Salesforce Certification: is it a must-have to prove expertise?  

4 min 12.10.2022 Updated: 19.06.2024

Is it possible to name yourself a Salesforce expert without any single Salesforce certificate? In this article, the Routine Automation team is trying to find out the real value of being Salesforce certified. But first, let’s start from the beginning.

Salesforce Certification: Definition & Stats  

Salesforce Certification is a credential that recognizes qualifications to implement, customize and integrate features and add-ons whiten Salesforce.  The number of certificates is quite big.  Each role has its own certificates. You can obtain admin, designer, consultant, business analyst, developer, commerce, and architecture Salesforce certificates. Just choose the area you want to develop Salesforce skills. Talent Stacker recognizes that 76% of Salesforce job applicants have at least 1 Certification and 15% don’t feel they need a Salesforce Certification. According to CRM Consulting, there are 124048 and 148544 administrator and developer certifications. Does it mean that it’s crucial to be certified?  

While talking to the RA experts, we asked them whether there is a need for a Salesforce certification or not. The insights have come immediately. Let’s check them out!     

To pass or not to pass?

Opinion #1: A Certified Developer as a Christmas Tree. 

A certificate in fact can’t be more important than gained knowledge. Let’s consider a situation that a Salesforce Senior Developer doesn’t have a single certificate. There was no time to pass the exam, but the developer has enough knowledge to correctly finish the tasks. And the opposite option to the situation is a developer being hung with certificates like a Christmas Tree and without special knowledge or experience in all areas. If it’s necessary for the developer to be trained to obtain a certificate without a special background, it’s just a matter of time before knowledge will disappear from the trained head. 

If a person is still studying and actively exploring the possibilities of the platform the thematic study certainly has a number of advantages. With a sufficient resource of time, effort and a competent approach a Junior Salesforce Developer can reach a bundle of certificates in a short time. 

Opinion #2: A big plus.

It’s important to be Salesforce certified. When you are an Admin or a Developer and have a certificate without any experience it can be considered as a striving to learn a theoretical base. However, if a Salesforce engineer has neither experience nor a certificate… It’s a little bit strange and confusing, isn’t it? If practical experience has been gained, why not confirm it with a certificate? After all, this is a big plus to find a job or a project.   

Opinion #3: Developer 1 and Admin a must-have.

I consider you must get the next basics Salesforce certificates: Developer 1 and Admin. The rest of the certificates are only if it’s necessary to prove technical skills for a project. In some cases, clients require a certificate to be on the project. Also, if you want to pump up your knowledge and skills, preparation for certification will be useful. 

Is Salesforce Certification worth it to prove expertise?  

Opinion #1: The presence inspires subconscious confidence.

Earning certifications is generally necessary, with at least a couple of basic certificates for a Junior Developer, five for the Middle, and more for the Senior. The client understands that an employee was at least able to overcome himself/herself/themselves, find time, and generally did such a difficult thing as self-study. In my opinion, the presence inspires subconscious confidence. For example, imagine a job interview with a certified Junior Salesforce Developer having 6-12 working experience and with a not certified one.  

Opinion #2: The presence gives advantages. 

Expertise can be proved without certificates, but their presence still gives a certain advantage. Especially when we are talking about a specific product such as FSL, CPQ, or Pardot.  

Opinion #3: Sometimes it’s required but mostly not.

Usually, you don’t need a certificate to prove your expertise. You may have a lot of experience and skills but don’t require to pass for a certificate. At the interview, the client can understand whether you know your field or not without a certificate. But again, there are cases when it’s required. 

The Bottom Line  

Wrapping up, we would like to conclude that Salesforce Administrators and Developers have to obtain a Salesforce certificate. And the benefits of it are great.

Is it worth proving expertise?  It’s all about the presence. But having a Salesforce certificate doesn’t mean you have deep expertise in such an area. Gained knowledge and experience show your competence, while certificates can strengthen it.     

We at Routine Automation have 40+ Salesforce certified specialists who not only gained specific knowledge and deep expertise but also prove it with success stories and obtained certificates.