Today, we continue the Becoming a Well Rounded Admin series with a conversation on certification. I have heard some people say that certification is unnecessary; a waste of time and money. They aren’t wrong. Certification does involve a decent chunk of change and it isn’t necessary to be a good administrator. But who wants to settle for mediocrity? Good just isn’t good enough. Here are a few reasons why certification will take you from good to great!
- Build Your Personal Brand
The concept of personal branding is still a new concept. But in our current economy, personal branding is really important. Just like an organization, a person’s brand should relate a niche in the market and help to identify you as an individual in a crowd of others. If you are like me, and want your career to revolve around Salesforce, then certification is a great way to build your brand. Obtaining certification not only helps to expand your network, but it provides a platform for you to stand on. Marketing your brand becomes easier and more effective. Considering that many employers are looking for Salesforce certified individuals, you brand begins to stick out in the crowd! For more information on personal branding, check out the Grande Guide to Personal Branding by Eloqua or do a quick Google search. - Communicate Trust
Certification indicates that you have a specific level of knowledge and understanding of the force.com platform. As a result, when your peers or organizations see your certification, they immediately know that a level of effort you have applied. Salesforce is such an open platform, with so many options for growth and development, that having a trusted individual working on an organizations platform is a must. Certification provides a level of assurance that you know what you are doing. Trust is a wonderful thing to communicate to any employer. - Fill The Gaps
Recently I took the Administration Essentials for Experienced Admin (ADM-211) course in preparation for taking the Advanced Administrator certification and, although I have been an Administrator for years, I learned a lot during this course! In fact, I began making changes to my org while still in class! Certification is a great way to identify and fill gaps in your knowledge. When you begin to apply this knowledge to the organization, everyone wins. Your org becomes cleaner, processes vastly improve, and you become a hero to your sales team and management!
Certification does take some effort. The exams are not easy, and there is a nominal cost to obtaining and maintaining certification But, speaking from personal experience, having certification has helped my personal career growth, and was well worth the investment. Salesforce offers a number of certification tracks, and all of the details can be found on their certification website.
How has becoming certified help you to become a well rounded administrator?
Related posts in this series:
Becoming a Well Rounded Admin: Part 1 – Volunteering
Becoming a Well Rounded Admin: Part 3 – Expanding Your Role
Admin Hero 