Picture this: Already tired from work (1PM — 11 PM), you also spent one hour to make your one-year-old go to sleep, it's 1:30 AM, bleary-eyed, you're studying various reasons behind overfitting in a ML model while tomorrow you have to give a demo to a client. This was the reality of my 2.5-month sprint to earning the AWS Golden Jacket.
After 16+ years in IT and countless late-night experiences, I thought I had seen it all. But nothing quite prepared me for the whirlwind that would be my journey to earning the AWS Golden Jacket.
AWS Golden Jacket is a special way to acknowledge the talent demonstrated by AWS Partners. Earning an AWS Gold Jacket involves holding all active AWS certifications and submitting an application through your company's AWS alliance partner. It was 12 certifications in my case; I completed the final one in Aug 2025.
The Starting Line: 6 Down, 6 to Go
Let me be honest: I didn't start from scratch. As an AWS Solutions Architect with extensive AWS experience, I already had 6 AWS certifications under my belt including two professional ones and security specialty. I can say that except machine learning certifications, I already had a lot of knowledge for other certifications. The Golden Jacket wasn't even on my radar initially. I got a push from the leadership of my organization and thought, why not! I just wanted to deepen my understanding of AWS services, and get familiar with those services I hadn't worked with extensively, for example those related to machine learning.
The 2.5-Month Marathon
Between May 30th and August 14th, 2025, I tackled six certifications back-to-back. No firm deadline, just pure momentum. Six certifications in 2.5 months while maintaining a full-time job and being a father to a one-year-old. Let's just say my coffee consumption reached unprecedented levels, and sometimes sleep became a luxury.
Here's what my typical day actually looked like:
- Morning to Evening: Regular work hours (mix of office and work-from-home). Study in between, whenever I could.
- Babysitting: My one-year-old had other plans for my "focused study time." He'd knock on my home office door and demand attention whenever he felt like it. Whatever I planned — locking doors, scheduled study blocks — it didn't work. I had to spend multiple precious hours with my baby, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
- 10:00–11:00 PM: Finally finishing office work and daily responsibilities.
- 11:00 PM — 1:00/2:00 AM: My golden study window — when the house was quiet and I could focus. Those late-night hours became sacred. While my family slept, I'd dive into my study routine, knowing that these 2–3 hours were all I had before another demanding day began. On weekends, I got a few hours extra hours, if I was lucky.
My Method: One Source, Max Speed
Let me share what actually worked for me. Relying on few trusted study material sources is the key. I feel, there is no need to follow multiple sources for same things. I have followed similar methods for my previous certifications, and learning anything in general, also. I also hold 10 Azure certifications and 2 Google Cloud certifications, including their topmost Solution Architect certifications.
Batching Certs for Efficiency
I clubbed the certifications based on their content and decided the order in which I will take them:
- Developer Associate + SysOps Administrator Associate (similar operational concepts)
- Data Engineer Associate (standalone but foundation for ML)
- ML Associate + ML Specialty (complementary ML focus)
- Advanced Networking Specialty (the beast everyone fears)
Primary Learning Source
Stephane Maarek's Udemy courses were my primary sources. His teaching style is perfect for working professionals — clear, comprehensive, and practical. The fact that he collaborates with experts like Frank Kane for machine learning, Abhishek Singh, and Chetan Agrawal for various domains means you're getting top-tier instruction across all AWS services. For some tricky concepts, I also used Gen AI (ChatGPT, Gemini), for example — confusion matrix in Machine Learning or various BGP configurations in Advanced Networking Specialty. There are many other good courses and tests, like Jon Bonso, Adrian Cantrill, Neal Davis, etc., but I like sticking with a single source.
Speed Learning
I watched most content at 1.5x to 2x speed, depending on my familiarity with the topic. New concepts got the full treatment at normal speed, but review materials flew by at 2x. Time was precious when you only have 2–3 hours a night.
AWS Console Walkthrough
When time permitted, I'd dive into the AWS console to explore service configurations hands-on. For simpler services like App Runner, I'd actually create resources to understand the workflow. For complex, expensive services like Redshift or EMR clusters, I'd navigate through the creation process without deploying — just to familiarize myself with configuration options, pricing models, and architectural considerations.
