In our “I'm Salesforce Certified—Now What?” series, we bring you hints and tips from the #SalesforceOhana of what your next steps should be after obtaining your hard-earned Salesforce credential. In our second post, Hamza shares what being multiple-certified has meant to his career and what it can do for yours!

My Salesforce journey started in earnest in 2015, with my first full-time Salesforce role. I saw the potential opportunity, and while it meant that I’d have to take a pay cut to take on the new role, I felt that the investment would be worth it. My wife, who had just given birth to our daughter, was extremely supportive of me, and that investment paid off quickly, as I was able to get five certifications within the next six months, and land a new role as a Salesforce Consultant.

The Legend (5 Exams in 1 Day)

A year later, I sat five certification exams in one day...and I passed them all. It's the highlight of my certification journey to date! I shared my story detailing how I was willing to make sacrifices to achieve my goals (like getting up ridiculously early to spend a few hours studying before my family woke up).

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and it’s up to us to choose how we use them to be as productive as possible. I thought once was enough for that feat, and never considered that I could or would do it again. But with several new Salesforce certifications being released throughout 2016 and early 2017, I wanted to challenge myself and attempt to repeat my success.

The Repeat Attempt

After studying hard and building on the experience I had accumulated over my time in the Salesforce world, I sat down for my first exam on the night of April 30th: Platform Developer I. Boy, was that difficult! But the studying paid off, and I passed. Next, I tackled the Accredited Sales professional certification, and I passed again. Not wanting to stop, I immediately took the Community Cloud Consultant and Development Lifecycle and Deployment Designer certification exams, and while I personally felt that I wasn’t as strong in these two areas, my hours of preparation proved invaluable and I passed them both!

I was on a roll and my self-belief (and ego) was at an all-time high. Time for the last exam, the Sharing and Visibility Designer. I really felt that this would be a breeze (naive, I know!) I mean come on, I knew all about Sharing on the Salesforce platform. I just knew I was going to repeat the impossible and pass five certifications in one go...AGAIN! I made myself a cup of tea, and then took the exam.

Lessons Learned

I failed. I was wrong. And while my ego was hurt, I got over it. I didn’t deserve to pass that final exam. As the questions very quickly showed me, I wasn’t ready for it. I was taught a lesson that I had forgotten: that if you fail to prepare, you should prepare to fail. Only I didn’t see it as failing, but as a lesson learned instead. I picked myself back up, did some more revising, and took the exam the following day. I passed this time and was also rewarded with the Application Architect certification, to boot.

So I'm Multiple-Certified—Now What?

Following my original post on the Salesforce blog, my profile just blew up! I had people from all over the world connecting with me over social media, asking how in the world I had achieved this particular feat. It was amazing to know that my achievement was acknowledged by the whole #SalesforceOhana.

That exposure allowed me to widen my network of professional contacts, meet some great new friends, and connect with others who motivated me to work even harder. More importantly, though, it provided me with countless new career opportunities, as recruiters and employers—who not only look at certifications but also value experience, a willingness to learn, and hard work, too—reached out to me.

New Opportunities

Consequently, I was offered a new role as an Enterprise Solutions Architect at Samanage, the Service Success company. As one of the fastest-growing IT service management providers, they offered me the opportunity to grow at the same speed as they were.

When considering if a new role will be your #Dreamjob, there is a lot to consider. I was lucky. My previous employer supported me in every way possible, from attaining my certifications to understanding when I felt it was time to move on to my next challenge, and I am eternally grateful for that. When you're looking for your next opportunity, ask yourself:

1. Will this new role contribute to my personal and professional development?
   As a budding Salesforce professional, you need to ensure that you are always moving forward, step by step. Be eager to learn and have clear goals.
2. Will this new role encourage me to remain (or become more) active in the Salesforce community?
   I have been given the privilege of connecting with many people in the #SalesforceOhana, and we help each other to develop. Being active in the community is a great way to help you get noticed, especially if you give back as much as you receive.
3. Will this new role place value on me as an individual?
   I place immense value on spending quality time with my family and working towards providing a nurturing environment for my daughter. Make sure any move will provide you with the flexibility you need to lead a fulfilling life and help you achieve the work-life balance that's right for you.

I'm glad I've been able to answer “Yes” to all of these questions with my new role. I recommend anyone who is on a similar journey answer these questions (or others that are important to you and your specific goals) before just jumping in.

My journey to becoming a Certified Technical Architect (CTA) continues. I now have the opportunity to learn from highly experienced and knowledgeable colleagues, working for a company which is willing to invest in my personal and professional development, while continuing to work within the Salesforce ecosystem.

I’m now 18x Salesforce certified, and I'm after #AllTheCerts! My next challenge will be to learn how to programmatically customize the Salesforce platform, and I plan on using the Trailhead developer trails and superbadges to get there! I'm also looking forward to starting the new path to Platform Developer II certification.

For anyone left wondering if getting multiple certifications is actually worth it: of course it is! And can they actually contribute to your career success? Well. I’m living proof that not only is this possible, but if you’re willing to put the hard work in, you really can achieve your dreams too!

Hamza's Certifications
Salesforce Certified Administrator March 31, 2015
Salesforce Certified Force.com Developer April 10, 2015
Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator April 10, 2015
Salesforce Certified Service Cloud Consultant April 24, 2015
Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant July 2, 2015
Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist February 20, 2016
Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Social Specialist February 20, 2016
Salesforce Certified Pardot Specialist February 20, 2016
Salesforce Certified Pardot Consultant February 20, 2016
Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder February 20, 2016
Salesforce Certified Data Architecture & Management Designer April 12, 2016
Salesforce Certified Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer June 24, 2016
Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I April 30, 2017
Salesforce Accredited Sales Professional April 30, 2017
Salesforce Certified Community Cloud Consultant May 1, 2017
Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle & Deployment Designer May 1, 2017
Salesforce Certified Application Architect May 2, 2017
Salesforce Certified Sharing and Visibility Designer May 2, 2017

If you’ve been inspired by Hamza's story, learn more about how you, too, can become a multiple Salesforce Certified Professional.