What
I recently renewed the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) certification. Certainly a mouth full...Essentially, this cert. validates a hands on readiness for real world GCP deployments. Ideal for roles concerning cloud engineering, DevOps, or platform operations.
Since I have a life outside of tech, the time, energy and discipline had to be very intentional. The funny thing was, it felt like a review but I treated it like I was studying the material for the first time. I didn't want to botch the cert due to hubris.
Why
Let me get the boring obvious reason out of the way: to stay current.
Refocus My Learning Studying for this cert is a deep dive into GCP tools and services. While reviewing, I found gaps in my knowledge since first passing the exam. Not all my projects touch every corner of the platform, so I got to "reconnect" with the full surface area.
A Signal Honestly and transparently, certifications are a signal to future employers, collaborators and even myself. Saying, "I know about the things, and can have a meaningful conversation about those things."
Momentum & Honing For me the ACE cert. is a great foundation for understanding architecture and DevOps. I am pursuing the GCP Professional Architecture cert. as a next step. From all this learning it is fun honing my skills and applying best practices with my projects, I like to build things and tinker. I feel like it's the most fun way to learn, as cliche as that it is.