Google vs AWS vs Microsoft certifications — which gets you hired faster in Malaysia?
by Zafri Anuar·May 25, 2026
Researched this by looking at job postings and talking to 12 hiring managers. Here's what I found.
AWS certifications:
Highest market demand in Malaysia by volume. AWS Solutions Architect Associate is the most frequently mentioned cert in tech job postings. Valued across cloud engineering, DevOps, and backend roles.
Microsoft certifications:
Strong demand in corporate and GLC environments, especially Azure-related certs for companies on Microsoft infrastructure. AZ-900 (Fundamentals) is table stakes; AZ-104 or AZ-204 are the ones that move the needle.
Google Cloud certifications:
Smaller demand in Malaysia specifically but growing. GCP Professional Data Engineer is the most valued for data roles — BigQuery expertise is increasingly sought after.
Bottom line for hiring speed: AWS first. Microsoft second if you're targeting corporate/GLC. Google if you're targeting data engineering specifically.
For learning: All three have free digital training and significant discounts for exam vouchers. AWS has the most extensive free tier for hands-on practice.