No More Salesforce Certification Days? Other Voucher and Training Opportunities in 2024.

Описание: Have you been dying to know when the next Salesforce Certification Days will be, but this page keeps mocking you? Salesforce Certification Days have been a great preparation resource for professionals seeking free Salesforce Certification training. These half-day webinars came with the added benefit of voucher codes that provided significant discounts on Salesforce certification exams. I hate to be the fun sponge, but this program has been put on mothballs for the foreseeable future. In a post on the Certification Days community group on April 11, 2024, Nicole Isaacson stated that no further Certification Days will be scheduled at this time. Since this valuable resource is no more, where should we go for certification training and voucher opportunities?

There is no shortage of Salesforce training options. A lot depends on the certification you’re seeking, and what your training budget is.

The no-brainer option is Trailhead. Salesforce created this training portal that is offered at the best price of all -- free. These certification guides can help you understand how the exam content breaks down. Be aware, that Trailhead has many rabbit holes you can lose yourself down. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but for those with focus issues, it can be a distraction.

At the other end of the cost spectrum is Trailhead Academy. These certification classes are one-day, instructor-led sessions. This is also a Salesforce offering but far from free. The classes I saw online were a cool $900. It is in-depth. They go through all the topics covered on the exam with practice tests included to gauge your readiness, but it comes at a hefty price. They’ve offered discount codes on these classes in the past, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen one pop up.

There are also third-party offerings which are north of free but thankfully less than $900. Both Udemy and Pluralsite have Salesforce certification training options. If you are prepping for a popular cert like administrator, there are a few instructors that offer classes and practice tests. Mike Wheeler is a name frequently highlighted as a good option on Udemy. More obscure Salesforce certs will leave you looking elsewhere. Often, Udemy runs deals where you can get an $80 course for $10 to $20 so I’d wait for those opportunities if you aren’t in a hurry and are in a more budget-conscious state of mind.

Focus on Force is also a great resource for exam prep. They have detailed study guides and practice tests that provide you with a close approximation of the real test. They have a la carte options if you want just the study guide or the practice test or you can buy a course bundle.

I said there were no other free options, but that’s not exactly true. There are brain dumps that can feel mighty tempting. Essentially, people are taking the exam then dumping what they can remember once they walk out of the room. While this can give you a good expectation around question format, answers are sometimes wrong, and ultimately you’re not learning the material needed to make you successful on the job. This shortcut only hurts you and makes your certification meaningless.

The question that’s on most of your minds is, “where can I get a voucher?” That was one of the biggest selling points of attending Salesforce Certification Days. Completing these courses meant deep discounts on your exam cost ($140 discount off a $200 exam). If your company is a Salesforce partner, they receive free and discounted vouchers as a partnership benefit. Ask around to see if you are and to find out who runs this partnership effort.

While not technically a voucher, if your company isn’t a Salesforce partner, see if they’ll reimburse the exam cost. They are directly benefiting from this growth and investment you are making in yourself so this should be an easy sell.

Next, start participating in monthly Trailhead Quests. Exam vouchers are awarded to some percentage of lucky participants who complete these exercises. Look in the description for quests offering vouchers, and your chances of winning. Be sure to read the eligibility restrictions because there are country limitations. Keep checking in each month for new quests.

Lastly, Salesforce loves to grow its local communities. Often, Trailblazer Community Group organizers will have swag, including vouchers, to giveaway to those attending events. Find groups in your area by selecting your region, finding a group that is right for you, and requesting to join.

This video is brought to you by Improving. We are an IT consulting firm serving North America. If you are looking for a trusted partner to help you optimize or advise your team on Salesforce, please reach out to us at https://improving.com.

Trailblazer Quests: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/ques...
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