I've been introduced into SalesForce. Highly debating becoming certified. Is it worth it?
Being in a career search, I'm all over the place! I'm in IT right now, not quiet sure which direction I want to head in... #computer-engineering #salesforce
38 answers
Saman’s Answer
SalesForce is one of the biggest SaaS platforms out there, it would definitely be useful to be certified in it if you're in IT as most companies probably need the support. There is definitely no downside to getting the certification if you have the time and resources to make it possible.
Jessica Hamilton Ford
Jessica’s Answer
I would encourage you to get Salesforce certified. It is a highly desirable skill and would open more opportunities for you if you were certified. Certifications always help- especially in products or skills that are currently popular or trending.
Terry’s Answer
It's a long process; it's painful at times, but it is WELL worth it. There are many many resources out there to help you learn the platform including the ability for you to get your own FREE Developer Account to play around with, so just do it already. You got this!!!
Terry recommends the following next steps:
Nishant Singh’s Answer
I would also like to add that it is also not required to have too many certifications and you start in a race of getting into 20X certifications. I myself have 13X Certifications but all of that is gained over 8 years of my experience as I learned something new, I gave the exam relevant to it and secured the certification.
You should do certifications to reflect upon your knowledge and showcase your learnings because out there is a competitive market and certifications are an easy way to differentiate and prove that you should be given a chance to Interview and showcase that you know all that you have mentioned in your resume.
In the end, what matters most is your knowledge and skills to solve problems.
Lastly, for everyone, the only certification which I feel is must have and you should learn and get is "Salesforce Certified Administrator" because this one will give you knowledge of the platform in and out.
I help new Trailblazers prepare for admin certification and if you are looking for some resources follow my guide which will take you on various paths on Trailhead (Salesforces' free learning platform) and my YouTube videos for deep dive explanations.
Nishant Singh recommends the following next steps:
Bryan’s Answer
Great idea. A lot of good can come from Certification under certain conditions. My suggestion is to take a quick look at some of the local jobs in your area that say that they are looking for sales for certification. Compare those against some of the jobs with similar job titles that don’t and see if there is a clear difference in salary. I also want to point out that there are some nonprofit organizations that will help to subsidize the cost of certification training. You may want to reach out to your local big brothers big sisters or other youth development organizations associated with your school if applicable to see if they know of any local funding for that purpose. I’m certification under certain conditions. My suggestion is to take a quick look at some of the local jobs in your area that say that they are looking for sales for certification. Compare those against some of the jobs with similar job titles that don’t and see if there is a clear difference in salary. I also want to point out that there are some nonprofit organizations that will help to subsidize the cost of certification training. You may want to reach out to your local big Brothers big sisters or other youth development organizations associated with your school if applicable to see if they know of any local funding for that purpose.
Bryan recommends the following next steps:
Dan’s Answer
I would recommend you become SalesForce certified, as close to every organization within a company touches SalesForce. Being certified will not only enable you to automate/ accelerate daily tasks, it is a great resume builder / differentiator when applying to jobs.
Dan recommends the following next steps:
Wendy’s Answer
laine’s Answer
Caimin’s Answer
If you're dipping your toes into the Salesforce ecosystem, I'd suggest becoming an active member of the Trailblazer community - as you are studying for your certs on Trailhead, use your knowledge to answer questions asked by other members of the community and share your feedback on your experience. It's also really helpful to look for opportunities to work pro-bono for non-profits. These opportunities will be limited at the beginning, but there's always some who needs help building reports or page layouts, and the experience will benefit you.
Karen’s Answer
I also want to highlight the advice of others who recommend starting your learning on Trailhead.salesforce.com, which is free and completely accessible. There are learning paths designed specifically to help you learn what's covered in the various certifications.
In case you haven't seen it yet, there's also a great resource that outlines what a career path may look like for an administrator (also available for other roles), including some great stats, skills needed, and open positions. Reviewing the job postings can help you determine if these are the types of roles you are interested in, and if so - go get certified!
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/career-path/admin
When pursuing your certification, hands on experience is really helpful, giving you an opportunity to apply what you're learning to real business scenarios. Volunteering with nonprofits is a great way for you to gain some hands on experience while helping an organization that likely really needs it!
Karen recommends the following next steps:
Ali’s Answer
Ali recommends the following next steps:
Thomas’s Answer
I would get SalesForce certified. It diversifies your resume and is useful in most sales positions. However, if you're considering it, I would speak to the leadership in your current role, and see if you can't negotiate getting them to pay for it, since it will positively impact their business.
Rajeev’s Answer
Jaydeep’s Answer
Salesforce is ever growing and one of the most innovative companies. There are a lot of job wings that you can go for. I would say reflect on your interests and strengths. If you enjoy problem-solving and tech challenges, you might be a good fit for engineering team. If you enjoy working with CRM systems and enjoy the sales aspect, explore opportunities in Solutions or PreSales. Take time to explore different resources on the web. Its ok to take some time and be diligent about it.
I am going to list some resources below for you to get started.
Reach out to me on LinkedIn and I am happy to help with some offline conversations.
Jaydeep recommends the following next steps:
Qingyang’s Answer
Alisa’s Answer
Adam’s Answer
If you decide to concentrate on a certain area, I recommend getting really good at reporting and dashboards.
Warren’s Answer
Heba’s Answer
I am a software developer by trade and was really intrigued by the Salesforce platform so I started with learning on Trailhead and getting my first certification which allowed me to enter the Salesforce ecosystem and find the roles that interested me from there.
Aparna’s Answer
Eduardo M. Goncalves
Eduardo’s Answer
From a sales management perspective, Salesforce is a very sophisticated and powerful CRM tool. If you do some market research you`ll find out they hold the biggest market share between CRM platforms so this means a lot in terms of leveraging you professionally. I got a certification in "Salesforce for Sales managers" and I do recommend that.
If I can leave a suggestion for you, I strongly recommend you read this blog, it helped me a lot:
https://www.adminhero.com/beginners-guide-to-salesforce-certification/
That will give you a good starting point to investigate more about Trailblazers community, recommended types of certifications x your professional ambitions etc.
Very happy to help,
Wish you success in your professional journey.
Aqeel’s Answer
Carly’s Answer
Definitely worth it! This skill would set you apart while applying for jobs, and will also give you an advantage while on-boarding to your new role. It is a powerful tool when used correctly, and having prior knowledge would be extremely helpful. You might even be able to teach your new colleagues a thing or two if they haven't been certified themselves!
Melissa Britt
Melissa’s Answer
Georgina’s Answer
Rob’s Answer
Vikas’s Answer
Melida’s Answer
Melida Alaniz
Dean’s Answer
Gourav’s Answer
Catherine’s Answer
Aparna’s Answer
Daniel’s Answer
If you're new in the space and have no experience, one way to stand out is to get a certificate like the Salesforce Admin cert.
Other ways to stand out and is a good way to gain experience is to volunteer
Best of luck!
Craig’s Answer
Alex’s Answer
Drew’s Answer
I agree with Jessica. Salesforce certification can be an extremely valuable skill as you enter the job market. It's the most ubiquitous CRM platform there is nowadays and people that know it well are in short supply. I see more and more people building their entire careers around Salesforce and the opportunities are not just limited to administration - consulting and development are huge right now!
Neeraj’s Answer
Jarrod’s Answer
Few people in Marketing & Sales functions have both Marketing & Sales skills AND technical Salesforce build experience/skills so if you can combine these two things you'll be differentiated.