Starting my journey in Service Now

[kayarkarpranay]

Hi everyone,
I come from a non-IT background and have about 4+ years of experience in product design and development, mostly working on AI-driven SaaS products. I’ve recently started exploring ServiceNow and I’m really impressed by how it’s used to build and scale enterprise platforms and workflows.

I’m currently learning the platform and thinking of focusing on the Application Developer path as a career direction.

Does this make sense given my background? Would love to hear any suggestions or advice from the community.

[Sarthak Kashyap · Accepted solution]

Hi @kayarkarpranay ,

Welcome to ServiceNow Community, please check below links this may help you! 

https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/ten-steps-how-to-become-servicenow-developer-ro...

https://www.servicenow.com/community/in-other-news/where-do-i-start-my-servicenow-career/ba-p/227840...

https://www.servicenow.com/community/virtual-agent-forum/guidance-on-building-a-career-in-servicenow...

https://www.servicenow.com/community/the-netherlands-snug/preparing-to-be-a-servicenow-developer/m-p...

Application Development course link 

https://learning.servicenow.com/lxp/en/pages/journey-overview?id=journey_overview&journey_id=cbdb13f...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8UVAILicPc

Please mark my answer correct and helpful if this works for you

Thanks and Regards,

Sarthak

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @kayarkarpranay 

Greetings!

I am a ServiceNow trainer and would be happy to guide you.

ServiceNow is expanding both in depth and breadth these days, so moving forward, career planning needs to be done very carefully.

Anyone who wants to start their career in ServiceNow should begin with the basics—ServiceNow Administration. This helps participants understand the platform, terminology, core concepts, architecture, and foundational knowledge that is used across all ServiceNow products. At this stage, you can prepare for the CSA (Certified System Administrator) certification. There are dedicated CSA courses available on Now Learning, either as individual courses or guided learning journeys—you can choose what suits you best.

After completing CSA, the next step depends on the direction you want to take—development or a specific product specialization.
If you want to move into development, CAD (Certified Application Developer) is the next step. This focuses on development concepts, scripting, and other coding-related aspects of ServiceNow.

After that, you can choose any product based on your interest and demand, such as ITSM (which is widely required), CSM, HRSD, GRC, or any other ServiceNow product, and continue growing in that direction.

As a foundation, CSA → CAD is a good path to follow.

Additionally, if you do not want to go into development, there are other career options such as Business Analyst (BA), Business Process Consultant (BPC) (I am a BPC), Technical Support Specialist, or Change Manager (OCM).

System Administrator Career Journey - ServiceNow University

Application Developer Career Journey - ServiceNow University

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

I’m a ServiceNow trainer and happy to share my thoughts.

As you mentioned that you’re the sole developer in your company, I see this as a great opportunity for you to learn and grow. You already hold CSA and CAD certifications, which is commendable. It's also a great self-awareness point that you feel your JavaScript skills need improvement—recognizing that is the first step toward growth.

Here are a few tips:

1. Follow this master playlist to strengthen your JavaScript skills specifically for the ServiceNow platform. 

https://youtu.be/62Nabpb94Jw?si=FqBwRN2B8C71aYHr

1. Spend at least 1–2 hours daily on the ServiceNow Community. Observe the kinds of technical questions being asked and how experienced members respond. You’ll learn a lot passively this way—and I highly encourage you to start answering questions as well. Explaining concepts to others will improve your technical thinking and deepen your understanding.

1. Explore the free courses available on the ServiceNow Developer Site. These are practical and focused, and will help you apply your knowledge directly on the platform.

2. https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/learn/learning-plans/yokohama/citizen_developer
3. https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/learn/learning-plans/yokohama/servicenow_application_devel...