Build your skills to accelerate your career path

My path

I was a career marketer who always had an interest in technology, but never really had the opportunity to pursue my “geeky interests”. This all changed when we implemented Pardot. Due to the strong tie between Pardot and Salesforce, it became really apparent that developing a deep knowledge of both platforms would accelerate my career.

I’m most proud of my Salesforce Certified Administrator (SCA) certification. While I do have other more advanced certifications, this one served as the turning point for me. Prior to achieving this goal, I was a marketer who was learning Salesforce. Now I’m a Salesforce professional who also knows marketing.

My path

I first attempted the Salesforce Administrator certification right after joining the Salesforce ecosystem and failed, which wasn't too big of a surprise. I tried again a month later, but the exam got the best of me that time, too. I didn't try again for another two years, but on my third attempt I spent a long time taking practice exams and preparing. The biggest factor in my successful third attempt was determining "why is this the wrong answer" for each possible choice. This forced me to get very well acquainted with the language of a Salesforce exam and the ins and outs of the platform. Since then, I have taken both the Pardot Specialist and Consultant exams and passed on the first try, and I believe that understanding of how Salesforce writes their questions has been a benefit when preparing for each certification. I'm looking forward to taking these skills and applying them to more certifications soon. I love learning new skills and interesting ways to solve challenges on the platform, and studying and preparing for these certifications help me to do that!

My path

When I first got out of college I was looking for a job where I could do email marketing and work with WordPress. After I got my first job after college, my role changed and I had to learn Pardot fairly quickly. I started as a certified instructor, then became an administrator, and finally a consultant. While I was in this role I became involved in the community with the Austin Pardot User Group and eventually became a User Group leader myself. Since then I have worked hard to share with others what I've learned through webinars, User Group meetups, blogs, and speaking engagements. In 2020, I was recognized as a Salesforce Marketing Champion for my contributions to the community.

Certifications are like a milestone. I won't take an exam unless I know I have the experience for it and/or feel extremely prepared. To me, they symbolize earned experience through projects and studying.

I am always learning something new. Podcasts, blogs, and surprisingly TikTok have been my main ways to discover new hobbies/interests. Within the ecosystem, LinkedIn has been my main source of news. My goal is to have a new certification each year in order to ensure that I stay sharp. With COVID in the recent past, I didn't seem to be in the mindset to study much but I am looking forward to the new Business Analyst certification as one of my next milestones.

So far my favorite certification has been the Pardot Consultant certification. I struggled a bit to study for this one and it was so daunting to pass it. Once I did take it, I passed it on my first try. I think this was the first certification that made me realize I could make a career in marketing automation so it definitely means a lot to me.

What tips and tricks do you have for studying / passing?

• When I first started, Trailhead did not exist, but now I incorporate it into my studying routine.
• Go on Trailhead, grab the study guide, and run through modules where I am weakest on
• Sign up for an online course to help you prepare
• Google for any study groups and/or prep resources
• Make the time to actually study
• Schedule an exam so I have a hard deadline to actually commit to - this is the key for me, otherwise I never get to it

My path

I was pulled into the Salesforce ecosystem by a friend who needed development assistance. Coming from the telecommunications industry, Marketing and Sales was foreign and stepping into this new world was a bit scary. Fortunately, I was with a great team of supportive people who encouraged me to lean on my aptitude for learning tech, and applying it towards this great platform.

To me, certifications demonstrate the desire to learn something new and a willingness to put that knowledge to the test. Keeping that learning spirit alive is extremely important in tech, especially with the Salesforce platform which continues to iterate and innovate a growing set of products. I stay current following discussions on social media, attending conferences (virtual and free where possible), lots of community blogs & content, and scouring through the product release notes to see what's new and exciting.

For those newer in your Salesforce journey looking at certifications, don't put them up on a tall pedestal. They simply highlight that you know a few things...not that you are the expert in it all.