New certified CSA

[akinloyeoye]

Dear Community,

I was just certified as a Snow System Admin. 
I would like to get some advice on how to increase my chances of securing a job as a System Admin. I have been a SNow fulfiller for over 08 months. Do I need additional trainings?

Any recommendation? 

Thank you 

[GlideFather · Accepted solution]

Hi @akinloyeoye,

ServiceNow is still evolving so never stop learning!

Also, don't call it SNOW, ServiceNow, Now or SN are acceptable but Snow is a completely different product ...

Here are two great places to start:

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!
• 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.

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.

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

Good luck! 🤞💪

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @akinloyeoye 

As a ServiceNow trainer, I’m happy to share my thoughts on this. Before we move forward, let’s acknowledge that ServiceNow is rapidly evolving — it's becoming bigger and deeper each year. This means that having a certification alone isn’t enough. What really matters is how much domain knowledge you have alongside your technical skills.

The CSA (Certified System Administrator) certification is just the beginning. It shows that you understand the basics of ServiceNow. As you mentioned, you already have 14 years of experience in IT — that’s a strong advantage. You can use that experience to build on and explore new areas within ServiceNow.

As a trainer, I recommend starting with the CSA certification, as it gives a solid foundation in the platform, its terminology, and core modules. Once you gain hands-on experience through CSA, you can decide which path suits you best.

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📌 Key Advice:

• Certifications are just a starting point — they show potential, but real growth comes from practical, hands-on experience.

• Employers value professionals with cross-functional expertise, so broaden your knowledge and learn about additional modules like:

  • ITSM (IT Service Management)

  • GRC (Governance, Risk & Compliance)

  • HRSD (HR Service Delivery)

  • CSM (Customer Service Management)

  • SecOps (Security Operations)

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🎯 Practical Tips:

• Training is currently free — take advantage of it.

• The main challenge is gaining real experience. To address this:

  • Engage with the ServiceNow Community.

  • Spend at least 1–2 hours daily reading posts, asking questions, and helping others.

  • This will sharpen your skills and grow your confidence.

• If you're aiming to become a developer, scripting is essential.

  • Use developer.servicenow.com — it offers courses and exercises to improve your scripting skills and build a strong portfolio.

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💼 Career Pathways (Based on Your Experience):

With 14 years in IT, there are multiple roles you could target based on your background and interests:

• Business Analyst / Business Process Analyst

• Platform Owner

• Support Specialist

• Technical Project Manager

Pick a path that aligns with your past experience and start building toward it. And remember — beyond certifications, it’s critical to develop a real understanding of the platform’s capabilities.

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🚀 Next Steps After CSA – Choose Based on Career Goals:

1. Certified Application Developer (CAD)

   • Best if you enjoy scripting, app development, and customizing the platform.

2. Certified Implementation Specialist – ITSM (CIS-ITSM)

   • Ideal for those aiming for consulting or business analyst roles in ITSM.

3. Micro-Certifications to Consider:

   • Performance Analytics – Learn KPIs, dashboards, and insights (for data-driven roles).

   • Integration Hub – Learn to connect ServiceNow to external systems (for automation/orchestration).

   • Flow Designer – Build low-code/no-code workflows across the platform.

   • CMDB (Configuration Management Database) – Understand IT infrastructure mapping (crucial for ITSM/ITOM roles).

[avensisd]

Hi, thanks for the advice, it helps me too.