Are Certifications Worth Pursuing for a DevOps Career in Poland?

Certifications can definitely help, but they won't get you hired on their own. Having AWS and Terraform certifications can boost your CV, especially in the EU and Poland, but your hands-on experience as an IT admin is crucial too. If you can showcase skills like automation and cloud work, that will impress recruiters more than just the certs. And I recommend avoiding bootcamps unless they have solid job placement rates. Instead, focus on building projects and sharing them on GitHub—use the certs to support your skills, but don't let them be the central selling point.

Getting hired in Poland can be tough, especially since the requirements have shot up recently. Knowing Polish alongside English can be an advantage. If you're aiming for a DevOps role, pursue multiple relevant certifications to cover AWS and other cloud providers. Real skills in app development are just as important as the certs; companies want to see actual proven experience. Don’t just dive into certs without understanding the job's demands first.

I think it varies. While certifications like AWS can make you stand out, recruiters often look for keywords over anything else. Sometimes hiring managers aren’t even familiar with the certs, so they may not really help you get noticed. They tend to be more important for consultancy firms who need to show they have certified professionals to meet client requirements. It’s pretty chaotic right now, with companies sometimes just hiring anyone who fits the budget.

Certifications matter mainly for consultancies that need to maintain a certain number of certified employees for vendor partnerships. Outside of those situations, they don’t carry as much weight, so focus on gaining real-world experience instead. Once you're in a solid position, your practical knowledge will overshadow any certificate.

For sure, certifications show you're dedicated. But if you're comparing two candidates, one with a year of experience and a couple of certifications, and another with more experience but no certs, the one with certs tends to look better. They can help you get an interview, but the right skills, especially programming and systems administration, will matter more once you're in a job. DevOps isn't a beginner role, so make sure you have a solid foundation.