Salesforce Certification Guide: Step by step Overview and Career Paths

Salesforce.com has the top prize for its customer relationship management (CRM) products for small and medium-sized companies. However, enterprises of all sizes use Salesforce to manage their CRM. This is why you'll see Salesforce items and solutions used across a broad range of industry sectors, all the way from automobile to healthcare to non-profits in retail, media, communications, as well as finance.

The first version of Salesforce was marketed as sales automation software. However, Salesforce is most well-known for its Intelligent Customers Success Platform, which provides cloud-based solutions for communities, sales marketing, service, analytics platforms apps, the Internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence.

Salesforce also offers a range of cloud-based solutions. One of them is Heroku, which is a platform as a services (PaaS) service. Another option is Force.com, a more customized PaaS made specifically to integrate custom-built apps with Salesforce sales cloud services. Additionally, Salesforce also offers Data.com (a cloud-based business needs directory), Desk.com (a cloud-based help desk solution for small-sized enterprises) as well as Pardot (for marketing automation in the business-to-business space), and other options.

In the present, with the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in May of 2018, businesses could be able to find Salesforce's offerings - which offer monitoring and tools for configuration to help ensure compliance with GDPR, especially compelling.

Salesforce certification program overview

In contrast to other programs, you won't see the hierarchy of certifications or tiers (such as professional, associate, or specialist) inside Salesforce's Salesforce certifications portfolio. The focus of Salesforce certifies focus on various roles, or tracks, which are common for Salesforce professionals:

• Administrators
• App builders
• Developers
• Architects
• Specialists (implementation experts)
• Marketers
• Salesforce Consultant
• Pardot experts

Salesforce currently offers 23 credentials. The majority of them are for architects and consultants.

Salesforce certification exams

The majority of Salesforce certifications are earned through passing a 60-question multiple-choice test. The certification will vary based on the exam you're looking for, and the exam will last between 90 to 120 minutes. Exams for app builders, administrators, developers, marketers, consultants, Pardot experts, and CPQ experts are very accessible, with initial attempts costing $200 and retakes costing $100. Many architect certifications specialize in architects that cost around $400 (retakes costs $200). However, the highest-level architect's certificate - the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect - requires a separate Review Board Exam and costs $6,000 (retakes are $3,000).

Training is not necessary to obtain Salesforce certifications. However, it is highly recommended. Additionally, there are a few, if any, requirements for the majority of Salesforce certifications. If they are present, the requirements are different Salesforce certifications.

Candidates can take proctored tests at testing locations or complete online tests at home or work. In either case, candidates need to enroll for certification tests via the Webassessor (Kryterion Global Testing Solutions ).

Salesforce Architect certifications

Salesforce has revamped its process for architect certifications in 2016 better to align them to current and upcoming requirements of customers. This means that upon going to Salesforce's Salesforce Architect Certifications page, you'll see three architect certificates that include six certifications in specialization (up from four certifications at the beginning of the year).

Salesforce Architect Certifications:

• Salesforce Certified Technical Architect
• Salesforce Certified Application Architect
• Salesforce Certified System Architect
• Team of Certified Salesforce Consultants

Salesforce Professional Specializations:

• Salesforce Certified Data Architecture and Management Designer
• The Salesforce-certified Development Lifecycle Designer and the Deployment Designer
• Salesforce Certified Access and Identity Management Designer
• Salesforce Certified Integration Architecture Designer
• Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer
• Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer

The Architect certifications are arranged in an arc, and Salesforce's Architect Specialization certifications are the basis. These are the credentials for designers and some other closely related Salesforce certifications.

Salesforce is adamant that designer credentials be the essential building blocks for a career as Salesforce Architect and are designed to verify certain areas of proficiency. Salesforce Domain Architect certifications - such as the Certified Application Architect and the Certified System Architect are a testament to the depth of Salesforce platform expertise in several related specializations. Domain Architect certifications can be earned when a candidate fulfills specific specifications - specifically, the four requirements for qualifications for specialization.

The top of the ladder comes that of Salesforce Certified Technical architect, which is the crme of the Salesforce architect portfolio. This prestigious credential is awarded to professionals who develop and implement customized solutions for customers on Salesforce's Force.com platform.

To earn this title, it is necessary first to achieve both Domain Architect qualifications. After that, you'll be eligible to sit for the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect Certification Review Board Test. In the test, you'll be presented with a scenario that simulates details of the customer's requirements. You will then be required to explain and defend the architecture solution you propose to use. Candidates must sequentially finish each task and cannot proceed to the next task until the final task is complete.

Top Salesforce Consultants certifications

Salesforce provides six certifications, especially for Salesforce professionals who work in the field of customer service as well as those who design and implement Salesforce solutions within their specific specializations. The available top Salesforce Consultants certifications include the following:

Salesforce Administration, Developer Pardot, Marketers as well as CPQ certifications

Salesforce offers a variety of certifications targeted developers and administrators, as well as for those who work with Pardot or CPQ:

Career opportunities and training sources for Salesforce

Salesforce is the top. Number one CRM leading salesforce consultancy company globally, Salesforce experts are highly sought-after. Because of this, Salesforce professionals won't just be in demand for Salesforce expertise across all industries. They will also be required to be qualified and competent Salesforce experts in various work roles.

What number of Salesforce jobs are there on the market? A quick look on Glassdoor provides more than 7,900 job opportunities in the field of Salesforce professionals, including jobs for engineers, administrators (hardware software, platforms, software IoT integration) and developers, analytics salesforce cloud specialists, technical support.

There are plenty of opportunities for job seekers beyond technical positions neither. For instance, many Salesforce jobs are available to Program directors and project managers. It's safe to say that Salesforce will not go away anytime soon, and, no matter your field of expertise, there are bound to be opportunities in this area.

Trailhead (which replaces Salesforce University) should be the first option when searching for Salesforce training. You'll find a variety of learning options, such as traditional classroom instruction and self-paced learning, as well as virtual classrooms as well as private workshops.

Salesforce Training courses are divided into two classes:

Each certification's website offers links to recommended training and exam guides and examples of questions. This exam manual also provides:

• Hyperlinks to relevant information.
• Tips sheets.
• User guides for people looking to test their certifications without engaging in informal education.

You can also get study guides and online training courses offered by third parties on the web.

People looking to look at Salesforce Architect certifications should explore the Salesforce Architect Journey page and go through the accompanying (and free) exam manual before taking the exam. Specialization exam.