AWS is a cloud computing SAAS platform that provides multiple services, including compute and storage capacity, database management, software development tools, networking, and governance. This tool helps companies improve their operations by designing highly scalable and fault-tolerant systems.
AWS is also a convenient and cost-effective solution. Companies that don’t work with cloud infrastructure rely on on-site servers and need to perform constant backup protocols. With AWS everything is taken care of by the AWS team, and the downtime is reduced. That’s why it’s considered a fault-tolerant platform.
AWS practitioners can be software engineers, data architects, or DevOps engineers. It’ll depend on your area of expertise. We could keep talking for hours about the benefits of Amazon Web Services. However, we’re here for another reason: to help you improve your AWS resume.
Below, we have included some resume tips that’ll help you enhance your performance and get noticed by recruiters. We’ve customized recommendations to each role and included four resume templates that you can tailor to your own experience. Let’s get started.
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Get advice on each section of your resume:
An AWS developer helps organizations integrate this cloud technology to improve their operations. An AWS developer could potentially enhance data storage, coding, and content development. Their purpose is to modernize operations with AWS solutions. One of their major responsibilities is to ensure accessibility and data security. That’s why you should include your data authentication and security skills on your resume.
Amazon web services offer several certificates for cloud developers, including the AWS Certified Developer certification. It’ll depend on your level of expertise. Yet, all of these certifications help you validate your ability to create, debug, and manage AWS infrastructure.
AWS has multiple coding tools that allow you to work on a high-performing serverless platform. Lambda, in particular, is a computing platform that helps you run code without the need for managing servers. If you are an AWS developer, you should be familiar with this tool and indicate it on your resume.
An AWS architect is responsible for developing and modernizing cloud infrastructure. To do this, they need to audit the company’s operations to identify the ideal AWS solutions to scale their potential. Another responsibility of the cloud architect is to reduce downtime and improve security levels in the infrastructure. If you want to impress your potential employer, you should demonstrate you are up-to-date with the latest AWS trends on your resume.
Networks are a communication form between computing devices, and AWS helps you to create highly scalable and secure networks with cloud technology. As an AWS architect, you should be familiar with networking techniques using Amazon Web Services.
Your resume should demonstrate your accomplishments with cloud solutions. That’s why it is definitely a good idea to mention successful AWS projects on your resume. You can talk about data migration, AWS integration, or infrastructure improvement. This will impress recruiters and help you demonstrate your value.
An AWS cloud practitioner is an entry-level professional that doesn’t necessarily need to have a technical background. It is common to see professionals from diverse backgrounds that have the AWS cloud practitioner training to communicate better with stakeholders or colleagues. If you want to improve your resume, try to keep it focused on your technical skills.
Generally, an AWS cloud practitioner doesn’t have too much professional experience with the platform. However, you can also demonstrate your expertise by showcasing your independent projects.
Even though this is an entry-level position, you should still have some foundational knowledge of AWS fundamentals. You should be familiar with concepts like data storage, networking, and computing. It is crucial to demonstrate this in your resume if you want to look reliable and trustworthy.
An AWS DevOps engineer is responsible for ensuring the continuous improvement, scalability, and security of the cloud-based production system. They deliver systems and tools to automate processes, typically on AWS - or Amazon Web Services — environments. They should have a strong understanding of programming and IT operations to ensure the constant availability of the system. It is important to focus your work experience section on outcomes. You can include quantifiable achievements to demonstrate your impact on previous projects’ bottom lines.
If you want to get noticed and that your resume passes ATS filters, it’s important to include keywords relevant to cloud engineering. Keywords like AWS (duh!), DevOps, Azure, or similar frameworks or technologies are worth including. This will help you be more relevant in the recruitment process and increase your chances of getting an interview.
DevOps engineers should have relevant soft skills like communication and collaboration, because they're likely working with different teams. However, you can demonstrate those through accomplishments and outcomes. When it comes to the skills section, it’s better to focus on technical skills.
