Kubernetes has cemented its position as the world’s leading tool, mainly used to manage containers. It rose to this position of sheer dominance since the year of 2017. Google initially created Kubernetes, but then it donated it to Cloud Native Computing Foundation. So, it might seem quite understandable that the quality of Kubernetes as a platform is quite exemplary.
Kubernetes boasts of a vast community backing and robust support system. However, since this technology is relatively new, there are not many trained professionals available out there. So, a Kubernetes Certification Program could come in handy if you are looking to settle down in the world of cloud computing and Kubernetes.
You don’t have to worry too much about the future of Kubernetes. Kubernetes is here to stay, and since it has the entire world’s attention, it would be a fantastic time to be a Kubernetes Developer. If you happen to be an early adopter of this technology, chances are you would know all about the job roles and responsibilities which come with Kubernetes. But, for the general population who would like to have a long and prosperous career with Kubernetes, they should understand the roles of Kubernetes certified professionals to plan their future better.
However, before we go into the Kubernetes job roles, we must first understand what we are dealing with, i.e. Kubernetes.
What is Kubernetes?
Kubernetes, which is often stylized as K8 or Kube, is an open-source project which works across any platform aimed to automate most of the manual processes. It is used to deploy, manage, and scale the applications which use containers.
With the help of Kubernetes, you would be able to combine many groups (which are also called clusters) of hosts that natively run the Linux operating system. You can also make the containers run with any privacy feature. You have entire control over the privacy settings when you are using Kubernetes to deploy them. You can also run them on any cloud (like public clouds, private clouds, or hybrid clouds).
Another very apparent advantage of using Kubernetes in the environment of your choice, especially if you are trying to ensure that your application is ready to be deployed on the cloud, is that Kubernetes would give you the freedom of choice to either run the application on a native or physical machine or even Virtual machines (or VMs).
This is one of the many features which you can take advantage of if you adopt Kubernetes into your workflow.
How to get Kubernetes certified:
If you want to get Kubernetes Certification, there are two basic ways. The first one is finding an online course or any certification course. The second one is through official Kubernetes tests and examinations. We would discuss both of them in detail:
- Kubernetes Online Certification Courses: You will be able to find many online courses that can teach you the necessary parts of Kubernetes to succeed in the Kubernetes world. These courses would also give you the much needed hands-on experience to help you cement the knowledge you have acquired. Another benefit of finding a good online course is that they are self-paced. You learn at your own pace. This feature itself is highly sought after by many students. So, if you would like to learn about Kubernetes, then find a suitable online course. One downside is that they are not official. You would need to find a course and a platform that is both recognized and respected.
- Kubernetes Online Certificate Exams: If you visit the official Kubernetes website, you will find two certification exams. Let us discuss both of them below:
- Certified Kubernetes Administrator or CKA: This test is designed in such a way that it would test your ability to configure a cluster of Kubernetes and deploy it as well. Not only that, but a Certified Kubernetes Administrator will also test you on the core concepts surrounding Kubernetes. If you decide to take this exam, you will have three hours, and you would have to score a minimum of 74% or higher, to earn this certificate.
- Certified Kubernetes Application Developer or CKAD: The certified Kubernetes Application Developer test aims to estimate your ability to run, configure, and deploy applications on a Kubernetes cluster. You will have about three hours to complete this exam. This exam is considered to be a little more challenging than the CKA exam, so the cut-off percentage is 66%. Getting more than 66% means you earn your certificate.
Top job roles for Kubernetes certified professionals:
It is uncommon for a job profile to be specifically noted as Kubernetes Professional. Instead, most job descriptions include Kubernetes as a requisite skill for day to day work activities. Looking out for job descriptions having keywords as a DevOps Engineer, a Cloud Engineer, or a System Engineer might be closest to working as a Kubernetes Professional. Few others include Software Escalation Engineer and Site Reliability Engineer job roles. It is also a common requisite for Senior Java Architect or Senior Python Developer. With the growing industry, developers face constant pressure to meet the quality requirements in acute time. Hence, agility development becomes the key to the growth model employing the much-required resilience. These pointers are helping in the increase of demand for Kubernetes Professionals as they are capable of automating the testing, deployment, and updates process without sacrificing the stability of deployment by maintaining the distribution of traffic across systems. The tool itself accelerates the production and maintenance process, thus, helping in the expansion of the consumer base and creating considerable demand for Kubernetes’ utilization.
The various features of Kubernetes provide advanced functionality and efficient usage of limited resources. The features like automated self troubleshooting and reliable data configuration, among others, prove to be indispensable to the industry. As a result, the skills for a Kubernetes Professional have become a valued asset in the industry.
