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.
DS: I am a B.Tech graduate with a computer science Engineering background. During the initial days, I wanted to go for post-graduation, but at the same time, I heard about Salesforce, which was new to me. So I decided to choose the Salesforce ecosystem and started my career as a Salesforce Developer. I think that was a turning point in my career.
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?
DS: I always loved coding, but after entering Salesforce, I learned many declarative ways, like workflows, flows, and different rules. At that point, I realized that we could also solve business problems without coding, which was a major realization for me. In Salesforce, we can follow the development and declarative approach.
After 10 years in Salesforce, I started sharing my knowledge on the Trailblazer answer community, and that helped me a lot to understand different types of problems and their solutions.
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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?
DS: Yes, Sure.
- Certification, for me, is like a tag. You are an expert in a particular field and feature. If You have hands-on experience, then you should go with certifications.
- The main challenge is time and focus. Before going for certification, work on real-time projects, and prepare notes that you can use later to understand concepts.
- Go with Salesforce trailhead content, follow the trail mixes based on certifications, and focus on hands-on challenges in Trailhead. Also, try practicing for exams available online.
SG: What do you enjoy most about your work as a certified Salesforce professional?
DS: As a certified Salesforce professional, I love Salesforce updates and using the latest features in our projects. Also, give back to the Salesforce community with the help of the Answer community, Where you can find daily challenges and solve problems. Also, many Trailblazers provide great answers in different ways.
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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?
DS: I would like to thank all my colleagues, managers, companies where I worked, and so many people who helped me in my Salesforce Journey. And I would like to thank Alok Anibha(Co-founder, Girikon Inc.) for trusting me. I would also like to thank Avinash Singh (Delivery Manager, Girikon Inc.) for always being there to guide me in the right direction. Finally, I would like to thank Saam Abbas(Manager, ARCS Technologies).