Salesforce skills are one of the most in-demand in the marketplace today. Whether you are just getting started in Salesforce or have been toying with the idea of being certified, it is vital that you pick the best Salesforce certification that will lay the foundation for a rewarding career.
Benefits of Salesforce Certifications
Salesforce certifications provide major value-adds:
Increase marketability in an IT job market
Gain international certification in a matter of hours, days or months
Open the opportunity to gain more than one certification
Salesforce roles range from technical - such as architects, developers and implementation specialists - to those that deal with marketing and sales. So, there are varied certifications that target the different job functions of Salesforce Administrators, Architects, Developers, Marketers and Consultants.
Some of the Best Salesforce Certifications
Salesforce Administrator Certifications
Salesforce has two levels of administrator credentials and both levels focus on administrative functions that include defining user requirements and customizing Salesforce to help users get the best out of their solutions. Check out the levels of certification for Salesforce Administrators:
Salesforce Administrator
For this certification, candidates must have a solid understanding of Salesforce configuration and customization. They should also be proficient in managing users and taking advantage of the platform's capabilities. The 90-minute exam comprises 60 multiple-choice questions and you will need to be able to manage users, data and security, maintain and customize Sales Cloud or Service Cloud applications, as well as build reports, dashboards and workflows to pass the exam.
Salesforce Advanced Administrator
Candidates must have knowledge of and be able to use Salesforce's advanced administration capabilities, and design advanced dashboards, reports as well as automation processes. You will need to be able to know how to optimize and extend Sales Cloud and Service Cloud applications, as well as create business process automation reports.
Salesforce Certified CPQ Specialist
This certification is for professionals who use Salesforce CPQ solutions to design and build quoting flows that meet customer requirements. Salesforce CPQ specialists will be able to create solutions for business processes, troubleshoot basic platform issues, and configure bundles: for instance, features, options and constraints, configuration attributes, discount schedules and price rules. They will also learn about block pricing, cost, contracted and quote prices, template designs, quote processes and custom actions, gaining knowledge of CPQ's object model, CPQ package levels settings and price waterfall. Candidates will have 105 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice questions.
Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder
Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder credentials require the ability to create, build, and implement custom apps on Force.com. This credential is more technical and programming-oriented than the Certified Administrator track. This skill set includes extensive knowledge of both the customization and declarative development functions on the platform. In 90 minutes, the exam will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions. You will need to be able to design custom apps, including the user interface, data model and security.
Salesforce Developer Certifications
Salesforce developer credentials are available to professionals who have the knowledge, skills, and experience of building custom declarative or programmatic applications on Force.com. This track also includes the Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder and can be applied for the Salesforce Administrator track. Check out the levels of certification for Salesforce Developers:
Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder
Candidates will be able to design custom applications using Apex or Visualforce and learn the business logic, data model, and user interface. Candidates will also have a working knowledge of the development process and the environments available. The 60 multiple-choice questions are divided into 105 minutes.
Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II
Candidates will be taught to be proficient in data modeling and gain advanced programming capabilities of Force.com so that they can create complex business logic and interfaces using the platform. There are three parts to the certification process: a multiple choice exam, a programming assignment, and an essay exam. The exam comprises 60 multiple-choice questions that take around 120 minutes. Candidates must use Apex or Visualforce to create components for the programming assignment based on preconfigured business requirements within 30 days. Candidates must also answer three questions about the solution to the programming assignment in the essay exam of 60 minutes duration under a proctored condition.
Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Developer
Salesforce B2C Commerce Digital is for experienced full-stack developers who create eCommerce solutions. They should be able to set up the development environment, work with the Digital Data model, and use Salesforce Business Manager to configure site tasks. The exam is multiple-choice and takes 105 minutes to answer 60 questions.
Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer
To gain this certification, the Salesforce Developer has to gain extensive experience in developing across all aspects of the platform and be able to create dynamic and personalized sales and marketing messages. Those who take up this certification will be given 105 minutes to answer 60 multiple-choice questions.
Salesforce Architect Certifications
Salesforce offers the following levels of certifications for architects:
Certified Data Architecture and Management Designer
Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer
Design for Certified Development Lifecycles and Deployment Designers
Certified Access Management Designer
Certified Integration Architecture Designer
Certified Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer
Certified Platform Application Builder
Certified Platform Developer I
Architects who have obtained a set of certifications from each track (Developer and App Builder) can pursue a Domain Architect certification either as Application Architect/System Architect. The Salesforce Certified Technical Architects are the highest tier as they combine both Domain Architecture tracks and demonstrate knowledge, skills and capabilities across all domains.
