How To Become An Azure Developer
After AWS, Microsoft Azure is the next biggest cloud computing platform in the world. Its allure lies in the fact that since its owned by Microsoft, it integrates and offers compatibility with a wide range of services offered by the provider, allowing businesses to reap numerous cross-functional advantages for their network and infrastructure.
And one of the hottest skills with regards to Azure is development. Developers who know Azure can enhance the adoption of forward bloc technologies like Kubernetes, containerization, DevOps, etc. by leveraging the power of the cloud and assimilating these technologies into it to create powerful software and apps.
But how can one become proficient at these skills? Azure offers its own certifications for different business requirements and one of its paths include the Azure Developer Certification as well. The scope of this article is broad, so no matter whether you are an experienced professional developer or someone who’s just starting out in this field, going through it would definitely allow your journey towards becoming an Azure Developer clearer and easier.
What Career Advantages Does Being An Azure Developer Accrue?
Azure is increasingly being adopted by businesses at a much faster pace than ever before. Its pros include price-efficient models as compared to AWS, wide range of features and products to serve all cloud-related needs, hybrid allowance among others.
So when businesses are adopting this cloud service, the demand for developers who can work on it proficiently is also rising concurrently. Becoming an Azure developer will open up numerous career advantages for you like better jobs, enhanced earnings and fast-tracked career progress.
For those individuals who have already accumulated a certain amount of work experience as a developer, the next logical step is to opt for a certification path that assists them in becoming validated Azure developers.
Businesses value those who invest themselves in gaining the kind of skills that are in line with their future goals and with the world moving much of their business functionalities to the cloud, becoming an Azure developer will help you become a similarly valuable resource for your firm.
Is Becoming An Azure Developer Easy?
Most people don’t opt for such certifications because they believe that they are hard and complex to undertake, but with becoming an Azure developer, this certainly isn’t the case. The requirements are definitely stringent but not something that is out of the ordinary for a person willing to seek a well-defined career in the field of development.
For becoming an Azure developer, a person will first need to ensure that it has enough knowledge or relevant work experience with regards to products from Microsoft. One of Azure’s core functionalities is its capabilities to integrate with Microsoft products like 365. Next, you will have to focus on the languages that are used to create and deploy modern-day apps like SQL Server and JavaScript. Azure also works on these same languages, so if you have a certain level of training in them, you will immediately start utilizing Azure to build apps hosted in the cloud.
A candidate will also need to have experience with cloud computing, preferably in a job role, even if it’s not on Azure but on another cloud service like AWS. If you are a beginner and don’t possess knowledge related to the cloud, then you should first opt for cloud computing training in order to clear your understanding regarding things like databases, app hosting and other functionalities of the cloud environment.
Certification Path for Becoming an Azure Developer
To become a certified Microsoft Azure Developer, one has to pass two different certifications.
The first certification on this path is the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Certification. This course allows individuals to clear out their learning gaps with regards to foundational concepts in Microsoft Azure.
The cost of this exam is $99 and there are no-pre-requisites for appearing this certification’s exam.
Once an individual clears this certification, it can then move on to the Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure certification, which is the final certification in the path towards becoming a certified Azure Developer.
There is just one exam in this certification, Exam AZ-203 with a cost of $165. To appear in this exam, an individual will be required to have at least 1 year of experience in a cloud-computing or IT related role and prior knowledge of languages used in cloud computing services like Azure.
If an individual wants to continue its journey, then the next certification in this path focuses on DevOps on Azure through the Azure DevOps Solutions Exam. This certification is for mid-senior level resources and helps them perform better in managerial roles in the IT domain.
Conclusion
Completing this certification path will make you stand out from your peers and allow you to tap into a global network of Azure certified professional to significantly improve your career graph.
These Azure Developer certifications will also help validate your skills and make it easier for firms to hire you since you have a proof of your knowledge and skillset related to pushing development-based solutions on Azure.
As time progresses, many firms are already listing Azure certifications as a mandatory requirement in their job ads. In 2020 and beyond, Azure is set to rise substantially as it improves on its currently exhaustive service offering consisting of over 90 products. So the jobs available in this sector will be more than ever before, but only those individuals will be given preference who have demonstrable proof of their skills related to development on the Cloud platform.
Currently, the salaries of Azure developers are above the market average with yearly earnings generally amounting to around $125,000. Even entry-level positions in this domain allow individuals to earn up to $80,000 each year, so its definitely an investment that will pay for itself. So don’t delay it and plan out your enrollment in the Azure developer certification path right away.