People Behind the Certs – Sudeer Kamat

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 Master’s in Computer Application (MCA) at New Horizon College Of Engineering, Bangalore, in 2017. During my last semester. I joined as an intern in Brickwork India, Before Completing my 5 months of internship. I received an offer to work as a Junior .NET Developer in the same organization. Within a year, I was again selected to work in Salesforce. That’s how I was introduced to Salesforce. Now I am working as Senior Salesforce Developer at Skience.

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 always wanted to be a coder and do some crazy coding in my free time. When I was introduced to the trailhead by Salesforce, I got to know there is a world outside that runs even without coding. i.e., declarative way of programming (Click No-Code). This was the tipping point, which triggered me to go low code and solve problems using a programmatic way (Pro code). 

I started from workflows, process builders, and now Flows. I only go for the programmatic approach when I don’t find a solution using the declarative way. This is why I love the Salesforce platform, where you can solve problems in both ways.

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: Yes, I will.

1) Certify Your Work Before Taking Certification.

I have always been someone who learned through hands-on experience. The certifications I have achieved were after really understanding how things work, when to use them, and where to use them. My certification path has been pretty standard, and I tried to concentrate my learning on certificates that interest me and add value to my profile.

2) One of the main challenges I faced when preparing to hold an exam was finding the time to focus on the topic and finding reliable and up-to-date topics. Everybody has their own way of preparing for certification exams. Even though Salesforce provides excellent resources on the trailhead, and the trailblazer community is very helpful, finding a concise set of resources aligned to an individual’s way is difficult. 

The real challenge is to make the certification prep journey engaging, focused, and entertaining. So my tip for those preparing for the certification exam would be to dedicate at least a few hours daily and focus only on the preparation for at least a month or two. This allows you to become familiar with all the concepts and answer questions with less doubt.

3) My top tips for success in the exam are

a) Try to replicate the scenarios in an environment to see how it works so that you can visualize it and get your hands dirty by building it. This will make your mind remember things you have experienced and worked on.

b) Learning from the experiences of others who have already attempted the certification by exploring certification blogs. 

c) Help others by sharing your knowledge whenever you can with what you’re learning. It helps you to memorize the concept better.

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

SK: As a certified Salesforce professional, I am known for my expertise in product development, customization, and enhancements, leveraging business and technical knowledge to provide programmatic solutions to clients.

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: I am immensely fortunate to have so many people in my life who helped me reach where I am. I am incredibly thankful to all my colleagues, managers, and companies where I worked.

I would like to thank Sangeeta Kulkarni (CEO, Brickwork India) for introducing me to Salesforce. Life would not have been the same without your help and guidance. 

I would like to thank Sripriya V (Manager, Brickwork India) for always being there to guide me in the right direction.

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