Skip the Degree, Stack the Credentials
Hiring is shifting from degrees toward proof of skill. This field guide covers five credentials — from Anthropic, GitHub, Google, AWS and IBM — that show employers you can actually build with modern AI.
The Five Credentials
- Claude Certified Architect (Anthropic) — for architecting production Claude systems: agentic design, MCP, Claude Code, and prompt and context engineering. The guide lists 60 scenario questions in 120 minutes through Pearson VUE. The exam currently requires Anthropic Partner Network access, but the prep courses are free and open.
- GitHub Foundations (GitHub) — a proctored exam covering Git, repositories and real project workflows, the collaboration basics teams screen for.
- Google AI Essentials (Google) — no experience needed and finishable in a couple of weeks, with a verifiable Google credential for using AI in everyday work. It's a paid Coursera course whose content can be audited free.
- AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AWS) — Amazon's proctored certification for AI, ML and generative-AI fundamentals on AWS: 65 questions in 90 minutes, around $100 per the guide.
- Generative AI Engineering (IBM) — the technical one: a Professional Certificate covering LLMs, RAG and GenAI engineering, with hands-on labs and portfolio projects. Auditable free; the certificate itself is paid.
How to Stack Them
Pick a lane and combine two or three: Google AI Essentials to start, the AWS AI Practitioner to clear resume filters, then Claude or IBM to go deep.
Check Before You Enroll
Prices, formats and eligibility change. Confirm the details on each official page before you sign up.
What's in the Guide
All five credentials, what each one proves, the format and access details, how to combine them, and the official link for each.
The full field guide is in the PDF.
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