Beginner training - any good articles out there?

[Deborah Hill]

Hi

I'm in the position of being asked to recommend training of my colleagues. Obviously start with Welcome to ServiceNow but they have different needs post this. Some are going to be just users, some citizen developers, some in the ITOM area and some full on devs. (It's like 2-3 per area).

The CSA is such a long dry course I've "lost" a few already who just get bogged down in it and frankly unless you are heading to dev/admin there's no need to do it immediately. Once they are invested the CSA will be palatable and they will see the need. Career paths are currently limited and a bit much for starters.

Without asking you to do my job (!) can anyone signpost me to good resources. I can't be the only one wading through the seemingly endless number of courses in NowLearning.

thanks

Debbie

[Dr Atul G- LNG · Accepted solution]

Hi @Deborah Hill 

Greetings!!

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

ServiceNow has become both broad and deep, and for beginners, every module can seem like a giant. For anyone looking to start their journey in ServiceNow, the CSA (Certified System Administrator) course is the first step.

Why? Because CSA is not just a course — it’s the foundation. It helps users understand the entire platform, its components, capabilities, and how everything fits together.

So, the starting point for your team should be CSA. It’s around 16 hours of training designed to give a strong kickstart.
You can also refer to Batch 17 on my YouTube channel, where users can get a practical, hands-on deep dive into CSA.

[Deborah Hill]

Hi

Firstly - big fan, love your work.

Secondly it's a hearts and minds situation. I know how important the CSA is but they can't see why as an ITOM user they need to know about, say, ACLs. However I forgot about the wealth of really good youtube videos - I started watching you and others and then tackled the heavier training. It's been that long I forgot!

I think I need to look at initially the surrounding support via a few videos and community articles and then add a requirement for the CSA. They should then have context and excitement to do the work.

thanks

Debbie

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Deborah Hill 

Thanks for your kind words and blessings!

I completely understand your point — why CSA is essential, even when someone is planning to work in ITOM, or why an ITOM user needs to understand concepts like ACLs.

It’s similar to trying to place a child directly into Grade 7 or 8 without first taking them through Reception to Year 6. Each stage plays a crucial role in development. By the time a child reaches Year 7, they know how to do basic math, write sentences, and express ideas clearly.

In the same way, if an ITOM user doesn’t understand foundational concepts like ACLs, then during implementation, they may struggle to understand client requirements or apply the right technical solutions. CSA builds that foundation.

[Deborah Hill]

Agreed, I just need to add a little incentive at the start. Some well placed virtual Haribo essentially 😂.

Debbie