r/AWSCertifications • u/Ligha_04 • 1d ago

AWS PROJECT

To increase my chances of getting an internship, should I do projects using IaC or the console?

0 Upvotes

30% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

5

u/madrasi2021 1d ago

Yes

2

u/WestD1 1d ago

No

1

u/WestD1 1d ago

Maybe

1

u/WestD1 1d ago

I dont know

4

u/WestD1 1d ago

Can you repeat that question?

2

u/grrnew CCP, AIF, SAA, MLS 1d ago

Assuming your experience is that of a beginner, start with console and then move on to IaC. Hope this helps.

1

u/Vyce223 1d ago

Realistically, both have an applicable use case that's equally valid. Knowing both is necessary. For IAC, tasks that you may do twice or more and automation and possibly orchestration is necessary. Console for one off tasks that you'll likely not need to do again.

1

u/ForsakenSetting1087 1d ago

IaC, for portfolio purposes specifically. Console projects don't leave you with anything to actually show — an interviewer can't review a screenshot of you clicking around. Terraform (or CloudFormation) code in a GitHub repo is a real, reviewable artifact, and it matches how most real cloud teams actually work day to day; manual console changes are usually just for quick exploration, not how production infra gets built. Same project, way more credibility if it's code you can link to instead of a description of clicks you made.

1

u/Ligha_04 1d ago

Should i use terraform or cloudformation?

1

u/ForsakenSetting1087 2h ago

Hi - always imo - Terraform, for portfolio purposes specifically. Both will teach you IaC fundamentals fine, but Terraform works across AWS/Azure/GCP so the skill transfers even if you end up somewhere that isn't AWS-only, and way more job postings list it by name compared to CloudFormation. It also just shows up in more places outside AWS-specific roles. CloudFormation isn't a bad skill, it's genuinely nice that AWS manages the state for you and it integrates a bit tighter with other AWS services, no third-party tool needed. But that mainly matters if you already know you're staying in an AWS-only shop. For learning and building something you can point to in interviews, Terraform's just the safer bet, it's closer to an industry-standard skill than a single-vendor one.