People Behind the Certs – Abhishek Walia – saasguru

Embarking on a career transformation from having no coding knowledge to becoming a 10x Salesforce-certified professional is a remarkable journey of growth and determination. This path requires dedication to learning, embracing new challenges, and developing expertise across various Salesforce domains. Aspiring professionals must commit to mastering not only the platform’s technical aspects but also best practices, strategies, and real-world applications. 

The pursuit of multiple Salesforce certifications demonstrates exceptional adaptability and a passion for continuous learning, ultimately paving the way for a successful and fulfilling career in the ever-evolving world of Salesforce.

Abhishek Walia is a highly accomplished 10x certified Lead Salesforce Developer and a Trailhead Ranger with extensive expertise in B2B Commerce, Cloudcraze, and CPQ. As a Salesforce Evangelist, he has a proven track record in the software industry, excelling in both Salesforce platform development and Sales and Service Cloud implementations. 

A strong engineering professional, Abhishek holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science from Seth Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Institute of Engineering & Technology. His dedication to the Salesforce ecosystem, coupled with his technical prowess and passion for learning, makes him an invaluable asset in the rapidly evolving world of CRM and cloud computing.

This week, Mr. Abhishek Walia and explore his journey of success with Salesforce.

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.

AW: I did my Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Kurukshetra University, just a regular guy with no coding skills, and my entry into the Salesforce ecosystem was purely by chance. I had never even heard about Salesforce during my college time, but circumstances made me start my career as a Salesforce Intern. 

Once I entered the Salesforce ecosystem, there was no going back. I met people who mentored me and found this fantastic Salesforce community that motivated me, and then my Salesforce journey began from NO Code to PRO Code.

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?

AW: In 2016, the final year of my graduation, I had to go through a personal loss. Due to a terminal illness, I lost my dad. I could not complete my graduation that year. After recovering from trauma, I began my job search. Three months later, I got an internship for 6 months as a Salesforce Intern. 

From that moment, my love for Salesforce started, and I realized this is it, I want to be a Salesforce CTA someday. I started doing Trailheads, reading blogs, and watching YouTube videos. I was looking for anything I could find about Salesforce on the internet. I started attending Salesforce community events and was fascinated by Ohana culture. Within 3 months, I converted that internship into a full-time job, and from there on, I never looked back on my career.

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?

AW: Ya, sure.

1. Possessing knowledge about a subject doesn’t always guarantee the most effective approach to deal with real-world problems. Within the Salesforce platform, various methods exist for accomplishing a single task, requiring users to determine the most efficient option. Salesforce Certifications test us on these aspects, and once obtained, they boost our confidence in our platform expertise.
2. One of the biggest challenges associated with the Certification process is the lack of hands-on practice. Sometimes, topics covered in certification are so vast that only theoretical knowledge is not enough. You have to do hands-on practice to truly understand the concepts.
3. Go through each certification module and try hands-on practice on each topic as much as possible. Play with it in dev org, and make a plan. Set your exam date before, give yourself enough time to prepare, and don’t look for shortcuts(It will hurt you badly in the long run).

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

AW: I am a Problem Solver; nothing gives me more joy than solving my client’s business problems and pain points in utilizing the full potential of the Salesforce Platform and adding value to their Business. For me, it’s not just about completing the work but seeing my work positively impact customer business. 

Whenever there is a mission-critical task or issue, it gives an opportunity to be a SuperHero for that day and adds extra pleasure/motivation in dealing with them.

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?

AW: Firstly I would like to thank my family for always supporting me in pursuing my goals.

I would like to thank JourneySales for providing me with my Salesforce internship opportunity that allowed me to enter the Salesforce Ecosystem.

My career skyrocketed to the next level when I became part of RafterOne (previously called Docmation). A BIG thanks to the whole RafterOne family, especially Prasad Pamidi, Ritika Jatana, and Lara Reedick, who believed in me and guided me to fast-track my career from a Developer to a Lead/Architect level. 

A special mention to my team(Team 7), who made working fun and allowed me to evolve as a leader.

Ultimately, I would like to thank all the people behind Trailhead, trailblazer community groups, and Salesforce blogs/Content creators who helped people like me kick start their careers in Salesforce.