Cloud Academy Team

Webinar Recap: Interview with Greg Cockburn

If you missed our webinar interview with Greg Cockburn, don’t worry – we have it recorded for you here.

You can also check out the SoundCloud podcast for the webinar here.

Be sure to click here to learn more about AWS certification exam preparation.

How Greg Acquired All 5 AWS Certifications

Greg’s background in technology gave him a natural advantage when it came to getting certified, but he didn’t necessarily plan to acquire all 5 from the beginning. As his career progressed, he began to become more interested in AWS and getting certified.

I used AWS for quite a number of years, and then I decided to do the certification.

Greg actually began using Cloud Academy back in its infancy in order to prepare for the certification exams. Back then, the Professional level certifications didn’t even exist, so the SysOps Associate Certification was particularly important.
He waited for his colleague to attempt the exam, and after deciding to move forward he began studying the exam blueprints.
Greg also spent a significant amount of time browsing the white papers, Cloud Academy resources, and more.

Greg’s Exam Experiences

In order to prepare for all 5 of the certification exams, Greg invested around 18 months in studying, preparation, and actually taking the exams.

Greg was able to pass all 5 of the exams on the first try through a careful regimen of preparation and studying – both with Cloud Academy and AWS learning resources.

An important tactic for him was to identify areas where he needed improvement and carefully marking it out in order to review it later.

Advice for Newcomers to the AWS Ecosystem

If you only have one Associate level certification, Greg recommends completing another Associate certification in order to develop the foundational knowledge and skills you’ll need to succeed in the Professional tier.

He also recommends downloading the blueprint and studying at least 2 hours during the week when you’re able to concentrate fully.

After choosing a section to focus on, Greg then recommends taking a Lab or Quiz, as well as working with the actual AWS system in order to gain that fundamental hands-on knowledge.

Key Takeaways

If you’re interested in acquiring an AWS certification, you’ll definitely want to be well-prepared. These exams are both broad and deep, and it’s essential to have hands-on knowledge of developing solutions.

You’ll want to keep your study sessions and regimen as organized as possible and make sure to mark areas where you feel you need to review the material.

Helpful Links

To get started with your certification exam journey, be sure to check out these resources:

Cloud Academy