There is a question I get more than almost any other — in DMs, in LinkedIn comments, in replies to this newsletter.
"Which certification should I start with?"
It sounds like a simple question. It is not.
Because the answer changes completely depending on where your work is pointing — and most people are asking the question before they have figured that part out.
Here is the framework I wish someone had given me before I started:
Let your work drive your certifications. Not the other way around.
Pick the platform where your actual career is heading. Earn the certs that validate what you are doing, or are about to do. That sequence will always outperform picking the most popular badge and studying in isolation.
When I started my cloud journey, I was not alternating between platforms for the sake of variety. The Azure certs came from real cloud data engineering work I was doing at the time — the platform was Azure, so the certs were Azure. Then I joined AWS, and the AWS certifications followed.
I joined AWS as a Solutions Architect with zero AWS certifications. Every cert I held was Azure.
The work came first. The certs came second. Every time.
The mistake most people make
They treat certifications like trophies.
They spot SAA-C03 on a job description and go straight for it — skipping the foundation, without hands-on context, studying theory they have never applied.
They pass the exam. Then they struggle when an interviewer asks them to walk through a real architecture decision, because the knowledge was never connected to actual work.
Certifications prove what you know. They work best when they are validating something you are already doing — not something you are hoping will happen after you pass.
Three starting points, by where you are now
If you have no cloud experience yet (career changer, or in a non-cloud tech role):
Start with AZ-900 or CLF-C02. Which one depends on where the roles you want are clustered. Azure-heavy job market: AZ-900. AWS-heavy: CLF-C02. Neither requires prior cloud experience. Both take 4-6 weeks of consistent study.
After that, move to associate level: SAA-C03 for AWS roles, AZ-104 for Azure/Microsoft-stack roles. These are the certs hiring managers at entry-level cloud positions actually look for.
If you are already in a tech role and pivoting into cloud (developer, data engineer, sysadmin):
You can likely skip the fundamentals cert. Your existing background covers most of what it tests. Go straight to associate level — SAA-C03 or AZ-104 — and pair the studying with a real project on that platform.
If your background is in data specifically: the Azure data track (DP-900, DP-203) and equivalent AWS data certifications map directly to cloud data engineering roles, which are underserved relative to cloud architect positions right now.
If you are already working in cloud and want to move into senior roles:
Associate certs get you in. Professional certs justify the salary band.
SAP-C02 (AWS Solutions Architect Professional) is the most recognised marker of senior AWS capability. AWS Professional exams are significantly harder than Associate level. Build in 5-6 months of serious preparation, not 2-3. The exam tests architectural judgment from real scenarios — not memorisation. You need actual experience to draw from.
The thing that actually matters
Every certification I hold is connected to real work.
The Azure certs came from building cloud data solutions on live infrastructure. The AWS certs came from working with real customers on real architecture problems every day. That combination — certification plus hands-on application — is what makes you credible in an interview, not just qualified on paper.
Pass the cert. Then build something with it.
That is the only sequence that works.
If you want a structured view of how the AWS certifications connect — from foundational through to professional — I put together a free roadmap.
Hit reply and tell me: which cert are you working toward right now? I read every reply.
— Shola
P.S. If you want a structured system for the full job search — certs, CV, applications, and interviews — reply "GUIDE" and I'll share what I have built.
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