Thread by @QuinnyPig

So @acloudguru has unveiled its State of Cloud Learning Report.

Let's explore it.

Disclaimer: They have not paid me for this, so I'm already salty.

We start with a methodology. I'm already suspicious. How do we know this wasn't just one person streaming @acloudguru videos continuously since the 1600s?

I agree with the first part; certifications show that someone's at least conversant with the vocabulary.

But conflating certifications with hands-on experience dramatically skews the result.

"Would you prefer someone who built S3 / has a certification?" Those aren't alike.

Are the remaining 3% drunk at work?! Who on earth would disagree with this?

Every single time you read about a talent shortage, fill in the rest of the sentence with "...at a price they want to pay." Upskilling internal folks is cheaper than buying those skills on the open market.

I hope @acloudguru gets off its ass and fills in its rings on the Apple Watch. It's still early, so I have hope.

"Yes, training is important, now go file your expense reports" is a microcosm of the real world situation.

This aligns to market share as well as expertise.

Notably, the other providers all have pages "so you're coming from @awscloud to our platform, here's the translation guide."

AWS very much does not have such a webpage.

Demand for Azure certification beats out AWS? Not entirely surprising--JEDI is going to have one hell of a halo effect.

If I were picking a platform to learn and were amenable to the DC area? I'd be tempted.

I wonder what happened in May for Azure?

Note that all of these are skyrocketing. Here's what people care about today.

Concur. Degrees definitely have value--but if you're looking to invest 4 years and 100K to improve your career prospects, there are definitely alternate / better paths for that investment.

The word "Partner" appears nowhere on this sheet, but that's the real reason companies care about certifications. You need to have X certified people to qualify for Y partner tier.

Let me clarify that:
Your certification has value to your employer. Charge more.

"I'm completely f*cking flummoxed" said @acloudguru president Katie Bullard. "Since when does management have a plan for ANYTHING?! I don't quite know what to make of this. Maybe the survey system broke?"

This concludes the report. It kinda peters out towards the end without a rousing call to action, or a suggestion to call @acloudguru for your training needs.

That's a mistake. We give ACG subscriptions to all of our staff who want one. They're solid.