a manager with your own direct reports. According to Leila Bulling Towne, executive coach and instructor of Build a Strong Relationship With Your Manager, the help, insight, and partnership a manager provides are invaluable. Taking the time to build a strong connection with your manager will not only help achieve your team’s goals, it can be crucial to achieving your overall career goals.What managing up is — and isn’tWhen considering how to effectively work with your manager, Towne emphasizes the importance of letting go of false beliefs around managing up. Oftentimes, baggage from a previous bad manager or unhappy work environment can cause you to hold on to misconceptions that make it hard to build positive manager relationships. There are many common untruths about managing up, Towne says. Managing up does not mean flattering your superior, or manipulating them to garner special treatment.So, how does managing up take shape in the workplace? According to Towne:Managing up is not always easy or comfortableIt’s part of your job and your manager’s job, and is expectedIt’s communicating your needs and prioritiesIt’s speaking up about your own successesIt’s impactful to your relationships with other influential stakeholdersAccording to Harvard Business Review, one of the most important skills to master when it comes to managing up is figuring out how to be a genuine source of help. Create value for your manager and your company by being the most effective employee you can be. The best path to a strong relationship begins and ends with doing your job well.How a strong relationship with your manager boosts your careerJust because you have a fancy title or many direct reports doesn’t mean you should neglect building a strong relationship with your own manager. Prioritizing this critical work relationship helps you create an internal advocate, who will speak up on your behalf with other stakeholders. This person can support your efforts to continue to develop and grow in your career. And relationship building is a skill — it doesn’t just come naturally once you are in a leadership role.In addition to being an advocate, your manager can be a source of valuable feedback, and someone who can share new ideas with you on how to be a better leader. According to Business Insider, a healthy, respectful relationship with your manager can improve your (and therefore your team’s) morale and productivity, and ultimately, it can boost your career. The good news is, relationship building can be learned. Tips for working more effectively with your managerIt’s best to start building a good rapport with your manager early on in your working relationship. If you’re joining a new company or team, or if you’re getting a new manager, it’s a perfect opportunity to establish a foundation for that relationship. Share your passions, skills, and set the stage for what you want to continue doing, start doing, or doing more of in your current role. For those looking to strengthen their relationship with their manager, Towne suggests starting with an assessment of the relationship in its current state. Taking a step back is critical to understand where you are now and where you want to go. What comes to mind when you think about the current state of your relationship with your manager. Do you feel connected and do you share common perspectives? Next, consider the ideal state. What would it be like if you secured what you needed from your manager in terms of  time, feedback, or projects? Identify any gaps between your current state and your ideal state, and then decide what you want to work to change.Harvard Business Review suggests making an action plan for the relationship you want to create with your manager that includes the following:Look for occasions to work closely with your manager on tasks, so you can understand their mindset, preferences, and values. Take notes about good and bad moments in your relationship with your manager and discuss these with them.Check in with your manager periodically to discuss what is working and what is not working. Identify achievements, learnings, and areas for improvement. Revisit the vision you have for your career and your relationship with your manager. Make changes to how you approach your manager based on what you’ve learned since taking more ownership of this important relationship. This will also help you ensure you continue to make progress toward your personal career goals. Whether you’re gaining a new manager or looking to build a better relationship with the one you have, try these tips for working more effectively with your manager on a daily basis:Talk about your strengths, contributions, and wins — help them get to know you and determine what to delegate to you.Talk about what has worked well in your own managerial experience, and fill them in on your management style.Be authentic. You and your boss likely have a lot in common, so explore where your interests and strengths coincide, and where you can learn from each other.Moving forward with a dynamic manager relationshipSuccess or failure at any organization depends greatly on your manager, so the relationship you have with them is a critical one to build and develop. It’s an added benefit that working effectively with your own manager ultimately makes you a better manager. When you make it a priority to build and maintain a good relationship with them, you set yourself and your team up for success. Learn more tips on how to work effectively with your manager through our cohort learning business development offerings.

Fri, 16 Dec 2022

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