Salesforce Certifications
I have stopped taking them (for now)!
Sigh! The last certification I attempted and passed was the Platform Developer 2 almost 1.5 years back.
Currently, I possess 10 Salesforce certifications which I have carefully and mindfully aquired over the period of 7+ years, and after having worked on a variety of projects in my career.
Initially, when I started working on the Salesforce platform, the number of certifications were limited. Trailhead was something quite new, and I remember studying out of Apex/Visualforce workbooks & blogs.
After much hesitation, I booked my very first certification — the certified platform app builder — and failing miserably.
Half-way through the exam, I had realised that it was a goner! The learning journey was challenging, but it was totally worth it.
I passed the exam on my second attempt — and boy did I celebrate after that!
I felt super-proud, to have finally entered the distinguished league of Salesforce professionals.
I promised myself that I would take atleast one certification every year — only if I ever get an opportunity to work on its relevant cloud product or feature (eg. Sales, Service, Community etc.)
Salesforce certifications is one of the most powerful validation and accreditation which a developer/consultant can possess, recognizing them in the Salesforce ecosystem.
It is supposed to provide a level of confidence and trust within recruiters/employers, before hiring a Salesforce professional.
**my understanding & definition of a certified professional **
is expected to be the subject matter expert in that area, who can provide fair counsel, judgements and help clients with their business needs. They bring hands-on knowledge & adequate experience to the table, and understand every pros & cons of their proposed solution, while still advocating the feature/product. Helps saves time and money, and fosters innovation and growth.
Every Salesforce certification must be respected and its integrity must be protected. Passing the exam & updating the CV should never be the actual goal here — but good-old continuous learning should be.
And learning is always an un-ending journey.
From some of my recent experiences around recruiting for Salesforce professionals, I feel sad to see that certifications, knowledge and hands-on experience are somewhat de-coupled.
I have started to feel demotivated or pointless at this stage, in aquiring any new Salesforce certifications.
Trailhead modules, super-badges & Salesforce blogs/videos seem to make more sense, and relevant, for my professional and personal growth.
- I can easily leverage or execute the knowledge that I learn from these resources.
- They are easily accessible and free
- I can always re-learn, if I forget
- I can keep myself up-to-date with new features
- I am honest to myself and cannot cheat!
Currently, I am learning about advanced Javascript from the resources mentioned above. I had decided to attempt the Javascript 1 certification soon, however I will hold that idea, for now. Until, I really feel the need and motivation for it.
PS — My objective in writing this article is not to stop or discourage anyone taking any Salesforce certification or any cert for that matter. And especially for new members of the Salesforce Ohana.
They really are fantastic, and open up new opportunities. The Trailhead team are doing a terrific job in maintaining them, and I truly appreciate all their hard-work.
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