A new milestone for our team: Elie, one of our Drupal developers, has just earned the Acquia certification. This recognition reflects not only our technical expertise but also our longstanding commitment to Drupal. In this article, let's hear Elie share his experience with the Drupal certification.
What is Acquia Certification?
Acquia is a software and digital services company built around Drupal, founded by Dries Buytaert. It notably offers the Acquia certification, a formal validation of skills and knowledge for developers in development, site building, administration, and Drupal project management.
Obtaining this certification means that the developer has an advanced mastery of Drupal and is able to deliver robust solutions. For our agency, even though Drupal has been a part of our daily work since 2004, this certification is a guarantee of quality and reliability for our clients.
The Acquia certification is recognition for Drupal developers. It officially validates their skills and knowledge in development, administration, and Drupal project management. It proves that the developer has advanced mastery of Drupal and is able to conduct development in strict compliance with the standards of the Drupal community.
At the heart of Acquia certification
Specifically, Acquia certification assesses several essential aspects:
- Knowledge of fundamental web development concepts:
Object-oriented programming, design patterns, jQuery, GIT... - Site-building skills:
Knowing how to create taxonomies, configure block types, block libraries, views, build navigation systems, manage multilingual sites… - Front-end development skills:
Creating a custom theme, using Twig syntax and building Twig templates… - Back-end development skills:
Creating custom modules with the Drupal API, storing and using data via code, writing tests with testing frameworks... This is where the magic happens behind the scenes, where ideas come to life and become functional.
Meet Elie, our Acquia-certified developer
To assess the subtleties of this certification, we offer you feedback and advice from Elie, who has just been certified.
Q: Hi Elie, first of all congratulations on your certification! Before we get to the heart of the matter, can you introduce yourself?
Elie: Hi, I’m a developer, I’ve been working at bluedrop.fr since 2016. My job is to support teams of developers in carrying out web projects. That involves creating, redesigning or maintaining digital products: websites, business applications, etc.
Q: So you were already pretty experienced with Drupal before taking the certification?
Elie: Yes, I’ve been working with Drupal for more than 8 years, since version 6 of Drupal. It’s a very robust tool that makes a lot of tasks much easier, especially for developers. I also contribute regularly to the Drupal community by creating new modules, submitting patches and participating in forum discussions.
Q: Can you tell us about a Drupal project you’re particularly proud of?
Elie: The first big project that stood out for me was the redesign of the website and the multisite platform for the CGT. It was one of my first large-scale projects at the agency and with Drupal. We faced quite a few challenges, but we eventually overcame all the technical issues. I felt a lot of satisfaction from that. In fact, as part of this project, I developed a Drupal module for creating petitions.
Q: What motivated you to go for the certification?
Elie: For me, getting the Acquia certification is like becoming a Michelin-star chef in the Drupal kitchens: your skills get publicly recognized, your name goes on the list of the best places online. It’s an official validation of all those years spent tinkering, coding, and creating. And, it’s a great boost for the agency. Our clients can be sure we know what we’re doing. Basically, it helps our credibility a lot.
Q: How did the certification process go?
Elie: The certification requires rigorous preparation. I took several training modules offered by Acquia, covering different aspects of Drupal, from development to administration of complex sites. Then I took an exam that thoroughly assesses your technical knowledge and practical skills.
Q: What would you say are the key skills that this certification highlights?
Elie: The certification focuses on a deep understanding of Drupal, including content management, security, performance, and site optimization. Basically, you have to be the MacGyver of the web: able to solve complex problems with creative solutions—without Google, since you’re not allowed to use it during the exam.
Q: Do you have any advice for developers who want to take this certification?
Elie: It’s not an easy certification for beginners because it doesn’t rely only on theory. I’d say you need at least 3 years’ experience as a Drupal developer. So my advice is to prepare well by taking the training courses offered by Acquia and working on a variety of projects to gain solid hands-on experience.
Q: What should we wish for you in the rest of your Drupal adventures?
Elie: Ah, good question! Maybe to achieve the triple Drupal certification? Or to have the time and opportunity to attend the next DrupalCon 2024 in Barcelona in September. Besides, Barcelona in September—that’s pretty nice, right?
Q: Thanks for taking the time for this interview, Elie, that was great! Did the interview meet your expectations?
Elie: I didn’t expect it to be this serious—I wanted to make jokes, but that’s life! [Editor’s note: Elie is a stand-up comedian in his spare time.]
Congratulations to Elie for earning this certification, which required a great deal of preparation. We’ll keep you posted about the next developers who take on the challenge!
To learn more about our experience with Drupal...
Don't hesitate to contact us.
