Navigating the Future of IT Certifications: Insights from Tim Warner

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Jan 13
3 min read

IT certifications are changing—and many cloud professionals are preparing for the wrong future.

As we move into 2026, the skills that once guaranteed career growth are being reshaped by AI, cloud-native platforms, DevOps, and platform engineering. In the latest episode of Code to Cloud, host Kevin Evans reconnects with industry veteran Tim Warner to cut through the noise and answer a critical question:

Which IT certifications actually matter for the future—and why?

This conversation goes beyond exam checklists. It’s about building durable skills, avoiding career stagnation, and learning how to adapt as technology accelerates.

A Journey Through IT Certifications

How cloud careers—and the meaning of certification—have evolved

Kevin opens the episode by reflecting on his first-ever interview with Tim Warner, a reminder of just how dramatically the certification landscape has changed. Tim draws on decades of experience across Microsoft, Pluralsight, and the broader IT training ecosystem to explain a hard truth:

“Certifications don’t future-proof your career—skills do.”

In today’s world, generative AI, DevOps practices, and cloud-native architectures define modern IT roles. Certifications that fail to reflect real-world capability are quickly losing relevance.

Why Foundational Skills Still Matter

Cloud careers don’t fail at advanced topics—they fail at the fundamentals

One of the strongest themes in the discussion is the renewed importance of foundational knowledge. Tim makes a compelling case for Microsoft’s 900-series certifications, not as “beginner material,” but as career insurance.

“Foundational certifications aren’t remedial—they close the gaps created by specialization.”

GitHub certifications also feature prominently. As DevOps and platform engineering mature, understanding source control, workflows, and automation pipelines is no longer optional.

“Even experienced IT professionals have gaps because they work in silos.”

Foundations reconnect the dots.

Microsoft and Cloud Certifications: Where Depth Meets Reality

Why hands-on experience matters more than memorization

The conversation shifts to Microsoft certifications such as AZ-104 and AZ-900, where theory alone won’t get you across the finish line. Kevin and Tim agree that exams like AZ-104 demand real operational experience, particularly in networking fundamentals, identity and access management, and core cloud architecture.

Tim describes AZ-104 perfectly:

“It’s as deep as it is broad—a true kitchen sink exam.”

The takeaway is clear: modern certifications reward practitioners, not crammers.

AI Certifications and the Future of IT Careers

Why AI knowledge now belongs in every IT role

AI is no longer a future concern—it’s a present-day requirement. Tim introduces the AB-900 certification, which focuses on agentic AI fundamentals, particularly within Microsoft 365 and Purview.

What makes this shift important isn’t just the technology itself, but data governance, compliance, and responsible AI usage.

“AI certifications aren’t about replacing IT roles—they’re about evolving them.”

As AI becomes embedded into business workflows, professionals who understand both the tooling and the governance behind it will stand out.

Vendor-Neutral and Cloud-Native Certifications

Why widening your horizons future-proofs your career

Kevin and Tim also highlight the growing importance of vendor-neutral certifications, particularly those from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF).

Skills in Kubernetes, containerization, and cloud-native design are now baseline expectations across the industry.

“These certifications widen your horizons.”

They also reduce dependency on a single vendor—an increasingly valuable advantage in uncertain markets.

Terraform and Infrastructure as Code

From ClickOps to scalable cloud engineering

Few skills better represent modern IT transformation than Terraform and Infrastructure as Code. Kevin shares his own journey from manual, UI-driven deployments (“ClickOps”) to automated, repeatable infrastructure across Azure, AWS, and GCP.

“Terraform is a transferable skill.”

It’s not just about tooling—it’s about adopting a mindset that values consistency, scalability, and automation. For cloud, DevOps, and platform engineers, Infrastructure as Code is now non-negotiable.

Continuous Learning Is No Longer Optional

Staying relevant in a world that won’t slow down

As the episode wraps, the conversation returns to a simple but powerful truth:

If you’re not learning AI, cloud-native platforms, or Infrastructure as Code—you’re standing still.

Certifications shouldn’t be treated as compliance checkboxes. When chosen intentionally, they become vehicles for long-term growth, confidence, and adaptability.

Tim’s closing advice resonates deeply: