Google Cloud Certifications Contrarian Views

Google Cloud Certifications Contrarian Views | Generated by AI

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Question: What are unpopular opinions about Google Cloud Professional certificates?

Answer:

Here are some unpopular (or at least contrarian / minority) opinions about Google Cloud Professional-level certificates (such as Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Machine Learning Engineer, Professional Data Engineer, Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, etc.) that surface in discussions, especially on forums like Reddit, LinkedIn, and tech blogs:

They are overrated compared to AWS equivalents — Many professionals argue that GCP Professional certs carry less market weight and recruiter recognition than AWS Professional-level certs (e.g., Solutions Architect Professional or DevOps Engineer Professional). In a job market still dominated by AWS, a GCP cert alone may not open as many doors, making it feel like a “niche” rather than broadly valuable credential.
The exams test memorization of Google-specific service names more than real architectural skill — A recurring criticism is that questions heavily emphasize knowing which exact Google service to use in a scenario (and sometimes the latest renamed/rebranded one), rather than deep understanding of cloud design principles that transfer across providers. Critics say this makes the cert less useful outside pure-GCP environments.
They are not worth the effort if you already have AWS or Azure experience — Some experienced cloud engineers view GCP Professional certs as redundant if you hold equivalent AWS/Azure certs. The time spent learning GCP-specific quirks could be better used on production projects, advanced specializations, or even multi-cloud experience.
Professional certs can hurt more than help when you have too many — An unpopular take (not GCP-specific but frequently applied here) is that stacking many cloud certs—including multiple GCP Professional ones—can make a resume look like “certification collecting” instead of real hands-on depth. Recruiters may question whether the candidate prioritizes badges over building production systems.
The ROI is lower than advertised in 2025–2026 — While Google and some reports highlight high salary premiums, skeptics point out that the actual job-market boost is smaller than for AWS certs or for hands-on GCP experience. In multi-cloud or AWS-heavy enterprises, the cert may add little differentiating value, especially when hiring managers care more about “I built X on GCP” than “I passed the exam.”
They are too scenario-heavy and vague for the price — Some test-takers complain that the case-study-based questions are overly ambiguous or require insider knowledge of Google’s preferred patterns, making passing feel luck-dependent rather than purely skill-based—especially frustrating for the $200 exam fee and the recommended 6–12+ months of experience.

These opinions are definitely not the majority view—many people praise the certs for depth, relevance to modern AI/ML workloads, and strong salary correlation in GCP-heavy roles—but they do represent recurring contrarian takes in community discussions.

References:

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