Focusing too much on certifications and not enough on hands-on experience.

Sharing this mistake with you will help you avoid this trap and achieve your goal of breaking into the cloud industry.

Look, I get it. Certifications are appealing, they provide a structured way to learn and give you a sense of progress.

The AWS Cloud Practitioner and Solutions Architect Associate certifications, for example, are great for learning the basics of cloud computing and understanding AWS services.

But here’s the reality: certifications alone won’t land you a job.

Employers don’t hire people because of their certifications, they hire people that can solve problems.

They’re not looking for someone who’s “certified”; they’re looking for someone who can:

Launch and configure an EC2 instance.

Write a script to automate a repetitive task.

Troubleshoot issues in a cloud environment.

Certifications show that you understand concepts, but real-world projects demonstrate that you can apply them. And that’s what employers care about—your ability to actually do the work.

So, what should you do instead?

Get the essentials: Start with beginner-friendly certifications like Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate to build your foundational knowledge.

Focus on projects: Dedicate most of your time to building and showcasing hands-on projects. Create a portfolio that proves you can deploy, automate, and manage cloud infrastructure.

Learn problem-solving: Employers want people who can think critically, troubleshoot issues, and improve existing processes—not just check off boxes.