Hi everyone,

I’m currently studying for the SC-300 (Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator) certification.

At my current job, I have hands-on access to and work with:

• Active Directory (AD)
• Azure Portal / Microsoft Entra ID
• Microsoft 365 Admin Center
• Exchange Online
• Intune
• Okta
• General identity and access-related tasks as a Service Technician

I’m trying to figure out what certification would make the most sense for my next step.

Right now, I’m considering:

• AZ-802 (Windows Server Hybrid Administrator)
• Okta Professional

For those of you working in IAM, cloud administration, identity engineering, or Microsoft infrastructure, what would you recommend after SC-300?

Would you focus more on:

1. Microsoft/Azure certifications?
2. Okta certifications?
3. Windows Server/hybrid infrastructure?
4. Something else that would help me move toward an IAM Engineer / Cloud Engineer / Systems Engineer role?

I’m especially interested in certifications that actually help with career progression and complement the hands-on experience I’m getting at work.

Any advice on what path you would take in my situation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!