I'm 35 and researching Is it too late to switch to IT in your 30s in the US? for a career in cloud. Should I go for a broad certification like AWS Solutions Architect Associate, or should I specialize immediately in something like Cloud Security to stand out among younger applicants?
3 answers
For someone in their mid-30s, I highly recommend starting with a broad "Associate" level certification like the AWS Solutions Architect. This gives you a bird's-eye view of how all cloud components fit together, which is essential for any high-level role. Specializing too early in security can be difficult because you won't understand the infrastructure you are supposed to be securing. Once you have the Associate cert, you can then pivot into a niche. I followed this path in late 2023 and found that the broad knowledge helped me pass technical interviews because I could speak to the entire lifecycle of a project, not just one small piece of it.
Are you planning to build a hands-on portfolio of projects on GitHub to prove your skills, or are you relying solely on the certifications to get your foot in the door?
Go for the Solutions Architect Associate. It is the most recognized cert in the US and will open the most doors for someone making a mid-career pivot into the cloud domain.
Agreed. It's the gold standard for a reason. Having that on your resume at 35 shows you are serious about the transition and have a solid grasp of architectural principles.
I definitely plan on building a portfolio! I’ve realized that Is it too late to switch to IT in your 30s in the US? becomes a much easier question to answer when you can actually show a recruiter a working cloud environment you built yourself. I’m currently working on a static website hosted on S3 with a CloudFront distribution. Is that considered a "professional" enough project for a beginner portfolio?