For architect roles (solution/software/enterprise), certifications are usually a “nice-to-have”, not a replacement for experience. They help most when:
- the role is strongly vendor-stack oriented (Azure/AWS),
- it’s enterprise-focused and frameworks/vocabulary matter (e.g., TOGAF),
- you want to signal fundamentals (networking, IAM, cost, availability).
In practice, what matters is decision-making and reasoning. A strong architect can explain trade-offs, risks, cost, and alternatives—not just the diagram.
TL;DR
- Start from explicit job-ad mentions (codes/names).
- Choose based on role type: cloud solution architecture vs enterprise architecture.
- Prepare 2–3 examples: decision + constraints + alternatives + outcome.
What certifications show up in job ads (from active listings)
The list below is built from explicit mentions in Architect listings on the platform.
Certifications mentioned in Architect roles
Based on job listings posted in the last 365 days.
Counts are based on explicit certification mentions in listings from the last 365 days.
How to choose (quick)
Cloud-heavy Solution Architect
Cloud certifications help when they match the jobs you apply to. Interviews often probe:
- availability and resiliency (SLOs, failover, DR),
- security-by-default (IAM, secrets, network boundaries),
- cost awareness (managed services vs self-hosted trade-offs),
- observability (what you measure, how you alert, how you investigate).
Enterprise Architect
Signals here are more about:
- aligning business capabilities with systems,
- governance (standards, guardrails, platform choices),
- communication and influence (stakeholders, prioritization).
Projects/artifacts that validate it
You don’t need huge projects; you need clear artifacts:
- an architecture decision record (ADR) for a real decision,
- a diagram plus a short write-up of constraints and risks,
- an example of security posture (threat model, data flow),
- a rollout/rollback plan with success criteria.
Good topics:
- “Monolith vs microservices” in a concrete context (latency, team size, delivery).
- “Build vs buy” with cost and risk reasoning.
- “Multi-region” vs “single-region + DR” and why.
Common mistakes
- “Architecture = diagrams”: without reasoning, diagrams don’t help.
- Ignoring cost: many decisions are cost-driven, even in product teams.
- Buzzword overload: be explicit about constraints and trade-offs.
Quick checklist (to make it “count” on your CV and in interviews)
- Include 2–3 ADRs (even from personal projects) that explain the decision, alternatives, and the final trade-off.
- Add a simple diagram (C4 level 1–2) plus a short write-up of constraints (security, latency, cost, team size).
- Prepare 2 examples of incidents/lessons learned and what you changed in the architecture afterward.
- If your certification is cloud-related, tie it to concrete decisions: IAM model, network boundaries, logging/alerting.
- When you say “scalability”, be precise (RPS, p95 latency, error budget) and state assumptions.
FAQs (what interviewers look for)
I’m not titled “Architect” — is this still relevant?
Yes. Many senior roles (backend, platform, staff) require architecture thinking: decisions, trade-offs, and system ownership.
What should come first: certifications or projects?
Projects. Certifications are a signal; projects prove you can make and defend decisions.
How the list is built (short)
- Scans title + description of Architect jobs on the platform.
- Counts explicit certification mentions only (codes/names), not general technologies.
- Shows how many listings mention each certification within a recent window.
Next steps
- Architect jobs: /ro/cariere-it/rol/architect
- Architect CV template: /ro/ghiduri/model-cv-architect-it-romania
