Are you a Salesforce Ninja?

I’ve been working in the Salesforce ecosystem for 12 years, and have always had an arms-length relationship with my technical understanding of Salesforce products. While as an enthusiast I have enjoyed developing hands-on quick-starts for clients (and a few pro-bono NFP projects), I had taken the conscious decision not to publicise any technical ability I might have. I had never aspired to get any certifications for that reason.

Why?? Well, the answer is probably how I’m perceived by recruiters. As a freelance contractor who doesn’t actually need certifications as part of my job, it’s important to position yourself for the roles you are looking for and not to confuse your CV by appearing too technical. Early on in my Salesforce career, I was often told by recruiters that I was “too technical”. Gradual tweaking of my CV was much-needed to eradicate technical understanding, and to focus on the key skills required for the jobs I was seeking.

Apparently, to be a Programme Manager, being ‘too technical’ is a bad thing. It leaves clients wondering what you actually are. You’re not supposed to know what happens down in the fine detail; if you do, then you're looking at the wrong things. Do they wonder if there's a frustrated Solution Architect inside you trying to get out??

I really disagree with this thinking, although I have already confessed to acting to the contrary. Part of being a good programme lead is understanding precisely everyone’s role in the project - this much is obvious. But the more you can place yourself in their shoes, the better you can understand what they do, how they do it, and their challenges.? As well as being able to empathise and understand everyone's technical challenges, you can also keep everyone honest. And that is precisely what clients want; having the ‘wool pulled over their eyes’ is a big concern, and they want you to prevent it.

While I have always been able to get hands-on with configuration, there was always a bit of a mystery around Apex. Then Trailhead came along, and suddenly there was an easily accessible, free resource to learn. According to my trailhead badges, I’m now somewhere around an ‘Intermediate Developer’ skill level. I’ve been loving it since Trailhead started.

Being around the ecosystem and delivering projects and programmes inevitably leads you to gather a deep understanding of the platform and products, and as well as getting hands-on from time to time, this all adds up to a significant amount of organically-grown knowledge over a period of time.

So, after 12 years of a self-imposed reluctance to get myself certified (I was heavily egged-on by colleagues), I decided to take the first steps. Trying out a few practice exams, I found that I was actually very close to a comfortable pass mark for the Certified Administrator credential. Trailhead was there for me once more, to fill in the blind spots in my knowledge and to educate me on the new features I missed out on.?

So with little preparation, I took the exam in April, and I passed! I was ecstatic. It is just a great feeling because (as anyone who has tried it knows), it’s not an easy one to pass. I wonder why it’s called an ‘Administrator’ certification; it sounds much less valuable and difficult than it actually is. To be a Salesforce Administrator means that you can be let loose to make configuration changes (and to potentially break) a company's Enterprise CRM; you really need to know your stuff. I think ‘Salesforce Certified Ninja’ is more appropriate.

I suffered laziness in May, but in June I went ahead and got my Sales Cloud and Service Cloud Consultant certifications. In July, I passed the Business Analyst certification, and two days ago I passed the User Experience Designer Certification, giving me five in total so far.

I still won’t describe my technical knowledge on my CV. But I will proudly wear the badges right at the top when I next update it. I think there must be many people in my situation - just a few steps away from certification, and it’s easily achievable if you put a little effort in. I can honestly say it’s worth it.

How many other secret Salesforce Ninjas are out there?