Salesforce Certified Application Architect
This certification helps gain an in-depth knowledge of the native Salesforce features and functionality.
Salesforce Certified System Architect
This certification focuses on system testing, governance, and integration with external systems within an organization's infrastructure.
Salesforce Certified Technical Architect
Candidates who take up this certification will gain extensive experience, technical depth and presentation skills, and be able to create Salesforce solutions across the entire platform.
Salesforce Certified Heroku Architecture Designer
Heroku is a cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS) supporting several programming languages. Salesforce Certified Heroku Architecture Designer credential is for those who have extensive experience in designing scalable solutions, managing and deploying apps, managing teams, and building workflows on Heroku Enterprise. This credential is for Heroku Partners or Consultants who have an awareness of best practices in application development and how they apply on Heroku. They also need to be able to create scalable apps using Heroku.
Salesforce Consultant Certifications
Salesforce offers nine certifications for customer-facing consultants who are experts in designing and implementing solutions. These include:
Salesforce Certified Community Cloud Consultant: This certification can be used by professionals who help customers set up Salesforce Community applications, manage them, and troubleshoot issues.
Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant: These certification targets consultants who are experienced in implementing Salesforce Education Cloud solutions.
Salesforce Certified Einstein Analytics & Discovery Consultant: This credential targets Salesforce Einstein Analytics & Discovery Platform experts.
Salesforce Certified Field Service Lightning Specialist: This certification recognizes professionals who design Salesforce solutions for customers, and who configure Salesforce applications on customer premises.
Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultants: This certification is for those who have the ability to set up and maintain Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email applications and troubleshoot platform issues.
Salesforce Certified Non-profit Cloud Consultant: This certification allows consultants to validate their Salesforce Non-profit Cloud experience.
Salesforce Certified Pardot Consultant - This certification is for professionals who design and implement Pardot solutions that are based on business needs.
Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultants: This certification is for those with the capability to design and implement Sales Cloud solutions including interface and application design.
Salesforce Certified Service Cloud Consultant: This certification recognizes individuals who design solutions for call centers as well as analytics solutions for metric tracking.
Salesforce Certifications
Salesforce offers many marketing cloud certifications in addition to technical certifications. These include two for Salesforce's B2B Marketing Automation Platform Pardot, as well as two for consultants and marketing cloud professionals.
Salesforce Pardot Expert certifications for professionals: This certification targets Pardot's B2B marketing automation platform. It includes Certified Pardot Specialist or Certified Pardot Consult.
Salesforce Certified Marketing Certifications: Salesforce offers three marketing credentials: Certified Marketing Cloud Specialist; Certified Cloud Mail Specialist, which targets professionals who use Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email; and Marketing Cloud Developer.
Trailhead
Salesforce's Trailhead platform allows professionals to get training and earn badges to show their competence in areas like security, data integration, and business analytics. Paul LeBlanc (president of SNHU), says that a new partnership with Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) aims to help new grads enter the Salesforce job market through Trailhead.
HiCounselor’s Salesforce Consultant Training Program
HiCounselor is a great place to stop by if you are hoping to get started as a Salesforce Consultant. After going through this article, if you feel the need to upskill yourself with the Salesforce skills that are in high demand in 2022 and beyond, HiCounselor brings you the opportunity to become a Salesforce expert.
It's worth checking out HiCounselor’s 6-week training program that empowers graduates as well as experienced professionals to emerge as Big 4 Level Salesforce Consultants with an earning potential of $80k - $130k in the US. At the end of the training program, HiCounselor will refer participants to employers hiring for Salesforce roles. Designed by former Salesforce Experts from Deloitte and PwC, this training program includes live sessions, assessments, and mock interviews. Read about the Salesforce topics included in HiCounselor’s training program.
HiCounselor has forged technical advances to transform the hiring landscape for job seekers and recruiters alike. Our career accelerator program provides job seekers with coaching and mentorship from industry leaders employed at FAANG companies while recruiters ally with HiCounselor to empower their hiring strategy and hone in on the best candidates. Learn more about HiCounselor here and reach out to us on LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.
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