There are quite a few Salesforce certifications. Should you get Salesforce certified though?
It Depends
As a developer, becoming Developer and Advanced Developer certified has helped by
– Broadening my Salesforce knowledge base. Much of my time is spent writing Apex, Visualforce, Triggers, and Objects. The certifications cover other topics such as security, declarative capabilities like Workflows, Process Builder, and Visual Flows, Approval Processes, and other things.
– Increased Marketability. Many of the Salesforce Developer job postings list Developer or Advanced Developer certification as a requirement. After becoming Advanced Developer certified, more recruiters contacted me despite not searching for a job.
– Staying Current. With each major Salesforce release, which happens 3 times a year, a maintenance exam is taken to remain certified. The exam questions are from each release so it ensures one stays current with Salesforce.
– AppExchange Visibility. If you work for an ISV or are one yourself, being developer certified increases the certification count on the AppExchange listing page.
Considerations
1) Difficult Exams. Many of the certification exams are multiple choice with a required passing rate of 67% or higher. However, the questions are difficult because they’re very direct and you either know the answer or you don’t.
2) Relevant. Ensure that the certification will be relevant to what you’re doing. If one doesn’t plan on working with the Service Cloud, becoming Service Cloud Consultant certified isn’t useful.
3) Investment. Getting certified takes time and money. For example, the Advanced Developer certification took around 60 hours to complete between the exam, programming assignment, written exam, and studying. It also costs a few hundred dollars. The Technical Architect exam costs around $6,000.
If you’re certified, would you recommend others to do so too? What other considerations and benefits have you seen from being certified?
Luke