The Salesforce Certified Administrator exam is one of the first exams most people get. It’s also a prerequisite for many other SF career paths- primarily in tech. Career paths include Salesforce consulting, business analysis, administration, development, architecture, and more. While getting certified does not guarantee calls, certifications, like the Salesforce ones, verify your experience. And at $200, can often be life-changing and career-changing ways to shift into the tech industry. This is why it’s one of my favorite products to show others when taking an interest in tech. If you’re still thinking of exploring, there are Salesforce-created modules that go into a variety of different types of careers with Salesforce.

If you’d like to get acquainted with the career path itself, follow this “class”. Do note that you don’t need to complete it to get certified.

Use Self-Guided Resources

The good news is that Salesforce provides self-guided resources through Trailhead, which makes it easy to learn FOR FREE. If you’re disciplined, you can save SO MUCH not going to a boot camp or class. The recommended time for this certification can be about 125hrs and at least 6 months in the ecosystem. While I have heard of many who make it a challenge to get certifications in less time or honestly many who go for more in the same time frame. I do not believe that many can get the exposure they need to take the exam- especially if you have no exposure to Salesforce.

Follow an Organized Study Plan

My experience dictates that because I was only casually learning Salesforce as an anxious test taker, I used up about a year and a half at the least. This was honestly unnecessary. But at the time I had no exposure to the forums. The advice I have today, I would have been in a better position otherwise. I should have had a more organized study plan (hence what inspired me to blog about Salesforce!). At least enrolled in a self-paced course sooner. But for starters, getting acquainted with the module in Trailhead is one of the best ways to do so.

Get Familiar with the Salesforce Ecosystem

If you’re wondering, what is the bare minimum of these “classes” I should complete, consider this one.

As you are studying and going through Trailhead, you may have to consider how to get exposure to the Salesforce ecosystem. I took full advantage of my job’s access to Salesforce to learn more and practice certain strategies in our company Sandbox. It was a way to make recommendations as well as ask Salesforce’s Premier support lines about how to configure/troubleshoot certain issues. I was fortunately in an IT help-desk job, so my redirection to Salesforce was not a drastic one. That being said, if you are new to tech or don’t have access to Salesforce, there are ways to get around this, the best one being: find an apprenticeship.

Many recommend working for non-profits (which you can find in a Salesforce Trailblazer Community), but from my taste, seems a bit unethical. It is due to taking advantage of someone else’s goodwill. Overall though, if you are not concerned because you’ve studied well, this is an optional step in general.

Take the Practice Exam For Salesforce Admin Certificate

So you’ve studied. Starting to feel about 70% confident? It’s time to sign up for your exam! The exam guide seldom-changes every season, so make sure to Google it. Here is the one for Winter 19. Of course, you would have downloaded this sooner as a way to better assess the amount of time you study each study category. When you sign up for the exam, I highly recommend taking the Practice Exam that is offered through WebAssessor too. They are a great way of practicing the level of difficulty of the exam. Do not attempt to memorize the questions and answers as that will not serve you well.

Additionally, if you get anxious like I do, signing up for online-proctored exams was the best decision! Not only convenient, but I didn’t psyche myself out before study time. The exam is $200 so if you’re on a budget, plan accordingly! If this is for work, don’t forget to negotiate with your company to pay it for you! If your company is willing to fork over the ~$4k Salesforce admin class or boot camp, you can work with that too! (It’s not my style, so I have no experience with them…). I am uncertain of any of the free Salesforce-endorsed coursework. But about 3 years ago I signed up for Trailhead classes in which a consultant was teaching about the certification for free for a month. I have yet to find any links since.

Conclusion

Take the exam. You’ll get the results soon after via email. If you pass- please tag me so I can congratulate you! If you fail, don’t get discouraged; it happens to many of us! The best part is to keep going and re-strategize your study plan. Review the highest-weighted sections you scored the lowest and work from there.

Comment below if you’re studying for the Salesforce admin certification or leave any questions regarding what I’ve mentioned so far! If you’re thinking about the certification or would like some guidance in achieving your Salesforce career goals, check out my coaching services over at my shop! You may also enjoy my extensive free guide on Breaking into the Salesforce Ecosystem!