How I Mastered the Art of Failing a Salesforce Exam: A Confession

They say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Well, sometimes that step is a clumsy trip and face-plant right into the world of Salesforce exams. You've read countless LinkedIn articles about passing exams, but how many of them give you the inside scoop on what it takes to fail? Buckle up, my friends, because I'm about to share my hard-earned secrets on how to become the poster child for the Salesforce "Oh-No-hana."

Part 1: Start with Good Intentions

Like any great failure, my story begins with the best of intentions. In 2019, I signed up for the Focus on Force practice exams, fully prepared to earn yet another certification. After all, the program I was coaching had a slew of graduates who had passed exams beyond their first Administration exam, and I couldn't let them outshine me, could I? Enter the credit card info for the Platform App Builder exam preparation materials. Submit.

ProTip: Purchase multiple courses at once to maximize your failure.

Part 2: Embrace the Art of Procrastination

The key to my success in failing was embracing the ancient art of procrastination. I was a master at finding other activities to occupy my time, I completed Netflix, Arcane TV show. I completed Apple plus TV shows Severance and Ted Lasso season 1. I even tried to re-watch the entire Highlander series from the 90's I got to season 3 and gave up. It did not age well and neither did I. I turned 40 and I only have my Salesforce Admin certification today. Some people say that practice makes perfect, but I'm here to tell you that perfect procrastination is what got me to fail with flying colors. I completed hundreds of hours of other things and very few hours of study.

Pro Tip: Pick franchise TV series that have multiple seasons and reboots to consume your time. For example Star Trek. Do not start a new cert until you have completed the original series, next generation, deep space nine, enterprise, picard, and discovery. Then, will you be ready to study again.

Part 3: The Power of Forgetting

Now, this is the crucial step that really sets apart the amateurs from the professionals in the failure game. You see, I didn't just postpone studying the exams—I completely forgot about them. It takes a special kind of talent to forget something as important as preparing for an exam, but I was determined to show the Salesforce Ohana just how unprepared I could be. I like to tell my graduates of Talent Stacker Career Development program, " I hope I can be an inspiration to you but I am not an example. I'm certain you will surpass me and I hope you even more success in a shorter amount of time than it took me".

Pro Tip: If you help others succeed you earn their loyalty. Like a mafia boss if you hold these chips early in a new trailblazer's journey you might cash them in later as "Favors". What is a job offer really but Marlon Brando saying, "I have an offer you cannot refuse".

Part 4: Mastering the Poker Face

Once you begin to study for an exam, you will immediately become hypersensitive to coworkers and network connections that are completing their exams. Each post or conversation with a coworker, I knew I had to maintain my cool. When people asked me how my studying was going, I'd confidently reply, "Oh, you know, just taking it one day at a time." Little did they know that my days were spent perfecting my origami duck skills.

Seeing others' success on social media is like "The Game" that went viral in the 2000s. Remember that? Someone would say, "you just lost the game," and suddenly, you were back in it, trying to forget about the game, only to be surprised months or years later by someone saying, "you just lost the game" again. Similarly, every time you see a LinkedIn post celebrating a new Salesforce certification, it's like losing the game. You're reminded of your own unmet goals and the time spent not studying, trying to forget the ever-growing list of certifications you haven't achieved yet.

But just like "The Game," we need to remember that it's all in good fun. Embrace the moments of losing, and let them fuel your motivation to keep learning and growing in your Salesforce career. And who knows? One day, you might be the one posting about your latest certification, making someone else lose "The Game."

Embracing Failure, The Game, and The Real Goal

In the end, my dedication to failure paid off. I didn't just fail the exam—I never even attempted it. But here's the twist: Through failure, I learned some valuable lessons about time management, discipline, and the importance of not taking myself too seriously. We've established that seeing others' success on social media is like "The Game," and we're all just waiting for the next reminder of our unmet goals.

But what if we could flip the script and normalize "losing the game"? Let's attend the next event in the Ohana and celebrate real human connections with community members. Welcome the newcomers, greet your friends you see often, and share stories with strangers. Online or offline you can connect with others in your own way. Extroverts might pat another on the back or high five. Introverts might feel more comfortable with a text conversation or private messages. Breaking bread or eating Crumbl with Colleagues are great technques for connecting as only two humans can. It's a small world after all.

You can lose the certification game and still win the relationship game. Who is your favorite Ohana member to text with a funny Salesforce meme? Who do you call upon most when you get stuck? If you have a long list of colleagues that you trust, then you have far more value in this ecosystem than any one certification can grant to you. Then, you are a professional at losing "The Game" because you see the game and recognize the real goal: to connect with others sharing the same journey.

So, let's celebrate our journey together as part of the Salesforce "Oh-No-hana." Share your recent failures or your favorite connections in the comments below, and let's create a space where we can all learn from each other's experiences and grow together through meaningful relationships. Remember, the real victory lies in the connections in this career. Webassesor weeps jealous of the the friends you've made along the way.

Pro Tip: if you have spoken to a network connection today you might have done more to strengthen your career than 3 hours of Salesforce study. Send a meme/GIF to someone you have not spoken to for 3 months or more. It will make their day.

About the author:

About the author: Justin Dux is a Sr. Salesforce Administrator for Be the Match. We save lives by matching unrelated donors to patients in need of cellular treatments. Text "TalentStacker" to 61474 to learn more. Justin is also a job interview preparation expert for?Talent Stacker Career Development Program. Talent Stacker is the leading Salesforce professional training program where members have lifetime access to resources from experienced admins, developers, business analysts, and even AI. Justin has one Salesforce certification but has spent more on Crumbl cookies in 2022 than it would cost to sit for another exam.