Salesforce is a far reaching and complicated platform that has acquired new functionality over the last two decades to expand its offerings and market share. The Salesforce professional ecosystem has grown in size out of necessity as Salesforce’s platform gets more robust, calling for specialization and the necessity for credentials on specific areas of the platform. The certification program was started by Salesforce to test professionals on their skills in various roles and on various Salesforce products, and it helps them determine which consulting partners are a good fit for different kinds of projects. Getting a certification is a good way to get into the Salesforce professional ecosystem or to expand your expertise and prove your increased capabilities while walking away with a reputable credential. At this point the Salesforce certification landscape has grown to the point that there are specific certifications for almost all areas of the platform, ranging from entry level credentials to ways for seasoned professionals to stand out from the pack.
These are extremely helpful resources, but on top of that they are three of the most popular places for people to learn more about the Salesforce platform in general.
Salesforce Trailhead: This specific page is all about Salesforce careers and the certifications related to different roles in the ecosystem. It’s straight from Salesforce so you know it’s a reputable take on what certifications cover. From this page you can navigate to dedicated pages about each role, and what a career in that role would look like.
SF Ben: Salesforce Ben has a lot of articles about different certifications, career paths, and other Salesforce related topics, but this page is one of my favorite infographics to download every year when it’s updated. While a simple flow chart connecting the different Salesforce certifications sounds simple, looking at this infographic will show you exactly why it’s so helpful if you’re interested in certifications and expanding your qualifications on the platform.
Focus on Force: This page describes why you might want to get a Salesforce certification, what the tests are like, and how you can study for the tests. That’s fitting because Focus on Force’s main function is selling test prep resources for Salesforce certifications. They sell amazing study guides as well as practice tests that are the closest I’ve personally found to the real tests. If you have patience, you can almost always see a 50% off or BOGO sale within the next few months.
The Declarative Architect 