How Salesforce Certification will Help Build a Successful Career?

Salesforce is among the fastest-growing, in-demand capabilities in the present. From software coding developers to solutions design architects, senior project managers, and sales and digital marketing professionals, Salesforce expertise is beneficial for various jobs.

If you're hoping to get an employment opportunity, receive more money or gain an increase in your position, Salesforce certification is a good career choice, says Meagan Humphrey who is the VP of recruiting and sales at an IT hiring and staffing firm Mondo.

• The benefits of Salesforce certification

"Salesforce certifications provide three major benefits," Humphrey says. "They enhance your standing position in a competitive coding IT job market because they will allow you to become an expert in your field. They allow flexibility as you can be certified in only a few days, hours, or even months, and you are able to choose your professional direction. You can obtain just one or several certifications. And the more certifications that you include, the better the salary or hourly rate that you'll earn."

Salesforce roles span from technical (architects developers, architects, experts) as well as those in sales and marketing. Every role is distinct in relation to the level of knowledge about Salesforce's platform.

Jobs that require Salesforce skills pay more than $70,000 annually The highest pay is $70,000, with Salesforce developers earning an average of $100,000, according to Burning Glass. Sales roles in Salesforce pay an 8 percent increase in salary over other sales jobs IT positions that require Salesforce skills come with an additional 11 percent in salary. The most advanced skills, like Visualforce as well as Sales Cloud, command salaries of more than $100,000.

A 2019 study from Indeed.com includes Salesforce Developer as its No. Ten "Best jobs of the year" and the annual average pay of $112,031. The Salesforce Developer Jobs have grown a 129 percent increase in the number of jobs in the IT job market ads between 2015 and 2018 According to Indeed.

• Salesforce certification overview

Salesforce offers a wide range of certifications that are targeted toward various job roles which include:

• Administrators
• Architects
• Developers
• Marketers
• Consultants

The majority of tracks offer individual certifications which demonstrate proficiency in a particular field. However, the Salesforce Architect track is different in that applicants are able to earn their own certifications, or bundle the certificates they earn (aka specializations) to earn higher-level certification, for example, that of the Salesforce Certified Application Architect and Salesforce Certified Application Architect, or Salesforce Certified System Architect.

Professionals who take both of these architectural tracks will eventually be able to achieve the highest level of certification, which is Salesforce Certified Technical Architect.

• Salesforce administrator Certifications

Salesforce provides two different levels of administrator credentials. They both focus on administrative tasks that include defining the user's requirements as well as making changes to Salesforce, customizing the Salesforce platforms, as well as supporting users to maximize the benefits of the tools. Administrators can also get certificates that are based on the development of apps and CPQ (configure pricing quote).

1. Salesforce Administrator

To be able to earn this certification Candidates should possess an extensive understanding of Salesforce configuration and customization, as well as be adept at managing users and making maximum benefit from Salesforce's capabilities.

The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice test questions that take 90 minutes. For you to pass, you have to be able to manage data, users, and security; manage and alter Sales Cloud and Service Cloud applications; and create dashboards, reports, and workflows.

Pricing: $200; retake fee of $100

The prerequisites are: None

2. Salesforce Advanced Administrator

Candidates must have prior experience with the advanced administration features of Salesforce and be proficient in creating advanced reports, dashboards, and automated processes. The test consists of 60 multiple-choice tests in 90 minutes.

To pass the test you must learn how to use the capabilities of advanced administration in Salesforce Optimize and expand Sales Cloud and Service Cloud applications, and create sophisticated reports as well as dashboards and process automation.

Cost: $200; retake fee of $100

Prerequisites: Salesforce Certified Administrator status

3. Salesforce Certified CPQ Specialist

This certification acknowledges those who have implemented Salesforce CPQ solutions, designed and develop quoting flow designs to meet the requirements of customers, and help troubleshoot issues with the platform. A Salesforce Certified CPQ Specialist generally is a person with six to 12 months of experience working in the CPQ Specialist position and is familiar with working with the Salesforce CPQ platform and CPQ terms, as well as can resolve and troubleshoot basic issues on the platform.

