7 Career Paths the AZ-900 Exam Can Prepare You For

If you want to get started in cloud computing, studying for the Exam AZ-900: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals is a great place to start. It covers the fundamentals needed to begin leveraging the cloud — and sets you up to specialize more down the road.

With that in mind, let's explore some career paths that the AZ-900 can prepare you for. But first, we're going to briefly cover what the AZ-900 exam is and why it's a great intro to cloud computing. Here is what you need to know.

Is the AZ-900 a Good Exam if I am new to IT?

The AZ-900 forms part of the wider Microsoft Azure Fundamentals certification. The AZ-900 is beneficial for both technical and non-technical users who have responsibilities on the Azure platform, including those users with remote jobs. The exam is a great way to get introduced to Azure. It doesn’t go into too much technical detail, and it provides learners with a solid foundation in cloud computing.

You will be able to prove to others you understand basic cloud services as they relate to Microsoft’s Azure. 

See also: How to Pass the AZ-900 Exam.

What Does the AZ-900 Exam Cover?

The AZ-900 has three main domains or sections:

• Explain cloud concepts, which covers between 25% and 30% of the exam

• Explain Azure Architecture and Services, which covers between 35% and 40% of the exam

• Explain Azure Management and Governance, which covers between 30% and 35% of the exam

What are Career Paths I Can Take with the AZ-900?

There are many career paths you can pursue after passing the AZ-900, including these seven promising choices:

1. Azure Administrator. Azure administrators ensure Azure resources are available and performing well. They are responsible for the resources that make clouds run smoothly. After the AZ-900 and Azure Fundamentals, also consider taking the AZ-104 (Microsoft Azure Administrator) to further beef up your knowledge. 

2. Cloud Support Associate. Cloud Support Associates are highly skilled and manage duties, such as data management, networks, databases, information security, and even some programming. The AZ-900 builds a solid understanding of cloud concepts. 

3. Cloud Solutions Architect. Cloud Solutions Architects design and build the infrastructure needed to support business applications and systems. While this role requires much more expertise than the AZ-900 offers, the skills learned in this entry-level exam can open pathways to study further. For example, the AZ-305 (Designing Microsoft Azure Infrastructure Solutions) is an intermediate cert that will teach you about designing and managing cloud infrastructure. 

4. Cloud Developer. A cloud developer builds software applications specifically for cloud-based systems. This includes websites, tools, programs, and applications. The AZ-900 helps you fully understand the fundamentals of Azure. To further your education, the AZ-204 (Developing Solutions for Microsoft Azure) teaches you how to navigate and use the Azure platform and create native applications that are fast and secure.

5. Cloud Support Engineer. Cloud support engineers keep the systems running day to day and are responsible for monitoring resources and vital systems. They need to have intimate knowledge of how systems impact one another and the symptoms of deeper issues. The AZ-104 (Microsoft Azure Administrator) is also very useful for this role.

6. Cloud Operations/Data Center Technician: For hybridized solutions, a physical workload is needed where equipment is concerned. Data center technicians are responsible for maintaining server integrity, network performance, and making sure that all systems are operating with enough headroom. 

7. Cloud Security Engineer: A Cloud Security Engineer is responsible for identifying and dealing with threats to cloud systems and related infrastructure. They develop and create tools and procedures and implement cloud-based systems that protect against security threats and mitigate cyberattacks. The AZ-500 (Microsoft Azure Security Technologies) is the cert that you should look at once you have established all the fundamental Azure skills that the AZ-900 teaches.

Start Preparing for the AZ-900 Today

If you want a career in the cloud computing space, we highly recommend you start with the AZ-900 exam. It provides a solid foundation of knowledge you’ll need to get started. 

When you are ready, prepare with our Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals - AZ-900 - Microsoft Azure Certification Training, which goes step-by-step through the AZ-900 exam objectives

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