Top 11 Packer Certifications

Certifications are important for packers in the job market because they demonstrate that an individual has the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out their duties safely and efficiently. They provide employers with assurance that the employee is qualified to handle various packing tasks, such as labeling, packaging, sealing, and shipping. Certifications also demonstrate an individual's commitment to professional development and continuing education in their field. Certified packers may be given preference over non-certified applicants due to their higher level of expertise and training.

This article reviews some of the top certifications for Packers and explains how they can help advance a Packer's career.

What are Packer Certifications?

Packer certification is a program that allows individuals to become certified in the use of Packer, an open source tool for creating machine images for various platforms. With Packer, users can create repeatable and automated builds for multiple platforms such as Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine, DigitalOcean, and more.

The Packer certification program provides an official assessment of knowledge and skills related to using the software. It also offers guidance on best practices and troubleshooting tips from experienced professionals in the field. This can help individuals who are new to Packer become more proficient in its use, as well as provide additional credentials for those already familiar with the tool. Additionally, having a Packer certification can help demonstrate an individual's commitment to learning new technologies and staying up-to-date with industry standards.

Pro Tip: Before attempting the Packer Certification exam, be sure to thoroughly review all of the Packer documentation and tutorials available online. Additionally, practice using Packer in a test environment to gain hands-on experience with the tool. This will help you become more familiar with the various components and functions of Packer, allowing you to better prepare for the certification exam.

Related: What does a Packer do?

Top 11 Packer Certifications

Here’s our list of the best certifications available to Packers today.

1. CompTIA Cloud+

CompTIA Cloud+ is an industry-recognized certification that validates the skills and knowledge of IT professionals who work with cloud technologies. It covers a wide range of topics, from cloud concepts to virtualization, security, and resource management. It is designed for IT professionals who want to demonstrate their ability to deploy, maintain, and troubleshoot cloud infrastructure.

The CompTIA Cloud+ exam typically takes 90 minutes to complete and consists of 90 multiple-choice questions. The cost of the exam varies depending on the country or region where you take it, but generally costs around $320 USD.

In order to get CompTIA Cloud+, you must first register for the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or online. Once you have registered, you will be able to schedule your exam date and time. You can also purchase practice exams from CompTIA’s website in order to prepare for the real thing.

Once you have passed the exam, you will receive your official CompTIA Cloud+ certification which is valid for three years from the date of issue. After three years, you must recertify by taking a new version of the exam in order to maintain your certification status.

2. CompTIA Linux+

CompTIA Linux+ is a certification program that validates the knowledge and skills of IT professionals who use the Linux operating system. It covers topics such as installation and configuration, security, network services and troubleshooting. The certification is designed to help individuals demonstrate their ability to work with Linux in an enterprise environment.

The CompTIA Linux+ exam takes approximately 90 minutes to complete, and consists of 90 multiple-choice questions. The exam costs $319 USD. To obtain the certification, you must pass both the LX0-103 (Linux+ Part 1) and LX0-104 (Linux+ Part 2) exams.

To prepare for the exam, it is recommended that you have at least 12 months of hands-on experience with Linux systems administration in an enterprise environment. Additionally, there are several study materials available online from CompTIA or other vendors that can help you prepare for the exam.

3. CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Network+ is a vendor-neutral certification that validates the knowledge and skills of IT professionals in networking technologies. It is designed to ensure that the certified individual has the necessary skills and knowledge to install, configure, troubleshoot, manage and maintain basic network infrastructure.

It takes approximately 40 hours of study time to prepare for the CompTIA Network+ exam. The exam consists of 90 multiple choice questions and requires a minimum score of 720 out of 900 to pass.

The cost for the CompTIA Network+ exam varies depending on your location but generally ranges from $250-$300 USD. You can register for the exam through Pearson VUE or Prometric testing centers.

In order to become certified, you must pass an authorized CompTIA Network+ certification exam. After passing the exam, you will be awarded with a certificate that is valid for three years from the date it was issued.

4. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate is an entry-level certification that validates a candidate’s knowledge and technical skills in designing, deploying, and managing applications and infrastructure on the Amazon Web Services platform. It is one of the most popular certifications in the cloud computing industry.

It typically takes about four to six months to prepare for this certification exam. Candidates should have a good understanding of AWS services, such as EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, CloudFormation, IAM, Lambda, and more. They should also be familiar with core AWS architectural principles such as security best practices and high availability design principles.

