Not sure what pathway to chose

[Passion_of_SNOW]

I’ve been working in the ServiceNow industry for almost five years now. I started my journey as a ServiceNow Business Analyst and currently work as a Configuration Specialist for a well-known corporation.

I’m now at a stage where I’m unsure about the next step in my career. I’m preparing for my CAD certification, but I’m not entirely sure if I’d enjoy working as a full-time developer.

I’ve also noticed a decline in job opportunities for traditional ITSM roles (Change, Knowledge, Problem, Incident Management, and ServiceNow Admin), while there’s growing demand in areas like Cyber, ITOM, AI, and IRM.

So far, I’ve completed my CSA certification, and I’d like to progress toward a pathway that offers long-term demand and stability. From my observation, there’s strong current demand for ITOM, Discovery, and Service Mapping implementation specialists, but many of these roles tend to be short-term contracts that end once implementation is complete.

I’d really appreciate any advice or insights from the community on how to make the right decision for the next phase of my ServiceNow career.

Thanks in advance!

[GlideFather]

Hi @Passion_of_SNOW,

The demand can vary client by client, there's no general answer. Many people will mention AI because it's trendy hot topic but from my experience not that many clients pay the expensive subscriptions/licences.

Maybe you can focus per role, select your credential and journey below.

1. ServiceNow University 

• Get Started with ServiceNow University
• Learn about ServiceNow and earn badges, points, certificates, and improve your rank.
• Most courses are free, only a few are paid.
• Start with the "Welcome to ServiceNow " training, it's fun and gives you your first certificate!
• ServiceNow Administration Fundamentals On Demand (Xanadu)
• The most important first certificate is  Certified System Administrator (CSA), useful for almost any ServiceNow role.
• Trainings at the SN University provide temporary lab instances with pre-installed plugins and apps.

Scroll to select your Career Journeys:

• System Admin
• App Developer
• Platform Owner
• Implementer
• Technical Project Manager
• Business Process Analyst
• Support Specialist

ServiceNow credentials:

• App Specialist
• Architect
• Developer
• Implementer
• Pre-sales Expert
• Sales Expert
• System Admin

To learn more about trainings:

[ServiceNow University] - Vouchers eligibility, Free Trainings, Paid Exams and Payments | FAQs

2. Developer Portal

• Request your Personal Developer Instance (PDI) — your own ServiceNow sandbox to practice safely.
• You can try almost everything for free (except a few advanced features like AI).
• Explore guides, tutorials, blogs, and documentation to learn more.

Learning Plan ServiceNow Administrator:

• Learn admin skills to move into app development.
• Includes 13 short, self-paced modules.

TL;DR

ServiceNow University = Learn and earn badges or certifications.

Developer Portal = Practice and explore the platform hands-on.

Connect with others on LinkedIn — follow creators and join groups to learn even more!

Good luck! 🤞💪

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Passion_of_SNOW 

I’m a ServiceNow trainer and happy to share my thoughts with anyone beginning their ServiceNow journey.

ServiceNow is growing rapidly in both breadth and depth. The best way to start is by earning the CSA (Certified System Administrator) certification, which builds a solid foundation in platform fundamentals, terminology, and core modules. Once you gain hands-on experience through CSA, you can decide your next learning path.

Employers value professionals with multi-module expertise, so after completing CSA, consider exploring areas like ITSM, GRC, HRSD, CSM, or SecOps to broaden your portfolio.

Currently, the training is free, which is a great opportunity — though the real challenge lies in gaining hands-on experience. To overcome this, spend at least 1–2 hours a day engaging with the ServiceNow Community — read discussions, answer questions, and share your insights to strengthen your understanding and confidence.

If your goal is to become a developer, focus on building scripting skills using resources available on developer.servicenow.com. Regular practice will enhance your technical expertise.

Start with the CSA and then choose your direction based on your interests — whether as an Admin, Developer, Business Analyst, Change Manager, or Project Manager. A strong foundation will give you the flexibility to explore any of these paths.

Welcome to this vibrant community space where you can connect, collaborate, and grow. Share your ideas, seek guidance, and contribute to collective learning.

To take the next step, register on Now Learning and begin your ServiceNow learning journey today.

Useful resources:

• ServiceNow Developer Program

• Now Learning

• ServiceNow Dev Program – YouTube

• ServiceNow Community – YouTube

• NOW Support – YouTube

You can also follow me on my YouTube channel for free learning resources and practical ServiceNow guidance.