My ServiceNow Developer Journey: The Roadmap That Took Me From Beginner to Architect

[BillMartin]

When I first started, I wasn’t a ServiceNow developer — not even close.
I logged into the platform for the first time and stared at a screen filled with unfamiliar words: GlideRecord, Business Rules, Client Scripts, ACLs. I had no idea where to even begin.

But what I did have was curiosity. And a willingness to tinker, break things, and figure it out piece by piece.

In those early days, every small success felt huge — my first working Client Script, my first Business Rule that fired correctly, my first Service Catalog item that automated a simple task. I wasn’t just following instructions anymore. I was building.

As I gained confidence, I realized I needed a clearer plan — a roadmap — if I wanted to grow seriously as a ServiceNow developer.

Looking back, my real growth happened through these stages:

Stage 1: Foundation Building
Learning the core platform — understanding tables, forms, users, ACLs, and taking the Certified System Administrator (CSA) exam.

Stage 2: Hands-on Development
Getting deep into scripting with GlideRecord, Client Scripts, Business Rules, UI Policies, and beginning to customize applications.

Stage 3: Specialization
Choosing a path: ITSM, ITOM, SPM, or building custom applications through App Engine. Earning certifications like CIS-ITSM or CIS-Application Developer helped deepen my expertise.

Stage 4: Advanced Design and Integration
Learning about integrations (REST, SOAP), Flow Designer, asynchronous processing, scoped applications, and secure coding practices.

Stage 5: Leadership and Architecture
Guiding platform decisions, mentoring junior developers, architecting scalable solutions, and aligning ServiceNow development with business outcomes.

Each phase wasn’t always clean or perfect.

There were moments of frustration. Days where code didn’t work no matter how many times I read the docs. But every obstacle became part of the learning.

Today, as a ServiceNow Enterprise Architect, I look back at that journey with gratitude — especially for the communities, mentors, and countless forum posts that helped me along the way.

That’s why I decided to share my own version of a ServiceNow Developer Roadmap — to help anyone starting their journey (or feeling stuck) see that there is a path forward.

And that real growth comes from showing up, one line of code at a time.

If you're looking for more detailed guidance, I also shared my full journey in a video here: 

To every beginner out there: you’re closer than you think.

Just keep building. The best developers didn’t start off knowing everything — they just never stopped learning.

See you along the journey.

—
Bill Martin
ServiceNow Enterprise Architect | Developer | Mentor
Proud supporter of the ServiceNow Developer Community