How Utkarsh Singh is Using Atlassian Certification to Boost his Career 🚀

[#1]

If you haven’t yet heard, Atlassian really does live and breathe its values. One of my personal favorites is “Open Company, No Bullshit” — and one of the consequences of us living this particular value is that we are also a heavy blogging culture.

Internally, you’ll find Atlassians blogging as often about customer concerns we should be paying more attention to as you will about how to better unplug during parental leave. That’s why I wasn’t surprised — but was very pleased — to come across an internal blog from one of our Cloud support engineers about his journey to becoming an Atlassian Certified Expert.

I chatted with @Utkarsh Singh about why he pursued Atlassian certification because I think his story makes sense whether or not you work at Atlassian—or just with Atlassian products every day. He got inspired, he dug in, and we hope you’ll find his story inspiring, too!

Read on and leave a comment below: what Atlassian University certification will you start with?

Tell us a little bit about your role with Atlassian: what do you do here?

I am one of the Cloud support engineers who work with Atlassian customers from around the world, helping them achieve their goals using Atlassian products. This involves working on queries and escalations raised by Atlassian partners and users about product functionality, best practices, implementation-related problems, and much more. I primarily work on Jira Software Cloud, but I also assist customers with Jira Service Management, Confluence, and Access. This requires me to continuously learn and provide an exceptional experience to the customer so that they can love the Atlassian product even more. ❤️

While I enjoy this aspect of my job, I also contribute to my team by leading various projects that aim to enhance the overall customer experience when using Atlassian products and when seeking assistance.

What was your experience with Atlassian products before joining Atlassian as a support engineer?

I was well aware of Atlassian's product offerings and their respective functionalities. However, before joining Atlassian, I only had some experience working with Confluence. Although some of my previous teams used Jira, I never had the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of it. In fact, it wasn't until my onboarding days here at Atlassian that I first laid eyes on the Jira console. 😄

Now let’s shift to certification — what motivated you to pursue Atlassian Certification?

There were several reasons for it, but the primary one was to test my skills in Atlassian products. I have been working with Atlassian products like Jira and Confluence day in and day out for the past two years and wanted to verify my proficiency across Atlassian solutions through certifications.

Another reason was to learn more. While preparing for the certifications, I had to go through many features that I don't use or go through in my day-to-day job, which increased my understanding and knowledge about the product.

Finally, I am very active in the Atlassian Community, and the ACE designation in my profile means that customers can trust my answers. 😛

What motivated you to pursue the Atlassian Certified Expert (ACE) distinction in particular?

No doubt that certifications enhance one’s credibility and reputation in their field. As someone who helps many customers every day in achieving their agile goals using Jira and Confluence, I found that the Atlassian Certified Expert (ACE) designation was one of the most reputable ways to learn the skills needed to bring value to my customers' teams and organizations.

 

 A chilly morning in Toronto with my wife and son.

Can you share some dos & don'ts with the Community considering getting certified?

DO'S

• Do go through the courses recommended for the certifications on Atlassian University.

• Before starting the exam, ensure that your identity proof matches the name you used on the certification portal.

• It's important to take proper rest before the exam, as sitting for 3 continuous hours with a clock ticking in front of you can be exhausting.

• You are allowed to keep water in a transparent bottle, which I suggest over a glass. 3 hours is a long time,

• If you don’t know the answer to a few questions, leave them initially. There is a high chance that the other questions will give you an idea about the answer to the question in which you got stuck.

• Don’t forget to order the free swag (Atlassian T-shirt) after completing your first certification.

• Once you have the ACE badge, you can get another swag (Atlassian Jacket).

• Share your certifications on LinkedIn and the Atlassian community. 🙂

DON'TS

• During the exam, your PSI browser window may become unresponsive at times. If this happens, don't worry. You simply need to reload the page but inform the proctor using the chat window provided on the test screen before doing so.

• If you encounter any difficulties, you can ping the PSI proctor using the chat available on the exam window throughout the examination.

• Remember, breaks are not allowed during the exam, so drink water wisely. 😛

• Also, please refrain from covering your mouth or reading the questions aloud during the examination, as both are not allowed.

• It's important to focus on the screen and not look anywhere else during the examination.

• If you are taking the exam from your personal computer at home, make sure to uninstall any VPN software from your computer (or completely stop it) as the PSI browser (the application on which you take the exam) may not start if it detects such software.

What was the experience like for you?

It was an amazing experience to pass each exam. Not only did it boost my confidence, but I also learned a few things that I never knew even after working for 2 years. The most amazing experience was with the Confluence certification. 😄 As a member of the Jira support team, this was the first time I was looking at the Confluence administration side in such depth. It was really challenging, as well as exciting.

 

During our recent family vacation, my wife Shivangi, our kid Riddhit and I had the pleasure of visiting Dubai.

Finally, what advice would you have for someone considering whether or not they should pursue their first Atlassian certification?

If you work with Atlassian products or plan to grow your career around them, Atlassian certifications are the best way to enhance your skills and get professional validation for your expertise. The certification will give you a competitive edge in your career and, at the same time, it can be a great learning experience. If you are already planning to take the exam, calculate how many days it will take to prepare for the exam, add some buffer days, and schedule the exam today. Once you have the deadline, it will be easier to prepare. This trick at least worked for me. 😊

---

Let us know in the comments to help earn your Lean into Learning badge: What tips of Utkarsh’s will you keep in mind?

What Atlassian University certification will you start with?  👀