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This guide provides a robust pathway for professionals to validate their expertise in cloud technology, enhance career prospects, and gain industry credibility. It will help beginners and intermediate learners understand the certification paths, their benefits, and the steps to achieving these valuable credentials.
As cloud computing becomes integral to business operations, the demand for skilled cloud professionals is growing rapidly. But, many struggled to demonstrate their proficiency with the new technology due to the lack of standardized, industry-recognized certifications.
The rapid evolution of cloud technology outpaced traditional IT training programs, leaving professionals without formal credentials to validate their skills. This gap made it challenging for employers to accurately assess candidates' cloud expertise and for professionals to showcase their capabilities in a competitive job market.
Google recognized this problem and introduced its Cloud Certifications initiative in 2016 to mitigate it. Google says its “role-based certifications measure an individual’s proficiency at performing a specific job role using Google Cloud technology.”
They’re supposed to empower individuals to advance their careers and give employers the confidence to build highly skilled, effective teams. However, after 8 years of its inception, is that still what it’s doing? Let’s see.
Is a Google Cloud Certification Worth it in 2024?
Like most things in tech, the answer to this question is not straightforward.
According to responses from developers in the Google Cloud Subreddit, a Google Cloud certification has quite a lot of value, but it depends on many factors, such as:
If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then a Google Cloud Certification is undoubtedly worth it in 2024.
However, there are some more general things to consider.
Demand
Various industry reports believe the cloud market is expected to expand significantly. For example, IDC research forecasts that in 2024:
"Cloud infrastructure spending will grow 19.3% compared to 2023 to $129.9 billion. Non-cloud infrastructure is expected to decline 1.4% to $57.6 billion. Shared cloud infrastructure is expected to grow 21.6% year over year to $95.3 billion for the full year while spending on dedicated cloud infrastructure is expected to have robust growth of 13.3% in 2024 to $34.6 billion for the full year.”
Worldwide Enterprise Infrastructure Buyer and Cloud Deployment Forecast | Source: IDC Research
In other words, the demand for professionals who can effectively navigate cloud services is rising. As Google is one of the leading players in the cloud service market (top 3), getting cloud-certified on their platform can go a long way.
Challenges
The exams, which must be completed to get the certification, cost money. Prices range from $99 for the lowest-level certificate to $200 for the professional levels. This may pose financial challenges for some candidates.
What Jobs Can You Get with a Google Cloud Certification?
While a Google Cloud Certification does not guarantee a job, it can certainly be a great addition to gaining a competitive edge. For context, a certification only proves that certain concepts have been understood, but what matters to an employer is your ability to apply what you’ve learned.
Completing a Google Cloud Certification can position you well to land interesting jobs. Here are three examples:
A Breakdown of All the Google Cloud Certifications
At the time of writing, there are 11 Google Cloud Certifications that fall into three categories:
To give you a quick overview of what you can expect from the other certifications, we created this comparison table:
| Category | Length | Registration Fee | Languages | Recommended experience | Recertification | |||||||||
| Cloud Digital Leader | Foundational | 90 minutes | $99 | English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese, French | Collaboration with technical professionals | 3 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Engineer | Associate | 120 minutes | $125 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese | 6+ months of hands-on experience with Google Cloud | 3 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Architect | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud | 2 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Database Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English | 5+ years of overall database and IT experience, including 2 years of hands-on experience working with Google Cloud database solutions | 2 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Developer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions | 2 years | ||||||||
| Data Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions | 2 years | ||||||||
| Cloud DevOps Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing production systems using Google Cloud | 2 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Security Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions | 2 years | ||||||||
| Cloud Network Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions | 2 years | ||||||||
| Google Workspace Administrator | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ year of Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) administration experience | 2 years | ||||||||
| Machine Learning Engineer | Professional | 120 minutes | $200 (plus tax where applicable) | English, Japanese | 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions | 2 years |
4 Tips to Prepare for Google Cloud Certification Exams
Earning a Google Cloud certification has been shown to enhance individuals' visibility in the job market and showcase their capability to drive significant change and transformation within organizations.
According to the 2020 Google Cloud certification impact report, 1 in 4 Google Cloud-certified individuals take on more responsibility or leadership roles at work, and 87% of Google Cloud-certified users feel more confident in their cloud skills.
But what’s the best way to prepare?
Here are four tips to help you:
#1 Get hands-on experience with Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers all customers a free tier of select products (e.g., Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and Big Query). When you stay within the free tier limits, these resources are not charged to your Billing account payment method. Use this access to your benefit – especially if your desired certification is more technical. Don’t underestimate the power of hands-on experience working in the real Google Cloud console.
#2 Practice sample questions
Exam guides outline the framework for creating exam questions and serve as a study aid for candidates. While it's advisable to be ready to tackle questions on any subject covered in the exam guide, not every topic is assured to appear on the exam.
Still, exploring and practicing sample questions is important to get accustomed to the exam format. By reviewing the sample questions provided on each certification page, you’ll be better prepared for the content that may be included in the exam.
#3 Diversify your learning
Most people begin their certification journey following the study guide from their chosen certification or using platforms like Coursera, but this isn’t enough. Don’t fall into the trap of relying solely upon one learning source. Although it may seem sufficient, this approach only scratches the surface.
Instead, diversify your study materials. Incorporate various learning resources, including DataCamp’s resources, which offer in-depth coverage and practical insights into what may appear in your exam. This more holistic approach ensures you’re well-prepared for the full spectrum of topics that may arise come exam day.
#4 Community and forums
Join online communities and forums to connect with peers, ask questions, and share insights.
The Value of Role-Based Certifications
If you’re still unsure what certification to pursue, I suggest role-based certifications. Why? Because the alignment with existing jobs ensures that the acquired skills and knowledge immediately apply to real-world tasks – this enhances job performance and productivity through practical expertise relevant to one's role.
For employers, role-based certifications help streamline the hiring process by clearly indicating that a candidate has the necessary skills for a particular position. Thus reducing the risk and time required to train new hires.
These certifications can also accelerate professional career advancement, as they demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning and proficiency in essential technologies and practices.
Additionally, role-based certifications often involve hands-on experience with tools and services directly related to job functions, fostering a deeper understanding and capability in managing cloud environments effectively.
In a rapidly evolving tech landscape, having a certification tailored to a specific role ensures that you remain current with the latest industry standards and best practices, making you more competitive and valuable in the job market.
Conclusion
As cloud computing becomes essential to business operations, the demand for skilled cloud professionals continues to grow. Google Cloud’s certifications address this need by validating specific job-related skills. As one of the top 3 cloud service providers, these certifications help professionals stand out in a competitive job market. Despite some financial challenges associated with certification costs, the potential for career advancement and skill validation makes pursuing a Google Cloud Certification a worthwhile investment for many in 2024 and beyond.
Source: datacamp.com
