Kubernetes Certification Path for You and Your Team
Cloud-Native experts, especially those with Kubernetes certifications, are highly sought after due to the astronomical growth and widespread adoption of container and microservices technologies.
With the exponential growth and popularity of containers, microservices, and cloud computing, Kubernetes has become the standard for running containerized applications in the cloud.
Kubernetes is at the core of the cloud-native movement — providing container-agnostic tools to build, scale, deploy, and secure applications more efficiently than Virtual Machines can isolate each container from other processes running on the same host.
As the demand for Kubernetes knowledge and skills increases, specialty becomes increasingly valuable. Hiring managers in particular recognize the significant learning curve associated with Kubernetes certification, making it a worthwhile pursuit for those seeking a new career path in the cloud.
There are three established and two new associate-level Kubernetes certification programs under The Linux Foundation banner. Let's explore these programs.
Kubernetes Certification—Which Path is Right for You and Your Team?
These Kubernetes certifications are high-ROI programs that provide a clear pathway for professionals. The proctored exams are challenging, but practice is key to success. And good thing—The Linux Foundation updates the training content with every new release of Kubernetes, making it a reliable source for learning.
Special Discount for The Linux FoundationCKAD — Certified Kubernetes Application Developer
The CKAD is designed for developers who interact in a Kubernetes environment. This stand-alone certification program enables developers to apply Cloud Native application concepts and architectures.
Often considered the easiest of the three exams, the CKAD program certifies that an engineer can design, build, configure, and expose cloud-native applications for Kubernetes. In terms of job roles, those employed in the Cloud Native field often earn more after obtaining CKAD.
Is it right for you?
Concepts and architectures of applications, runtimes, and programming skills are essential. The exam doesn't involve development tasks but tests individuals' ability to deploy a microservices-based application.
Developers should consider CKAD, while DevOps and operations people may benefit more from the CKA. This program validates essential skills for building, deploying, and configuring cloud-native applications with Kubernetes. It is suitable for beginners, developers, deployment specialists, and DevOps Engineers.
CKA — Certified Kubernetes Administrator
The CKA program is designed for DevOps Engineers, Site Reliability Engineers, operations teams, and system/network administrators, focusing more on Kubernetes features and functionality than container runtimes.
CKA allows professionals to establish their credibility in the competitive job market. This program is also a prerequisite for the CKS exam, proving extremely beneficial for those pursuing a security-focused role.
Is it right for you?
CKA examines practitioner's functional knowledge of administrator responsibilities and the applicability of all aspects of Kubernetes, including application lifecycle management, cluster maintenance, security, storage, networking, and debugging.
This certification program is most beneficial for DevOps Engineers, SREs, and System Admins. It's recommended to have knowledge of the Linux administration shell, shell scripting, containers, and DevOps methodologies.
CKS — Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist
The CKS, designed for operations and system administrators, focuses on Kubernetes and supporting security applications. It is considered the most challenging exam and popular certification offered by The Linux Foundation, as security talents are increasingly valued.
There is a high demand for Kubernetes Security skills and cloud-native capabilities. A CKS is a proficient Kubernetes practitioner who has demonstrated extensive knowledge and expertise in securing container-based applications and Kubernetes platforms.
Is it right for you?
Security professionals will benefit significantly from the CKA training program as it provides valuable insights into the daily challenges of operation teams. It teaches best practices for securing containerized applications and Kubernetes platforms during build and deployment, including monitoring, logging, and runtime security.
CKS is an advanced-level Kubernetes certification that requires an active CKA (Certified Kubernetes Administrator) certification for the exam. It is suitable for anyone with basic Kubernetes knowledge and a keen interest in pursuing a security-focused role.
TL;DR
Kubernetes is an exciting container orchestration technology to run distributed systems resiliently. It is an open source distributed system for managing containerized workloads and services that support declarative configuration and automation. It is world’s most popular container orchestration tool and organizations are eager to find skilled Kubernetes practitioners.
And with that, good luck with your Kubernetes Certification.
