I am starting from scratch and I want to know the best entry point regarding AWS vs Azure. Which certification path is more "beginner-friendly" for someone in the US, and which one will help me land a Junior Cloud Engineer role the fastest in this competitive market?
3 answers
For a complete beginner, the AWS vs Azure choice usually comes down to your previous experience. If you have ever touched a Windows server, Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) will feel very intuitive. If you are coming from a more general background or have an interest in Linux, the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is a fantastic starting point. In the US, having the AWS associate-level certs is often seen as more prestigious for engineering roles. However, Azure’s role-based certifications are very well-structured and clearly define a career path, which many US hiring managers appreciate for junior positions.
Since you are a beginner, are you planning to use free-tier accounts to get hands-on experience while deciding on AWS vs Azure?
I’d say go with Azure if you want to work in a corporate office. The AWS vs Azure competition is fierce, but corporate America loves Microsoft.
Justin makes a good point. If you look at the job descriptions for mid-sized US companies, they almost always mention Azure because they already use Office 365.
Kevin, I am actually doing both right now. I’ve found that AWS has a more extensive library of community tutorials, but Azure’s documentation feels more integrated. For a junior in the US, being able to show a portfolio on either platform is what really matters.