Microsoft Credentials: What You Need to Know

Hello, Azure and AWS enthusiasts! Microsoft has rolled out some exciting updates to its certification pathways, especially in Applied Skills—a focus area that’s gaining serious traction among cloud professionals. With this release, Microsoft is responding to the demand for practical, hands-on skills that align with real-world cloud solutions. In this edition, we’ll dive into what these changes mean, why they matter, and how you can leverage them to advance your career.

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🌟 The Shift Toward Applied Skills

Microsoft has recognized that employers are seeking practical experience, not just theoretical knowledge. Enter Applied Skills: credentials that focus on direct experience and hands-on capabilities. This shift is more than a trend—it’s Microsoft’s response to an industry-wide call for professionals who can hit the ground running with specialized, job-ready skills. Let’s take a look at how these Applied Skills credentials are structured and why they’re ideal for cloud pros at all stages.

📜 Key Highlights of Microsoft’s Applied Skills

Applied Skills aren’t just rebranded certifications. They’re structured to integrate real-life scenarios, problem-solving exercises, and critical thinking:

• Scenario-Based Learning: Each certification pathway includes scenario-driven modules that mimic the challenges encountered in daily cloud operations. Think hands-on labs and practical projects! Explore the credentials here.

• Targeted Skill Sets: Applied Skills focuses on specific, job-ready proficiencies—whether it’s deploying containerized applications in Azure Kubernetes Service or building secure APIs using ASP.NET Core .

• Frequent Updates: These credentials are also updated more regularly to stay in line with evolving Azure services and tools, keeping you always ready for the next breakthrough.

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💼 Why Applied Skills Matter in Your Career Journey

Cloud roles are among the fastest-growing in tech, with employers increasingly prioritizing specialized, hands-on experience. Here’s how Applied Skills can make a tangible impact:

1. Bridge the Experience Gap: These certifications validate practical knowledge that can replace months of on-the-job training, helping you step into roles with confidence.

2. Stand Out to Employers: Stand out with credentials that prove your problem-solving abilities in real-world cloud setups.

3. Future-Proof Your Knowledge: With new updates tied to live Microsoft Azure updates, Applied Skills keep you equipped for the next-gen technologies.

🚀 Getting Started with Applied Skills

Ready to take on the new credentials? Here’s how you can start:

• Choose Your Path: Applied Skills cover a range of areas from security and data management to advanced cloud infrastructure.

• Hands-On Practice: Platforms like Microsoft Learn, combined with live labs and sandboxes, make skill-building easy and effective.

• Stay Updated: Microsoft frequently releases new modules and updates to reflect the latest in Azure. Checkout the Azure Blog to stay in the loop.

📅 Upcoming Applied Skills Events & Resources

Keep an eye out for exclusive resources, webinars, and study groups that can help you stay on top of your learning goals! And of course keep pursuing those certifications that will enhance your career options and get you that salary bump you deserve. Learn Azure and Learn AWS are your go-to apps for moving your career goal posts.

By embracing these new Applied Skills credentials, you’re not only expanding your expertise but positioning yourself as an essential cloud professional in a highly competitive field.

📣 Community Announcements

We’re thrilled to share that we are creating a new cloud-specialized job board—coming soon! This platform will connect cloud professionals with leading companies actively seeking Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud experts. Be the first to get access by joining our Telegram community, where we’ll release the link first.

We think the job board compliments our certification apps in order to bring the cloud-based jobs to you. According to a survey conducted by testing company Pearson VUE, 35% of people reported a wage increase after earning a certification.

We’re also responding to your requests for a web-based exam prep tool. Currently in development, our MVP will have a simplified feature set to get your feedback early. This flashcard-style tool will use our app’s existing questions and answers for fast, efficient review. If you’re interested in joining our testing group, let us know by clicking the voting buttons below. Thank you for helping us shape this tool for your success!

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