Salesforce CPQ specialists should be aware of how to design solutions to help business processes. They should also be able to troubleshoot, and fix basic issues on the platform, and configure bundles (for example, for example, options, features, constraints, and configuration attributes) and product pricing rules block pricing, discount schedules cost, contracted pricing, quote templates quote processes, and other custom actions.

They should also be aware of CPQ's object model, CPQ package level settings as well as price waterfall. Candidates will be given 105 mins to complete 60 multiple-choice questions on the test.

Pricing: $200; retake fee of $100

The prerequisites are: None

4. Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder

A Salesforce-certified Platform Builder certification requires the ability to create and develop customized applications using the Force.com platform. This credential requires greater engineering and programming knowledge than other credential holders within the track of Certified Administrator.

The skills required are extensive in the functionalities of declarative development and customizing that are available on the platform. The exam consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that take 90 minutes.

For passing the exam you will need to be able to design the user interface, data model, and business logic, as well as the security of custom applications; modify applications to be mobile-friendly, create dashboards and reports and then deploy custom-built applications.

Cost: $200; retake fee of $100

Requirements: None

• Salesforce developer certifications

Salesforce developer certifications are designed for individuals with the skills, knowledge, and experience in the development of custom programs and declarative applications using Salesforce's Force.com platform.

This track is a Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder. Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder that can be used to apply for those who are on the Salesforce Administrator track. There are two kinds of developer credentials that include two-tiered platform developer credentials and one that is designed to develop eCommerce solutions.

1. Salesforce Certified Platform Application Builder

Check out the entry in the "Salesforce Administrator Certifications" section above.

2. Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I

To pass this test candidates should be able to create the user interface, data model as well as business logic, and security for custom applications and be able to develop custom applications with the help of Apex as well as Visualforce. Candidates must also be conversant with the development cycle and be aware of the different environments that are available. The test consists of 60 multiple-choice tests in the time of 105 minutes.

Pricing: $200; retake fee of $100

Requirements: None

3. Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II

Candidates should be proficient in the sophisticated features in the Force.com platform as well as data modeling to build complex business logic as well as interfaces to the platform. The certification process consists of three elements including a multiple-choice test along with a programming task and an essay test.

In order to pass the test, the candidates must be able to create, build, test, and implement easily maintained robust and reusable programmatic solutions. They should also be able to follow Apex designs and the best practices for object-oriented programming practices.

The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions that last 120 minutes. In the programming, portion candidates will need to utilize Apex along with Visualforce to build applications based on the preconfigured business requirements within 30 days.

The exam for essays consists of three questions that are related to the solution for the programming assignment which candidates must finish in just 60 minutes within an environment that is controlled by a professional.

Pricing: $400; retake fee of $200

4. Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Developer

Candidates should have experience as full-stack programmers for Salesforce B2C Commerce Digital. This exam is designed for people who design and develop solutions for e-commerce and are proficient in creating the development environment using the Digital model of data as well as working with the content of websites.

As well as employing Salesforce Business Manager to perform the site's configuration by using scripts to expand the business logic of the site and interacting with external applications, maximizing the performance of websites and troubleshooting. The exam consists of 60 tests in a time of 105 minutes.

Cost: $400; retake fee of $200

The prerequisites are: None

5. Salesforce-certified Marketing Cloud developer

Market Cloud developers who are certified have extensive hands-on working on the complete Salesforce platform. Candidates must have experience as a full-stack programmer in Marketing Cloud and should be capable of creating personalized dynamic sales and marketing messages and landing pages.

They should also be proficient with Marketing Cloud scripting languages, and be proficient in data configuration as well as advanced data manipulation and segmentation, in addition to analytics and reporting.

A Marketing Cloud developer is knowledgeable of managing subscribers across channels and can solve problems with various programming languages that are used to guide the design of both strategic and tactical email campaigns.

Additionally, they are Salesforce Marketing Cloud Developers generally with at least one year of development experience to work with Marketing Cloud and associated tools. The test-taker does not need to be familiar with MobilePush SDK, Journey Builder SDK as well as custom components.

Additionally, a candidate doesn't need to be familiar with how to set up Marketing Cloud Connect. Candidates will have 105 mins to answer 60 multiple-choice questions.

Pricing cost: $200; retake fee, $100 Prerequisites: Marketing Cloud Email Specialist