What Is A GCP Certification? (With Benefits And Examples)

Updated 26 December 2022

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The Google Cloud Platform (GCP) helps businesses build cloud solutions that are secure and robust. The platform offers various certifications to validate the expertise and experience of individuals. Learning about the certifications may help you identify the ones that may benefit you and help advance your career. In this article, we answer the question "What is a GCP certification?", discuss their benefits, list the various career paths you may follow with the certification and also share ways to help you highlight them during the job application process.

What Is A GCP Certification?

Knowing the answer to "What is a GCP certification?" is important to understand how it may benefit you. A GCP certification validates your ability to use GCP to perform operations that help enterprises digitally transform. These role-based certifications measure the proficiency in performing specific job roles using the technology. The platform allows businesses to build software and applications, modernise infrastructure and transact securely using the cloud platform. It also empowers recruiters to identify highly skilled individuals and build effective teams. A certification program offered by Google requires rigorous experience, expertise and training before appearing for the final examination.

Candidates who complete the program receive a certification with a unique sequential number that validates their performance. These certifications may be valid for two years or more, depending on the specific role. Google provides details about the skills it tests in each certification and a learning path to follow to gain the necessary knowledge for the final examination. These certifications are based on different job roles and levels of expertise.

Benefits Of A GCP Certification

Google Cloud certifications validate your skills and expertise. There are several benefits of gaining these certifications, including:

A digital badge that you may share on your email signature and social media to highlight your skills
Network and exchange ideas with other professionals in the Google Cloud Certified Community
Gain better opportunity
Gain better career opportunities that help advance your career
Substantiate your skills and expertise and demonstrate them to your employer
Enhance the value you add to a firm
Get access to exclusive programmes and conferences offered by Google

Examples Of GCP Certification

Google Cloud Platform offers several role-based certifications that require varying expertise and experience. Here are some of the popular GCP certifications:

Cloud Digital Leader

The Cloud Digital Leader certification is a foundational GCP certification that validates your knowledge of cloud concepts and using products, services, tools and features of Google Cloud. A cloud digital leader works with stakeholders to discuss cloud solutions for a business. The certification assesses your knowledge in digital transformation with Google Cloud, data innovation, infrastructure and application modernisation and Google Cloud security and operations. It has no prerequisites but recommends experience in collaborating with a technical professional. The certification is valid for three years and requires a recertification 60-days before expiration.

Associate Cloud Engineer

The certification for a cloud engineer is an associate GCP certification that validates the fundamental skills to deploy and maintain cloud projects. Cloud engineers monitor operations and manage enterprise solutions using Google-manged or self-managed services on Google Cloud. The certification tests the ability to set up a cloud solution environment, configure a cloud solution and ensure the successful operation of any cloud solution. It is vital to gain a minimum of six months' experience with the platform before taking the examination. The Associate Cloud Engineer certificate is valid for two years and requires recertification 60-days before expiration.

Professional certificate

Professional GCP certificate assesses technical job functions and advanced skills in managing, implementing and designing Google Cloud products. It requires a minimum of three years of cloud industry experience and one year of experience in working with Google Cloud. The certification is valid for two years and requires recertification 60-days before expiration. The professional GCP certificate is specific to a job role, including:

Professional data engineer: The certification assesses the ability to design data processing systems and machine learning models and ensure solution quality. It enables data-driven decision-making and the ability to leverage, deploy and train machine learning models.
Professional cloud development-operations (DevOps) engineer: The certification assesses the ability to optimise service performance, implement site monitoring strategies and build continuous integration and continuous delivery/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. It certifies the skill to build these services using Google Cloud and enables efficient development operations.
Professional cloud security engineer: A Cloud security engineer is proficient at designing and building secure workloads and infrastructure on Google Cloud. The certification tests the ability to manage the cloud environment, network security, data protection and compliance.
Professional cloud network engineer: Cloud network engineers implement and manage network architecture in Google Cloud. The certification tests the ability to design and plan a network, implement virtual private cloud (VPC) instances, configure network services and optimise network operations.
Professional Google Workspace administrator: Google Workspace administrators understand business objectives and transform them into configurations, policies and security practices within the organisational infrastructure using Google Workspace. A professional certification assesses the ability to manage users and resources, control and configure the Workspace services and monitor organisational operations.
Professional machine learning engineer: Machine learning engineers design and build machine learning models on Google Cloud technologies to solve business challenges. A professional GCP certification validates the ability to frame, develop and architect machine learning solutions, automate machine learning pipelines and optimise the solutions.
Professional cloud developer: Cloud developers use their experience with cloud-native applications, developer tools and next-generation databases to build scalable applications using Google-recommended tools. A professional GCP certification validates a developer's ability to design, build, deploy and test applications, integrate Google Cloud services and manage application performance.
Professional cloud architect: Cloud architects leverage Google Cloud capabilities to design, develop and manage security solutions for businesses. A professional GCP certification validates an architect's ability to design and plan a cloud solution architecture, design to ensure security and compliance and manage the implementation of cloud architecture efficiently.

Google Cloud Certified Fellow: Hybrid Multicloud

Google Cloud certified fellow is an elite program for seasoned cloud architects and technical leaders with the ability to make an impact using Anthos and Google Cloud. The certification requires a minimum of ten years of professional experience and a year of working with Anthos. It is vital to have strong engineering and technical experience as the certification tests the ability in people management, project management and proficiency in Anthos and Google Cloud. The certification is available only to Google Cloud customers or partners, with a referral from an active Google Cloud certified fellow.

Career Opportunities With A GCP Certification

Here are some career opportunities that you may find with a GCP certification:

1. Cloud Engineer

National average salary: ₹3,83,739 per year

Primary duties: Cloud engineers are professionals with technical expertise in developing and implementing services on the cloud. They manage requests for new technology and create secure cloud environments to meet business objectives. They work closely with other engineers and developers to create optimal cloud applications.

2. Machine Learning Engineer

National average salary: ₹4,27,400 per year

Primary duties: A machine learning engineer builds and designs artificial intelligence systems to automate recurring and predictive tasks. They collaborate with other developers and stakeholders to create systems that ensure long-term efficiency. Machine learning engineers may also assist businesses with application development, infrastructure management and data governance.

3. Cloud Consultant

National average salary: ₹11,27,879 per year

Primary duties: Cloud consultants work with businesses to understand their infrastructure and assist in digital transformation. They design, develop, test and deploy applications to meet business objectives. A cloud consultant may also audit and monitor the performance of data and cloud infrastructure.

Ways To Highlight Your GCP Certifications

You may highlight your GCP certifications on a resume, cover letter and in an interview to improve your chances of getting a new job or promotion. Here are some tips to keep in mind while highlighting your GCP certifications during your job application process:

On resumes: Dedicate a separate section in the resume to highlight your certification and validity period. Substantiate your knowledge through the work experience on your resume.
In cover letters: Understand the job role and validate your expertise with your GCP certification. Mention the application of your certification in your daily work.
During interviews: Discuss your certification only when it is relevant to the question. You may share experiences of how the certification helped improve your contributions to a project or can enhance your efficiency in the role for which you are applying.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are associated with Indeed.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate’s experience, academic background and location.