I'm a high school student who's taken a basic networking course, where I learned about connecting home and office systems, TCP and UDP protocols, and basic Linux commands. However, it was heavily theory-based. I'm eager to dive into cloud engineering, but my family might struggle to afford college, so I need to secure a job before pursuing my bachelor's degree. I have about a year to find a job in IT; otherwise, I might have to settle for a cleaning job. I'm looking for advice on which certification I should focus on and what roles I could quickly apply for. Any roadmap you could suggest would be helpful. Thanks, and have a great day!
2 Answers
I think the AZ-900 certification is an excellent starting point for you. It provides a solid foundation in Azure. After that, you might want to consider the AZ-104, which covers general Azure admin tasks. For a more specialized focus, look at AZ-500 for security or AZ-700 for networking. Starting with AZ-900 and AZ-104 could set you up nicely for various roles.
Totally agree! AZ-900 gives a great overview of Azure.
If you're looking to keep costs low while learning, YouTube is a fantastic resource. Search for videos on the AZ-900 to understand the benefits of cloud services over traditional data centers. Next, the AZ-104 focuses on managing Azure resources. Since different creators provide diverse insights, watch several tutorials on the same certifications. You can also utilize Microsoft Learning paths for free. Many employers look favorably on candidates with these certifications! Plus, try using AI tools like ChatGPT to help you understand deploying basic infrastructure in Azure and to quiz yourself on the material. While studying, also consider applying for help desk or technical support roles; they're a great way to gain experience and make decent money in IT without starting in a call center.
What job roles should I target after those certifications? Is there anything else I should learn beforehand?