To get certified as an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, candidates must pass a multiple-choice exam administered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The exam consists of 65 questions that must be completed within 130 minutes. The exam fee is $150 USD per attempt.

Candidates who successfully pass the exam will receive an official certificate from Amazon Web Services indicating they are now an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate.

5. VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV)

VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) is a certification program offered by VMware that validates an IT professional's skills and knowledge in virtualizing data centers. It is designed to demonstrate proficiency in the installation, configuration, and management of VMware vSphere 6.x environments.

To become VCP6-DCV certified, an individual must first attend a VMware authorized training course or complete an online training course. After completing the training, the individual must pass two exams: the VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) Exam and the vSphere 6 Foundations Exam.

The VCP6-DCV exam consists of 85 multiple choice questions and takes approximately 120 minutes to complete. The exam focuses on topics such as configuring and managing vCenter Server components, configuring networking and storage for a vSphere deployment, deploying and administering virtual machines, monitoring resource usage, creating templates and clones for rapid deployment of virtual machines, performing basic troubleshooting tasks for ESXi hosts and virtual machines, understanding vMotion/Storage vMotion migrations, understanding high availability/fault tolerance features in vSphere 6.x environments, using automation tools to manage large deployments of virtual machines and more.

The cost of the VCP6-DCV certification depends on which training option you choose; however it typically ranges from $3,000 - $4,000 USD including both exams.

6. Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate

Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate is a certification program designed to validate the skills and knowledge of IT professionals who manage cloud services in Microsoft Azure. The certification requires individuals to demonstrate their ability to implement, monitor, and maintain Microsoft Azure solutions, including major services related to compute, storage, network, and security.

The certification process typically takes around 6-8 weeks from start to finish. To get certified as an Azure Administrator Associate, you must first pass two exams: AZ-103: Microsoft Azure Administrator and AZ-104: Microsoft Azure Administrator – Advanced. You can take these exams at any Pearson VUE testing center or online using your own computer.

The cost of the exams varies between $165 USD and $205 USD each depending on the country you’re taking them in. Additionally, there may be additional fees for rescheduling or cancelling an exam. Once you have passed both exams, you will be awarded the Microsoft Azure Administrator Associate certification.

7. Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect

Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect is a certification program that validates an individual's ability to design, develop, and manage solutions on Google Cloud Platform. This certification is designed for IT professionals who have expertise in designing and managing solutions on the Google Cloud Platform.

The certification exam consists of multiple-choice questions that test your knowledge of the Google Cloud Platform and its related technologies. The exam takes approximately two hours to complete.

To get certified as a Professional Cloud Architect, you must first pass the Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect exam. You can take this exam online or in person at one of the testing centers around the world. The cost of the exam varies depending on where you take it, but typically ranges from $200 to $400 USD.

Once you have passed the exam, you will receive a digital certificate that shows your achievement and allows employers to verify your credentials. You will also be listed in the Google Cloud Certified directory so employers can find you easily when they are looking for qualified professionals with cloud experience.

Finally, once certified, you will need to maintain your certification by taking continuing education courses every two years in order to stay current with new technologies and trends in cloud computing.

8. Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)

RHCSA is a certification offered by Red Hat, Inc., the world’s leading provider of open source solutions. The RHCSA certification is designed to validate the skills and knowledge required for system administrators to effectively manage Red Hat Enterprise Linux systems.

The RHCSA exam is a performance-based test that requires hands-on experience with the operating system. It consists of two parts: a written exam and a practical lab exam. The written exam covers topics such as installation and configuration, system administration tasks, security, storage management, and troubleshooting. The practical lab exam requires you to demonstrate your ability to perform various administrative tasks on a live system.

It typically takes about 6 months of study and practice to prepare for the RHCSA exam. It is recommended that you have at least 6 months of experience working with Red Hat Enterprise Linux before attempting the exam. Additionally, it is recommended that you take an official Red Hat course or use self-study materials in order to gain the necessary knowledge and skills needed to pass the exam.

The cost of taking the RHCSA exam varies depending on where you take it and which version of the exam you are taking (standard or premium). Generally speaking, it will cost around $400 USD for either version of the exam.

9. Amazon Web Services Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional is a certification that demonstrates an individual’s expertise in deploying, managing, and operating highly available and scalable systems on the AWS platform. This certification requires an understanding of both development and operations principles, as well as the ability to automate and monitor applications running on AWS.

