Microsoft: Complete a Challenge and Receive a Microsoft Certification Exam EXPIRED

I still don't know what people use these for...

IMO, azure certifications are worthless

Quote from Teck0427 : IMO, azure certifications are worthless

It depends on what you want to do. AWS and GCP could be equally as worthless in the wrong environment.

If anything, it gives you a starting point in your career for cloud administration or architecture. There's also DevOps, Windows Server, SQL Server, and ML/AI certs available (the latter being the hot buzzword right now)

Quote from artDecoPC : I still don't know what people use these for...

In some places, they're used to justify raises, promotions, etc. For example, I worked for a govt entity and taught an employee how to use SQL and PowerBI. They had zero background in data administration, IT, etc. Within *months*, they became so good at it that they received requests for reporting across the state.

They wanted to shift his role to data admin and increase the pay, but he had nothing on paper to justify the change (its govt, after all). I suggested an MS cert and, lo and behold, that was all the justification required.

Quote from artDecoPC : I still don't know what people use these for...

Almost all big companies use ai resume screening of applications due to volume.

Resumes lacking the keywords don't even get human review, so it's just a cold-war game of artificially rising bars made up mostly by hr that don't completely understand who they need.

(E.g. Bachelor's on most jobs = meaningless piece of paper because you're many jobs use what you've learned to do in school??
Almost always on the job training, so degree's artificially keep the poor and marginalized out... You know who...)

Eligible exams include:
AI-102: Designing and Implementing a Microsoft Azure AI Solution
AZ-204: Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure
AZ-220: Microsoft Azure IoT Developer
AZ-400: Designing and Implementing Microsoft DevOps Solutions
DP-420: Designing and Implementing Cloud - Native Applications Using Microsoft Azure Cosmos DB
MS-600: Building Applications and Solutions
PL-100: Microsoft Power Platform App Maker
PL-200: Microsoft Power Platform Functional Consultant
PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst
SC-200: Microsoft Security Operations Analyst
SC-300: Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator

Not bad.
Azure, DevOps, Security Ops even Power BI jobs can all top $100k salaries easily.

https://www.payscale.com/research..._BI/Salary

Although that's just starting out as a newbie.
Anyone with 5+ years experience ought to be able to get $300k+ at top companies today due to the absurd covid lack of workers driving even Wal-Mart store manager jobs $200k (latest wsj, 2 yrs training program)

The real sleeper exam here is SC-200: Security Operations Analyst. You're guaranteed a job — a well paying remote job — if you get it.

Other winners:

AZ-400: DevOps, but only if you already have an IT background. I wouldn't take/trust a new person to break down those silos without knowing why they exist.

PL-300: PowerBI. Tableau and similar is all the rage - this could get you started.

PL-100/200: Power Platform. PowerApps are hit or miss, but building portals for Dynamics365 could be a great selling point in an interview (assuming that's in the material). Beyond that, Power Automate is **amazing** — but you need to know what you're doing to really take advantage of it. I have a dev background, so it all made sense to me, but without that it's …a bit more uphill. The cert might teach you how to use connectors and APIs, but it won't teach you "when and where".

Quote from SirMarvinHaggler : The real sleeper exam here is SC-200: Security Operations Analyst. You're guaranteed a job — a well paying remote job — if you get it. Other winners: AZ-400: DevOps, but only if you already have an IT background. I wouldn't take/trust a new person to break down those silos without knowing why they exist. PL-300: PowerBI. Tableau and similar is all the rage - this could get you started. PL-100/200: Power Platform. PowerApps are hit or miss, but building portals for Dynamics365 could be a great selling point in an interview (assuming that's in the material). Beyond that, Power Automate is **amazing** — but you need to know what you're doing to really take advantage of it. I have a dev background, so it all made sense to me, but without that it's …a bit more uphill. The cert might teach you how to use connectors and APIs, but it won't teach you "when and where".

So you are saying if I somehow pass the SC-200 exam I will be guaranteed a job. even if I search up the answer on google when taking it?

I am not sure but looks like all negative comments driven by some prejudice towards Microsoft.

Knowledge is power! And knowledge of Azure or in fact any Cloud is top notch skill in this Era. I have seen people doubling their income after learning cloud.

Why cloud is necessary?
Back in 2016 - I worked on project where we needed App Server, DB Server, SMTP Server and so forth. It took weeks to get these all wrapped up since we were on-premise and didn't have our step into Cloud.

With Azure, all these can be wrapped up in hours and at max couple days.

Other benefits are immense too. Much better security, usability, scalability(globally), reliability, manageability insures ideas get shaped into products and products get to market much sooner.

So nay-sayers - please make use of these free resources. Back in a days we used to pay for Training, Certification and when company is making effort to help people grow - why do some of us have negative attitude?

Quote from SirMarvinHaggler : In some places, they're used to justify raises, promotions, etc. For example, I worked for a govt entity and taught an employee how to use SQL and PowerBI. They had zero background in data administration, IT, etc. Within *months*, they became so good at it that they received requests for reporting across the state. They wanted to shift his role to data admin and increase the pay, but he had nothing on paper to justify the change (its govt, after all). I suggested an MS cert and, lo and behold, that was all the justification required.

I switched from non-IT to IT after spending 8 months of learning Microsoft SQL Server, T-SQL, and then became certified. Went from state minimum to decent living with help of this journey.

There is no short cut to success.

Quote from artDecoPC : I still don't know what people use these for...

To know more.

Quote from Teck0427 : IMO, azure certifications are worthless

You must be living somewhere in Amazon or Sahara where there is no internet.

Quote from metvsyankee : So you are saying if I somehow pass the SC-200 exam I will be guaranteed a job. even if I search up the answer on google when taking it?

Getting a job doesn't mean keeping a job ,)

But any cloud or security newbie will get a catch without too much difficulty because the lack of people in this field who isn't working is killing businesses.

Especially with Wal-Mart paying up to $200k for store managers.... https://www.google.com/amp/s/www....1652619602

And the army boosting bonuses to $50k + free everything including college....

Too many well paying opportunities right now for those not studying much, so MS, Google, etc are rolling out free certificate programs just to try and make up the need on the low end of the IT scale.

The need in Silicon LA alone is https://www.builtinla.com/jobs

Not to mention tons and tons more in Silicon Valley.

....

Many careers can crack $100k within 10 years. Ups truck driver to manager, Wal-Mart 2 year manager program, T-Mobile customer service to cs manager, real estate, car salesman, etc.

Don't think IT is the only way.

But if you want work from home, which means you can be in Paris while wfh programming, IT is the hot sector that can pay amazing.

Now some even squeeze the wfh by overenjoyment. Instead of working 1 wfh job, some smart ones find multiple lazy as the Zootopia Sloth positions, and work them simultaneously in 8 hours a day.

So not only the first job, J1, but also J2.

Some top managers can even juggle J3, J4 etc. Some of these are being paid as a retainer just to stand by in case a company needs their expertise, some of these are true top manager type jobs where you can schedule your own meetings, free times, etc.

So if j1 pays $200k, j2 pays $100k, j3 pays $50k etc, you get the idea. Wfh and get paid a crap load for just 8 hours or less a day.

It'll take a few years, but anyone can work their way to slothhood....

All of these comments of 100k+, I most be doing something wrong on my resume b/c I'm not getting any hits with my job apps 😭