People Behind the Certs – Sandhya Sharma – saasguru

Meet Sandhya Sharma, a successful Senior Salesforce Developer at Minlopro Partners in Hyderabad, India. Despite starting her career with a Commerce background and no technical knowledge or programming skills, Sandhya has become a force to be reckoned with in the Salesforce ecosystem. Balancing her family and work life, Sandhya has achieved six Salesforce certifications and is on the cusp of achieving her eighth.

As an experienced Salesforce professional, Sandhya has hands-on experience in a range of configuration and development features, including custom objects, custom fields, workflows, and Lightning Web Components. She has also worked with Finance Cloud and Experience Cloud. Her go-getter spirit, perseverance, hard work, and passion have been instrumental in her rise to success.

Throughout her journey, Sandhya has been supported by her husband and current employer, Minlopro Partners, who have provided a supportive work environment that has helped her research, grow, and learn. Sandhya’s story is a true testament to the power of hard work, dedication, and the ability to balance work and family responsibilities while pursuing one’s dreams.

This week, meet Ms. Sandhya Sharma, Senior Salesforce Developer at Minlopro Partners, Hyderabad, India, who has transitioned from a NON-IT background to a successful Salesforce Professional. Learn how this decision has turned out to be one of the best choices of her life. Explore her inspiring journey 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.

Sandhya Sharma: I was a CA student coming from a Commerce background. I had zero Know-How of any programming language or anything technical, to be honest.

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?

Sandhya Sharma: Despite having big career aspirations as a woman, I found it challenging to continue pursuing the CA program after marriage and having kids. In search of a new career path, I discovered Salesforce, which turned out to be a blessing for me. Despite having no prior experience or education in this field, I was able to teach myself and land my first job. It has now been three years, and I am grateful to be a part of the Salesforce ecosystem. Looking back, I consider this decision to be one of the best choices of my life.

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?

Sandhya Sharma: I am proud to say that I am currently 6X certified in Salesforce, and I have exams scheduled this week that I am confident I will pass, making me an 8X certified professional. I value certifications because they provide a thorough understanding of the concepts related to that specific certification and help refine my knowledge. Certifications also serve as a testament to my areas of expertise and make me stand out in the industry.

However, being a working mom of two young kids (ages 4 and 3), balancing work, home life, and studying for certifications has been a major challenge. There were times when I had to work for up to 20 hours a day, but I believe that the hard work and sacrifices were worth it.

For those considering pursuing certifications, I would recommend staying focused, going through all the concepts thoroughly, and pushing through the initial difficulty, as the payoff, in the end, is well worth it.

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

Sandhya Sharma: One thing that I truly love about my career is the opportunity for continuous learning. Every day, I discover something new and am constantly expanding my knowledge and skills. The best part is that I am able to balance my professional growth with my family responsibilities, without having to sacrifice one for the other. It truly feels like a blessing to have this kind of flexibility in my career.

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?

Sandhya Sharma: I am extremely grateful to my husband for his unwavering support during the initial phase of my career and for believing in my ability to transition into the Salesforce ecosystem. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my current employer, Minlopro Partners, for providing me with a supportive work environment that has helped me research, grow, and learn. Their unwavering support has been instrumental in my professional success, and they have stood by me during the toughest of times.