Most “entry-level” cloud computing jobs ask for years of prior experience, making it difficult to break into the field.

So how are you going to get your no-cloud-experience foot in the door?

Will a cloud certification help if you don’t have the required experience? Yes, if you use it right.

• If you’re looking to start a career in cloud computing, it can be tempting to go with AWS as it’s the closest thing to a household name out there in cloud land. But focusing on other cloud providers (and specializing) can mean great things for your career.
• Case in point: the Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect certification. For 2019 and 2020, it was the highest-paying IT certification out there. Money isn’t everything and probably shouldn’t be your sole motivating factor if deciding to pursue a Google Cloud career, but with an average salary of around $175,000 USD, it’s hard not to take notice.
• Which Google Cloud certification is best for you? GCP certs range from foundational level basics for beginners to role-based certs that tie to some of the most in-demand jobs in cloud.