An AWS DevOps engineer improves software development operations by becoming a bridge between the IT and development teams. Their role is to create CI/CD pipelines for process automation. This DevOps, in particular, focuses on AWS infrastructure, so it’s important to demonstrate your specialty on your resume. You can also include an AWS Certified DevOps Engineer certification to prove your knowledge and expertise in Amazon Web Services.
Your AWS DevOp engineering resume should demonstrate your expertise in quality assurance. It is your responsibility as a DevOps engineer to ensure product compilation without errors. Additionally, you must ensure that applications are secure and accessible before the product release.
The responsibility of this role is to ensure proper management, automation, maintenance, performance, and scalability of AWS cloud-based production systems. Recruiters want to see that you have the programming skills to help increase efficiency or reduce costs or labor. In the experience section of this sample, you see many bullet points explaining how certain operational functions were improved. For example, “eliminating 85% of manual work”, “reduced the service loading time by 97%”, or “increased the page speed by 15%.” Your resume should include the achievements you’ve reached by using AWS.
Because AWS DevOps is a more senior role, recruiters want to see job growth and leadership. Make sure you list any changes or promotions in your job titles, along with detailing leadership experience. For example, this sample mentions leading “a team of 4 DevOps engineers in the transition from GCP to AWS.”
Your resume needs to have strong action verbs relevant to the role so recruiters can see how you specifically contributed to an accomplishment. In the sample, you see verbs like “automated”, “managed”, and “implemented”. For an AWS DevOps resume, include action verbs like these when explaining your experience.
As a hiring manager who has reviewed countless resumes for AWS roles at top companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, I've seen firsthand what makes a strong resume stand out. The following tips will help you craft a compelling resume that showcases your skills and experience in the best possible light.
AWS certifications demonstrate your expertise and commitment to staying current with AWS technologies. Be sure to list them prominently on your resume, along with the date you earned each one. For example:
If you don't have any AWS certifications yet, consider pursuing them to boost your resume and skills.
When applying for AWS roles, a well-crafted summary can help set the tone for your resume and provide additional context about your skills and experience. While a summary is optional, it can be particularly useful if you're a career changer or have a diverse background that may not immediately align with the AWS role you're targeting. However, it's important to avoid using an objective statement, as these are outdated and not effective.
When writing your AWS resume summary, focus on highlighting your most relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments. Use metrics and specific examples to showcase your impact and avoid duplicating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume. Keep your summary concise, typically no more than a paragraph, and tailor it to the specific AWS role you're applying for.
When it comes to your work experience section, you want to showcase your AWS skills and expertise in a way that will impress potential employers. This section is where you can really highlight your accomplishments and demonstrate the value you can bring to a company.
Here are some key tips to keep in mind as you write your work experience section:
The education section of your resume shows hiring managers that you have the necessary knowledge and training for the role. When applying for AWS positions, it's important to highlight your relevant education and certifications. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as you write your education section:
Your AWS resume should be able to get past Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). To achieve this, you should keep your resume concise and use accurate vocabulary. That’s why it’s important to use an efficient structure, such as bullet points in combination with strong action verbs.
These action verbs can illustrate your work experience in one word. Yet, you should use these terms wisely; only choose highly relevant action verbs. Notice how “developed” sounds more appropriate than just saying “I was responsible for.” If you need more inspiration for AWS action verbs, take a look below.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
Your AWS skills will depend on your area of expertise as a cloud practitioner. For example, AWS developers should be familiar with infrastructure as code, and programming languages such as Python, Java, and C#, etc. AWS architects, on the other hand, should be familiar with cloud infrastructure management, networking, and storage management.
Your skills section will look different depending on your specialty. That’s why it is always relevant to check your potential employer’s requirements to identify skills that could be relevant for the position you are applying for. You can also consider checking our selection of skills for AWS jobs below.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on AWS job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
