People Behind the Certs – Bhavik Devdhar

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.

BD: I completed my Masters in Computer Applications & started my career as an Android developer intern in 2014.

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?

BD: The first company I joined as a full-time employee had some Salesforce Mobile SDK development.

In my first project, I got a chance to work on both Android & Salesforce. After seeing the quality of my deliverables, I transitioned into a full-time Salesforce developer. It has been such an amazing 7.5 years of the journey from working on Salesforce to working for Salesforce.

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

• Why do you value certificates?
• What are the challenges associated with the process?
• What are your top tips for being successful in cert exams?

BD: I value certs because it motivates me to push myself to learn and explore different Salesforce products and domains. The main challenges I faced early on were the lack of guidance and project exposure in every domain I was preparing for.

My top tips would be,

1. Preparing notes while studying for certifications and describing key takeaways from your own understanding. These are really important, which would also help us to revise concepts later on.
2. Learning from the experiences of others who have already attempted the certification by exploring blogs and reaching out to mentors who can guide you on the subject.

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

BD: From working on Salesforce to working for Salesforce, what makes me so exhilarated about Salesforce is not just the technology. It’s also the culture and, most important of all, the #salesforceohana ❤️

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?

BD: I’m thankful & privileged to have met & worked with some of the best leaders, wonderful mentors, and talented colleagues along the way.