Career Roadways after getting AEM Sites Developer Professional

[donquixote_dofl]

I have 3 years of experience working with AEM 6.5, and 1 year ago, I achieved the Sites Developer Professional certificate. Now, I'm confused about how to advance my career further. Should I explore other Adobe products, such as Target, Web SDK, and AEP, or should I focus more on AEM and aim for the AEM Sites Developer Expert Certification? What should I do? Should I deepen my knowledge of AEM Sites or explore other products?

How to advance further in my professional journey?

[Shashi_Mulugu]

@donquixote_dofl thanks for reaching community for this topic. It all depends on what is your goal in your career. But here are my two cents:

​You've already built a great foundation. The next step is to follow a "T-shaped" career model: deepen your expertise in one area while broadening your knowledge of related ones.

​1. Deepen Your Expertise (The Vertical Bar)

​With your experience and certification, your next move should be to become an absolute expert in a specific AEM discipline.

​AEM Sites Developer Expert Certification: This is a great goal. It will force you to master advanced topics and best practices.

​AEM as a Cloud Service: This is the most crucial skill to learn. AEM 6.5 is on-premise, while the future is in the cloud. Focus on learning Cloud Manager, the new CI/CD pipeline, and Cloud-native development principles.

​Edge Delivery Services (EDS): Get ahead of the curve by understanding this new headless and composable approach to AEM.

​2. Broaden Your Knowledge (The Horizontal Bar)

​You don't need to be an expert in other products, but you must understand how they integrate with AEM. This is vital for architect-level roles.

​Adobe Experience Platform (AEP): Understand its role as a foundation for customer data and how it unifies profiles.

​Adobe Analytics: Learn the basics of data collection and how to use the Adobe Experience Platform Web SDK to send data from AEM to Analytics.

​Adobe Target: Get a working knowledge of A/B testing and personalization and how AEM integrates with Target to deliver customized content.

​By focusing on mastering AEM Cloud Service while gaining a foundational understanding of the broader Adobe Experience Cloud, you'll position yourself for senior and architect-level roles.

[HrishikeshKagne · Accepted solution]

Hi @donquixote_dofl ,

• Strengthen your AEM core by pursuing the Sites Developer Expert certification.
• Once solid, expand into Adobe Target, AEP, and Web SDK to gain cross-solution expertise.
• This blend positions you for Architect/Lead roles in the Adobe ecosystem.

Path => AEM master -> Adobe ecosystem -> Leadership.