When it comes to your IT skills, are you thinking of upskilling? Well, the AWS Certified Solutions Architect course has recently been voted the most sought after IT cert for 2019. We spoke with this programme’s tutor about what this popular course covers.
What’s your own background in this field; how did you get interested in this area?
Before I got into teaching, I was working as a Senior Network Engineer in a Large Insurance Company. I had 15 years’ experience in IT at that stage. I started to teach some of the Junior Team IT Networking and I found myself really enjoying it. So I set up my own business teaching IT courses part-time. I have lectured in DIT and DBS, both in Aungier Street. I have over ten years’ experience in teaching IT courses such as CCNA Networking (ccna.ie) and AWS Cloud Computing (awscourse.ie)
On a basic level – what is Cloud Computing?
Do you know, that is the very first question I go through on our AWS cloud computing course. Cloud Computing is the on-demand delivery of IT resources through the Internet. So instead of a company having to buy, own and manage servers, routers and switches, companies can access those services from a cloud provider such as Amazon or Microsoft or Google Cloud. Amazon AWS is the leading provider with 47% of the cloud service market as per 2019.
What does the AWS Certification course cover?
The most popular AWS Course, Certified Solutions Architect Associate gives you a broad outline of AWS and a foundation on which you can build on. The course covers IT topics such as Security, Networking, Data Storage and computing. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect course has recently been voted the most sought after IT cert for 2019 and this is because more and more companies are choosing to move their physical infrastructure to a cloud-based platform.
What are the common mistakes people make in this area when they’re starting out?
People shouldn’t choose a career based on money or perks, instead, they should learn something they already have an active interest in. If you are someone who likes how IT works and is into Networking or Computers than our AWS course would possibly suit you. We as adults spend over 40 hours per week for over forty years in a job so always look to work in a career that you enjoy.
What kind of roles would you be qualified to work in if you got this IT Cert?
Some AWS roles would include Network Engineer, System Administrator, and Developer.
What would your career trajectory look like in this industry?
The career outlook for someone who has this IT Cert is excellent. In addition to many roles that are currently available, an AWS profession has options to move up the ladder or to move to another organisation if you wish.
This is because there is currently a massive shortage of AWS technicians. Recruiters will say that AWS certifications are the three hottest letters to have on your technical resume. A recent survey on payscale.com showed that AWS certified Solutions Architect can make an average of €70k per year.
What level of knowledge would you have to have all ready to take a course like this?
Ideally, you should have a basic understanding of how IT works but again, the most important thing to have is a love for the subject. So if you are really interested in a topic such as Cloud Computing, then you will want to learn all about it and you won’t see it as a task. At awscourse.ie, we start at the very basics and over the 12 weeks, the course material slowly gets more complex. The most important requirement for taking this course is to be prepared to study a lot over the course duration and enjoy it.
That was very informative – thanks so much for chatting with us!
Find out more about the AWS Certification Programme here, which kicks off 15th January.
About Lee McKeown
Lee McKeown is a highly regarded CCNA course lecturer who has delivered courses at ccna.ie and Dublin Institute of Technology, where he delivers the IT networks module as part of a Master’s Degree Programme.
His lectures cover network design and troubleshooting, routing and switching, advanced TCP/IP, RIP, LTE, OSPF, MPLS. Cisco certifications are highly valued by employers and networking professionals worldwide, consequently Lee has delivered CCNA courses both nationally and internationally.