Mind Mapping
I love mind-maps. I used SimpleMind app on my phone to create detailed mind maps during study sessions. Being able to quickly capture concepts and relationships on my phone meant I could review them anywhere — during lunch breaks, while travelling, even while my son played around me.
A sample snapshot of one of my mind-maps -
Practice Tests
If I had buffer time before exams, I also took Udemy practice tests from same creators. They don't just test knowledge — they teach you how AWS wants you to think about problems. I will update my mind maps during their revision also.
Final Review Strategy
After finishing the course and tests, I'd abandon new content entirely and just review my SimpleMind maps. Having all the key concepts in visual format made last-minute reviews incredibly efficient.
The Toughest Moments (Spoiler: It Wasn't Advanced Networking)
The Advanced Networking specialty is a tough one, but not as much as it is pointed everywhere. It is considered to be the toughest, but I think it depends on your prior experience. Tricky part is hybrid networking if you don't have hands-on experience, but that can be learned through focused study to clear this certification. Diving deep into Direct Connect Gateway, VPC Lattice, and BGP routing at midnight was an exhilarating experience.
For me the toughest exam experience was Data Engineer Associate. I thought I am ready, but in the exam most questions felt similar and many times it was difficult to distinguish between choices. It was also reflected in my score, which was 78%, my lowest score in any certification. While I have scored 80+ in all others.
The real challenge was the daily grind. Sometimes, out of pure frustration and exhaustion, I'd just watch a sitcom episode and call it a night. Some weeks were so hectic that I didn't study even on weekends — I just relaxed instead.
What I Actually Learned (Beyond the Certs)
Journey is more important than the result, and the real learning was deeper:
Humility: Even with 16 years of experience, and 7+ of them in AWS, there's always more to learn. AWS's breadth is genuinely mind-boggling.
Pattern Recognition: Our brains are pattern recognition machines. You start seeing how AWS services interconnect in ways that aren't obvious from the outside. Everything truly is connected. Patterns and analogies are also a good way to learn and remember concepts.
Perspective Shifting: Each specialty certification forced me to think like a different type of practitioner — a ML engineer, a security architect, a network engineer. This perspective shift was invaluable.
Time Management: Squeezing study time in between everything else, learning to maximize those precious late-night hours taught me efficiency.
The real reward isn't the jacket itself — it's the confidence to walk into any AWS conversation knowing I can contribute meaningfully rather than being completely clueless (I mainly mean Machine Learning!).
For Those Considering the Journey
I won't recommend this sprint approach to anyone, instead do it gradually by making a plan.
My advice: Take key certifications first that align with your work area. Certifications alone open a few doors, but in interviews, you need real knowledge. Real knowledge comes through practice and hands-on experience. If your job doesn't provide this, invest in your personal AWS account for practical learning.
Even if you're not planning certifications, study the materials and take practice tests to enhance your knowledge. The structured learning path is valuable regardless.
What's Next?
The Golden Jacket is just a trophy. AWS releases new services constantly, and existing services evolve rapidly. The real challenge is staying current and applying this knowledge to solve real-world problems.
I keep my eyes on AWS updates constantly because in cloud computing — and the IT industry generally — the moment you stop learning is when you start falling behind.
Final Thoughts
Sixteen years in IT taught me that technology changes, but the fundamentals of good architecture remain constant: understand your requirements, choose the right tools, and never stop questioning your assumptions.
The AWS Golden Jacket represents technical breadth, but more importantly, it represents a commitment to continuous learning. In a field that evolves as rapidly as cloud computing, that commitment matters more than any certification badge.
To my fellow cloud architects out there — especially those juggling career advancement with family life — whether you're pursuing your first AWS cert or your twelfth, remember that the journey is just as valuable as the destination. Every late-night study session, every failed practice exam, and every "aha!" moment at 1 AM contributes to making you a better architect.
Have you pursued AWS certifications while balancing work and family? What strategies worked for you? Share your experience in the comments!
Top comments (1)
Love how you show that deep learning and career growth are possible even with a full-time job and parenting. The focus on one main content source, mind maps, and late-night consistency is super practical and encouraging for working parents.