Salesforce Certifications : Do they really matter?

 Everyday I see posts on LinkedIn about people sharing news about passing Salesforce certifications. Some newbies clearing their first certification exam (mostly Salesforce Administrator) or some experienced folks increasing their certification tally to 10 or 20 or even to thirties. It makes me very happy to see these individuals who are working hard and putting effort to learn new things and achieve success in their career. At the same time it makes me very sad to see almost everyday lots of memes and posts that make fun of those accumulating certifications. And I wonder why would some of these guys who are really distinguished in Salesforce world demotivate people instead of inspiring.

I asked the following question to #ChatGPT – “why some people make fun of those accumulating salesforce certifications” and see how it responded  below:

There could be a number of reasons why some people make fun of those who are accumulating Salesforce certifications. It’s important to keep in mind that every individual has their own motivations and reasons for pursuing certain goals, and it’s not always productive or helpful to criticize or mock someone else’s choices.

Here are a few possible reasons that someone might make fun of someone else for accumulating Salesforce certifications:

1. Jealousy or envy: Some people may make fun of others who are successful or accomplished because they feel envious of their achievements.
2. Misunderstanding: Some people may not fully understand the value of Salesforce certifications or the effort that goes into earning them, and they may make fun of them as a result.
3. Personal biases: Some people may have negative biases or prejudices that lead them to belittle or mock others who are pursuing certain goals, such as earning Salesforce certifications.

It’s important to remember that it’s not productive or helpful to make fun of others for their choices or accomplishments. It’s important to be respectful and supportive of others, and to focus on our own goals and pursuits.

So even the chatbot thinks it is not right to make fun of individuals who are working towards achieving their goals and if anybody does that it could be due to three reasons – Jealousy or Misunderstanding or Personal Bias.

I asked #ChatGPT another question – “What is the importance of Salesforce Certifications?”. See the below answer from ChatGPT

Salesforce certifications are an important way for professionals to demonstrate their expertise and knowledge in using Salesforce’s products and solutions. They can be useful for a number of reasons, including:

1. Career advancement: Salesforce certifications can help professionals advance their careers by demonstrating their skills and expertise to potential employers.
2. Industry recognition: Salesforce certifications are widely recognized in the industry and can help professionals stand out in the job market.
3. Improved knowledge and skills: Earning a Salesforce certification often requires individuals to study and learn new concepts and techniques, which can help professionals stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the field and improve their skills.
4. Opportunities for professional development: Salesforce certifications can open up new opportunities for professional development, such as the ability to take on new roles or responsibilities within an organization.

Overall, Salesforce certifications can be a valuable asset for professionals working with Salesforce products and solutions, helping them to advance their careers and stay competitive in the job market.

Here is a list of some important Salesforce Certifications and yes, this list was also generated by #ChatGPT

Salesforce offers a wide range of certifications that cover various aspects of the Salesforce platform and its products. Here is a list of the main certifications currently offered by Salesforce, along with a brief description of each:

1. Salesforce Administrator: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for configuring, managing, and maintaining a Salesforce instance.
2. Salesforce App Builder: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for building custom applications on the Salesforce platform.
3. Salesforce Developer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for building and maintaining custom applications on the Salesforce platform using Apex, Visualforce, and other programming languages.
4. Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Sales Cloud solutions for customers.
5. Salesforce Service Cloud Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Service Cloud solutions for customers.
6. Salesforce Marketing Cloud Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Marketing Cloud solutions for customers.
7. Salesforce Platform App Builder: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for building custom applications on the Salesforce platform using declarative development tools.
8. Salesforce Platform Developer I: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for building custom applications on the Salesforce platform using Apex and Visualforce.
9. Salesforce Platform Developer II: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for building complex custom applications on the Salesforce platform using Apex and Visualforce.
10. Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing sharing and visibility solutions on the Salesforce platform.
11. Salesforce Certified Community Cloud Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Salesforce Community Cloud solutions for customers.
12. Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing mobile solutions on the Salesforce platform.
13. Salesforce Certified Data Architecture and Management Designer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing data management solutions on the Salesforce platform.
14. Salesforce Certified Pardot Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Pardot solutions for customers.
15. Salesforce Certified Einstein Analytics and Discovery Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring Einstein Analytics solutions for customers.
16. Salesforce Certified Integration Architecture Designer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing integration solutions on the Salesforce platform.
17. Salesforce Certified Platform DevOps Engineer: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and maintaining a DevOps practice on the Salesforce platform.
18. Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing email marketing campaigns using the Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
19. Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant: This certification is for professionals who are responsible for implementing and configuring the Salesforce Marketing Cloud for customers.
20. Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Administrator: The certification is for individuals who are responsible for configuration options, administrative functions and to make features available to end users in Marketing Cloud.
21. Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer: This certification is for developers who create personalized, dynamic messages, landing pages, Marketing Cloud scripting languages, and are experienced with data configuration, manipulations and advance segmentation, as well as reporting and analytics.

This is not an exhaustive list of all the certifications offered by Salesforce, as new certifications are regularly added to reflect the latest developments in the field. It’s worth noting that some of these certifications may have prerequisites or require individuals to pass multiple exams in order to earn them.

My Experience with Salesforce Certifications

From my own experience, Salesforce certifications can help you a great deal in advancing in your career and as long as you are not cheating and honestly studying to pass the exams, it will only do good to you. I understand certifications can never replace the real world experience that an individual gains by working in a professional setting but if you do not have a job to gain that experience it is no reason that why one should not study, learn and work towards achieving something instead of doing nothing. I get it there is a chance somebody gives you a job based on your certifications only and you may not have the necessary knowledge and experience but this is not rocket science and you can quicky learn the required skills after getting the job. And it is the responsibility of the hiring manager to make sure they shortlist people only after proper scrutiny.

The first time I got the opportunity to work on Salesforce, I was working as a Marketing Specialist and was primarily focused on SEO, Paid Search, Website Management etc. At that time my job on Salesforce was related to its integration with our Marketing Automation Tool ActOn, lead management and email sends. I really loved the platform and when I researched about the career potential and the salary trends, I decided it was something that I should build my career on. That was in 2018 and I completed 5 certifications that year and kept on studying and increasing that count. When I got my first dedicated Salesforce job to work as a Campaign Specialist building and deploying email campaigns on Salesforce Marketing Cloud, I had never logged into SFMC before. My prior experience was in Salesforce, Pardot, ActOn and a couple of SFMC certifications but zero in Marketing Cloud which is vastly different from any of these applications. But I was able to learn and survive in that job with help from my supporting colleagues and my own hard work.

Since the time I started my Salesforce journey, my salary job satisfaction and my market demand has increased several times – thanks to this beautiful technology and my own commitment towards learning and doing things to make my resume standout. This is something that I encourage people to do and I know anybody can do if they are committed!

Salesforce Certification Exam Tips

1. Book your exam first. Determine which certification you would like to pursue. Sign into Webassessor > select the certification you are taking > Schedule a date and time to take the exam. Setting a date will hold you accountable to studying.
2. Check Salesforce Certification days. Certification Days is a program geared towards learners who are interested in certifying with Salesforce. Webinar attendees receive a coupon code for a $140USD discount off ANY $200 exam! Before booking any exam always check for available coupons.
3. Use Focus on Force. Focus on force is a great resource to study and prepare for passing Salesforce certification exams.
4. Take practice exams
5. If you fail by any chance, do not worry and rebook for another attempt sooner so that you don’t forget what you have learnt already.