In an interview with one of our community members, Sarath Lingutla, we talked about how Focus on Force study guides and practice exams helped him get certified for the first time.
Sarath has been working with Salesforce for more than 2 years and he is loving it! Keep reading to find out more about Sarath’s journey with Salesforce and Focus on Force.
How did you get started with Salesforce?
I had previous experience working with Oracle CRM and, in the last 5 or 6 years. I’ve been hearing a lot about Salesforce so I was very eager to know more. It’s the right time for me to get into it now because the client is currently implementing Salesforce. I’m able to work using what I’ve learned from Trailhead but for providing solutions, getting the certification is probably the best way.
"I thought I needed to do Trailhead alone, but then I realized I need to get certified so that people will believe that I can provide good solutions."
Why did you decide to get a Salesforce certification?
Four months back, I got started. I thought I needed to do Trailhead alone, but then I realized I need to get certified so that people will believe that I can provide good solutions. Without a certification, I don’t think you can embrace a lot of things.
What are your future plans for your Salesforce career?
I’m planning to take the Salesforce App Builder certification. I’m also trying to get into Marketing Cloud, more of the functional side. I feel I have enough technical expertise so I don’t want to get into a developer role. I want to get into more business and try to provide solutions.
What was the most challenging part of learning Salesforce so far?
In the first few weeks, I was just going through Trailheads. There were a lot of modules; it was too much to complete in a month or two while working in parallel.
How did Focus on Force help you prepare for the certification?
I found a blog where they mention Focus on Force. I immediately jumped in there to see how it is and it’s fantastic! I felt like this is where I have to be.
Since I had a couple of weeks of Trailhead experience, I was able to get a score of about 40% in a practice exam--which was okay. Even though I was going through Trailheads, I was not capturing the concepts and understanding how things work. With Focus on Force study guides and practice exams, it was very precise, to the point, and explains things contextually. Because of that, I understand the concepts of data models, process flows, and security. When I was doing Trailhead, I was okay with how it was. But after using Focus on Force, I was able to clearly distinguish between different things within the security, like profiles, permission sets, and others. It was a very good experience for me.
"I would advise getting to Trailhead and Focus on Force. Work a couple of weeks to understand the concepts and what features are available. Then after two to three weeks, try to get certified."
What advice do you have for someone that want to start a Salesforce career?
I would advise getting to Trailhead and Focus on Force. Work a couple of weeks to understand the concepts and what features are available. Then after two to three weeks, try to get certified. Without a certification, you can work as a team member but you will be unable to provide a good solution.
What Certification are you studying for now?
Focus on Force currently provides practice exams and study guides for sixteen certifications
