People Behind the Certs – Sukesh Koppineedi

SG: Let’s get started. Why don’t we start from the beginning? Please tell us about your education/ career before entering the Salesforce ecosystem.

SK: I completed my Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Electronics & Communication Engineering at SRKR Engineering College, Andhra Pradesh, in 2020. I got my first job as a Business Development Executive (BDE) at Dahua Technology. Then I moved to Concentrix Company, where I held the position of Representative, Operations.

SG: That’s awesome. Now we would love to know what was the tipping point when you said, “I want to make this change,” and what was the trigger for that?

SK: I wanted to switch careers. I have completed six months of internship with Thoughtwave Software & Solutions Company and my designation as Salesforce Developer. My friend Khushabu Bhoyar recommended the Journey2Salesforce Program to me. I have started this journey searching for a new direction in my life. I found much more than a direction. I have found where I belong! I am thrilled to share how much Salesforce has influenced me.

After all the hurdles, I completed all four Trailmixes in the Journey2Salesforce Program. I have received Salesforce Certification Vouchers and Beautiful Schwags by completing the Trailhead Quests & Journey2Salesforce Program in the Trailhead. I participated in Employer Connections, then connected with Tavant, and they allowed me to work with them.

SG: You achieved many certs along the way. Can you share three things with us?

1. Why do you value certificates?

2. What are the challenges associated with the process?

3. What are your top tips for being successful in cert exams?

SK: Ya, sure, First and foremost, I would say the more the certifications, the better the pay. You can check my Trailhead Profile below.

Badges, Certificates & Superbadges.

Trailhead Profile: https://trailblazer.me/id/sukeshkoppineedi

 4X Salesforce Certified 

☁️ Salesforce Administrator

☁️ Salesforce Platform App Builder

☁️ Salesforce Platform Developer I

☁️ Salesforce Data Architect

Salesforce credentials grow your resume and highlight your skills. Prove your hands-on experience with Salesforce and get a competitive edge that leads to new opportunities.

Regardless of your role, Salesforce certifications are worth it because they give confidence to someone putting their trust in you, be that employers or customers. It commands a higher salary.

Don’t let the fear of failure stop you! You can always play with the tips to ace the cert exam easily. I have followed some steps that helped me get focused on how to prepare for a Salesforce certification.

1. See what the exam is all about.
2. Schedule your exam.
3. Find some friends to study with.
4. Gets hands-on practice.
5. Complete a learning pathway.
6. Attend free webinars.
7. Excel during the certification exam.

“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”

There is a magical key to getting a job in Salesforce without experience: “Having a certification is a qualification for Junior roles.” The junior role in Salesforce consists of 0-2 years of experience. Getting certified in Salesforce is a big step that allows you to be recognized for your skills.

I loved the fact that it’s so organized & we need to find trails, trailmix, and superbadges aligned with our learning goals. The Journey2Salesforce program helped my career a lot. Thanks to Trailhead-Salesforce for providing such an incredible and free training platform for people like myself to skill up and grow.

SG: What do you enjoy most about your work as a certified Salesforce professional?

SK: I am passionate about learning Salesforce and am almost addicted to Salesforce now.

As a certified Salesforce professional, I worked on development projects. Now I can understand the requirements and work on change requests to develop new functionality. I worked on incidents and fixed the bugs based on priority. I also have worked on maintaining quality code by following proper guidelines that meet the required functionality. I am involved in all phases of the SDLC, including analysis, design, development, testing, and deployment of changes across the org. At the same time, I also manage the timeliness of deliverables.

I have been selected as a Journey2Salesforce Success Story and named as Journey2Salesforce Brand Ambassador.

SG: Time for gratitude!! Finally, is there anyone (individual or company) that you would like to take this opportunity to thank for their role in helping you along your journey? If Yes, what was their role in your success?

SK: Siva Papolu (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivapapolu/) is a Data Architect at Vela Insurance Services (a Berkley Company) based in Austin, Texas, United States. He is my father’s sister’s son(m) brother-in-law. He is the one who encouraged and supported me to switch from a non-IT background to the Salesforce ecosystem. You are the brother-in-law I never had. My heart is full of gratitude, and my life is happier because of you.

Simmi (https://www.linkedin.com/in/simmi-a5170ba0/) is working as a Salesforce Technical Lead at Tavant. I’ll be forever grateful to you. Thank you so much for the encouragement and much-needed support you gave me when I needed it at Tavant.

I also thank Mr. Santanu Boral, who (https://www.linkedin.com/in/santanuboral/) works as a Senior Director-Salesforce at Concentrix.

Salesforce MVP | 31X Salesforce certified | Blogger | Salesforce Practice Lead @Concentrix Catalyst | Kolkata Developer Group Leader | Journey2Salesforce Mentor

Thank you so much, Santanu Boral, for allowing me to work at Tavant. “I am grateful for this opportunity.” You are a fantastic mentor who is worthy of emulation. A mentor is who sees more talent and ability within you than you have seen in yourself and helps bring it out of you. I adore your personality. Thanks for being a good mentor and guiding me on the right path. I will always be thankful to you.