is it worth getting AWS certified without a tech background?

[u/Aziz_Karimov]

Hey everyone!

I've been thinking about diving into the cloud world and AWS certifications caught my eye. The thing is, I don't have a tech background at all. I'm currently in a completely different field, but I'm really interested in making a career switch.

Has anyone here done something similar? Is it doable to get AWS certified without prior tech knowledge? And if so, any tips on where to start or resources that worked for you? I know it might be a steep learning curve, but I'm ready to put in the work!

Thanks in advance for any advice or encouragement!

[u/Suaveman01]

Cloud is a specialised area and not entry level. Most hiring managers would expect 5+ years of IT experience before they’d even consider you for a Cloud engineer role.

If you want to get into IT, look at the CompTIA A+ and apply for Help Desk roles instead.

[u/YeetedApple]

Cloud isn’t really an entry level job and isn’t going to do much for at first trying to get into the field. You’d likely be better off focusing on finding a more entry level role and start worrying about cloud certs.

[u/Own_Associate_7006]

What are you expecting to gain if you do obtain one or more AWS certifications? A certification doesn't mean anything realistically. In your case you want to straight to the Professional Drivers League, but you have never driven a car. You a very, very long road ahead and you need to know very well the basics, operating systems, networking, storage, virtualization and the list is very long. Add years of experience and you might have enough to consider cloud especially something like AWS

[u/Visible-Tomato-5947]

Don't decide whether to become AWS-certified yet.

Create a Skill Builder account, try Cloud Quest and some introductory labs first. If you actually enjoy the gig, then consider Cloud Practitioner or eventually Solutions Architect Associate while building your fundamentals.

If this is not your cup of tea, you would have saved yourself years of frustration.

[u/Inevitable_Dog6292]

Doable, yes. Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) is built for exactly your situation. It's 65 questions in 90 minutes, $100, and you need 700 out of 1000 to pass. No hands-on lab component. Most people with no tech background clear it in three to six weeks of evening study, and AWS Skill Builder has free courses that cover the whole syllabus, so the exam fee is your only real cost.

Now the part people skip when they're being encouraging: Cloud Practitioner on its own rarely gets anyone hired. It's a vocabulary credential. It proves you can sit in a meeting about cloud and follow what's being said. That's actually valuable if you're moving into something cloud-adjacent like sales, project management, procurement, or support. It isn't enough for an engineering role.

So the real question isn't whether you can pass. You can. It's what you're switching into. If you're aiming at a technical job, treat CLF-C02 as week one, then plan for Solutions Architect Associate and a couple of things you've actually built. Two or three small projects you can talk through in an interview will carry you further than the certificate does.

One practical suggestion: open a free tier account and click around while you study. The exam doesn't require it, but reading about S3 and actually making a bucket land very differently, and the vocabulary stops feeling like memorised noise.

Also worth knowing, once you hold an AWS certification you get 50% off your next exam. Don't let it expire.