The exam for this certification takes approximately 180 minutes to complete. It consists of multiple-choice questions based on scenarios related to deployment, management, and operations of applications on the AWS platform.

In order to get this certification, you must first pass the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional Exam. The exam fee is $300 USD. Additionally, you must have at least two years of experience working with AWS technologies in a DevOps role.

Once you have passed the exam, you will receive your certificate from Amazon Web Services. You can then use this certification to demonstrate your expertise in developing, deploying, and managing applications on the AWS platform.

10. Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Server Infrastructure

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Server Infrastructure is a certification that demonstrates an individual’s expertise in designing, deploying, and managing Windows Server 2012 R2 solutions. This certification is intended for IT professionals who have experience in the areas of server infrastructure, identity management, systems management, virtualization, storage and networking.

To become Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert: Server Infrastructure certified requires passing two exams: Exam 70-413: Designing and Implementing a Server Infrastructure and Exam 70-414: Implementing an Advanced Server Infrastructure. Both exams must be taken within 12 months of each other to achieve the certification.

The cost of each exam is $150 USD. The total cost of both exams is $300 USD. It typically takes around 3 months to study for both exams and pass them both. To prepare for these exams, candidates should use official Microsoft Learning materials such as instructor-led training (ILT), e-learning courses, or self-study materials such as books or online resources.

11. Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization (CCP-V)

Citrix Certified Professional - Virtualization (CCP-V) is a certification that validates a professional’s ability to design, install, configure, and administer Citrix virtualization solutions. The certification covers topics such as XenServer, XenApp, and XenDesktop. It also includes topics related to networking, storage, and security.

It typically takes around 6-12 months of study to prepare for the CCP-V exam. To get certified, you must first pass the Citrix Certified Associate – Virtualization (CCA-V) exam and then take the CCP-V exam. The CCA-V exam is designed to assess your knowledge of basic concepts in virtualization technology.

The cost of the CCP-V exam varies depending on where you take it and whether or not you use any special offers or discounts. Generally speaking, however, the cost of the exam is around $200 USD.

In order to maintain your certification status, you must complete at least one recertification every three years by passing either the CCA-V or CCP-V exams again.

Do You Really Need a Packer Certificate?

If you are looking to enter the world of professional packing and moving, then the answer is yes. A packer certificate is an important document that can help you demonstrate your proficiency in the field of packing and moving goods. It can also be used as a way to prove your competence to potential employers, or even to customers who may need your services.

The main purpose of a packer certificate is to show that you have gained a certain level of knowledge and skill in the field. By showing this, you will have an advantage over other applicants for positions in the packing industry, as employers will know that you are capable of doing the work safely and efficiently. The certificate also serves as proof that you have received proper training from a recognized institution, ensuring that any customer or employer can trust in your abilities.

In addition to demonstrating your proficiency in packing and moving goods, the certificate can also be used to gain access to additional resources such as discounts on materials or equipment purchases. This can help save money when it comes time for jobs or purchasing supplies for future projects. Having a packer certificate also makes it easier for potential employers to assess your qualifications more quickly than if they had no evidence of prior training.

Overall, having a packer certificate is an important asset when trying to break into the packing industry or even when looking for employment elsewhere within the field. It provides tangible proof of competency which can give applicants an edge over others who may not have similar qualifications or experience.

Related: Packer Resume Examples

FAQs About Packer Certifications

FAQ #1: What is Packer Certification?

Answer: Packer Certification is a certification program offered by HashiCorp that verifies an individual's expertise in using the Packer open source tool to automate the creation of machine images.

FAQ #2: Who should consider getting Packer Certified?

Answer: Any IT professionals or DevOps engineers who are responsible for automating their organization’s image creation process and want to demonstrate their proficiency in working with Packer should consider becoming certified.

FAQ #3: What will I learn from getting Packer Certified?

Answer: By getting Packer Certified, you will gain a deeper understanding of how to use the different features of the tool, understand best practices for image building, and be able to troubleshoot common issues that can arise when building images.

FAQ #4: How long does it take to become certified?

Answer: Depending on your prior experience with Packer, it typically takes 4-6 weeks of studying and practicing with the tool before you can take the certification exam.

FAQ #5: How much does it cost to get certified?

Answer: The cost of the certification exam varies depending on where you take it. Generally, it costs between $200-$300 USD in most locations.