How to Skill Up and Land a Job as a ServiceNow Developer

[Chris Pearson]

Although it may seem daunting, breaking into the ServiceNow ecosystem as a developer is a great career move, given the platform’s growing demand across industries. 85% of fortune 500 companies use ServiceNow to streamline and automate their business processes! Whether you’re a newcomer to IT or an experienced developer looking to specialize, here’s the best way to skill up and land a job in the ServiceNow space.

Learn the Basics of ServiceNow. You've got to start somewhere, right? Learn what ServiceNow is and how it helps businesses automate workflows. The ServiceNow Developer Portal offers free resources, including training modules, documentation, and a personal developer instance (PDI) where you can practice building applications.

Bootstrap yourself up...for free! ServiceNow provides free self-paced courses through its Now Learning platform. Start with the ServiceNow Fundamentals course, which covers the core platform features and prepares you for the Certified System Administrator (CSA) exam, an essential certification for new developers. Getting this cert under your belt is key!

Practice, practice, practice. Use your PDI to build workflows, write scripts, and create applications. Explore Script Includes, Business Rules, UI Policies, and Flow Designer to develop your technical skills. Try building an app that manages and tracks household chores. Build an app that tracks your child's homework and exams with grades and a GPA calculator.

Certifications make you stand out when applying for jobs. After the CSA, consider more advanced certifications like Certified Application Developer (CAD) or specialized ones in ITSM, HRSD, or Security Operations. Look...everyone has a wheelhouse in SN. It's way too huge of a platform with too many apps for one person to be an expert in all of them. Start out where your interests lie and get good at that first app.

Get involved and start networking! Engage with the ServiceNow Community, attend webinars, and contribute to forums. Attend the ServiceNow User Groups (SNUGs) in your area which are posted on the Community site. Networking with professionals can lead to mentorships and job opportunities.

Brush up that resume and start applying for junior ServiceNow developer or administrator roles. Even if your first job isn’t purely development, hands-on experience in a ServiceNow environment will accelerate your career growth. It will be easier to start out working for a company which has purchased ServiceNow than to jump straight into consulting. Go for customers of ServiceNow to start out rather than Implementation Partners.

You've got this! With dedication and continuous learning, you can quickly establish yourself as a skilled ServiceNow developer and secure a rewarding job in this high-demand field.