Thom Clark: Certified Salesforce Administrator

Spotlight is on:

Thom Clark

Certified Salesforce Administrator!

Why is the Salesforce CRM implementation project unique for KSU and Higher Ed in general?

Salesforce has relatively recently started making inroads in the higher education market. Salesforce implementations within other universities have typically been limited to just one or a few areas, but Kent State is leading the way with its implementation of Salesforce by making it a universitywide implementation.

How is it unique / different from other systems you have developed in?

The Force.com platform is unique and different from every other way I have developed in the past. Developing applications in the past usually involved multiple systems such as database servers and app servers. Every application stood on its own. Communication that might need to happen between applications, security, writing optimized code and keeping the systems up-to-date could be quite taxing and time consuming. Using the Force.com platform has removed and/or significantly reduced quite a few of those hurdles and allows for solid applications to be built in a shorter amount of time.

What does “clicks over code” mean?

“Clicks over code” is frequently talked about and is recommended when at all possible in customizing Salesforce. The "clicks" part is quite literally clicking your way through creating and customizing applications within Salesforce all the while, writing little to no code.

What was your motivation to join a local Salesforce developer group community?

Access to other developers with different levels of experience, different experiences in a wide range of areas and ways of delivering functionality within Salesforce that I can draw upon. As well, I have been able to share my experiences so far with the group.

What was your motivation to take and pass the Salesforce Administrator certification exam?

Proving to myself and others that I have a certain level of knowledge about Salesforce. The Salesforce Administrator Certification is the broadest and some think the hardest certification because of the vast amount of content you are expected to know.

Any advice for others who are studying for the exam?

Take it slow. The amount of information that is required for the test is substantial and can quickly become overwhelming. Use the resources available to you as a Kent State Salesforce user through Salesforce University. The Salesforce Trailhead training site and practice exams that you can find online are a huge part in making your endeavor a success as well. Lastly, get your hands dirty! There is no substitution, in my mind, for getting in and applying what you have learned.