ServiceNow

[Mohd_Farhan]

Hello ServiceNow Community 👋

I’m excited to be a new member of this amazing SNOW community and eager to begin my journey in the ServiceNow ecosystem. 🚀

As a beginner, I’m looking for guidance from experienced professionals on:

• 📌 Where should I start to build a strong foundation in ServiceNow?

• 📌 Which skills, modules, or certifications are most in demand today?

• 📌 Best learning resources (docs, labs, videos, real-time practice tips)

• 📌 How to progress from beginner to job-ready in a structured way

I would truly appreciate your suggestions, learning roadmaps, personal experiences, or any do’s & don’ts that can help me learn ServiceNow effectively and in a career-focused manner.

Looking forward to learning from this knowledgeable community. Thank you in advance for your support and guidance! 🙏

[Aditya_hublikar · Accepted solution]

Hello @Mohd_Farhan ,

When you start exploring ServiceNow PDI, begin with understanding the basic platform UI:

• Application Navigator, Banner, Content Frame (UI16)

• Explore Forms and List Views

• Company Branding and changing the Welcome Page

• Context Menu (what it is and its types)

• Breadcrumbs and how they work

Next, move on to data modeling basics:

• Table and Field creation

• Table dependencies and Table Extensions

• Field types

• Views

• Important OOTB tables like User (sys_user), Group (sys_user_group), Role (sys_user_role), Delegations

Once you are comfortable with this, explore core configuration concepts:

• Reference Qualifiers

• Dot-walking

• UI Policies

• Dictionary Overrides

• ACLs

• Priority Lookup

• Difference between Configuration vs Customization

Then understand data movement and backup concepts:

• Update Sets (how to take backup of your work)

• Update Set transfer methods

• Import Sets

After learning these basics, you can confidently move forward to explore Service Management modules like:

• Incident

• Problem

• Change

• Request

And then deep dive into the Development part.

Then  start with Certified System Administrator (CSA) – First & Mandatory

• CSA is the basic and most important certification for ServiceNow beginners

• It helps you understand how the ServiceNow platform works

Main topics to focus on:

• Platform UI and navigation

• Tables, fields, forms, and list views

• Users, groups, and roles

• Basic ITSM concepts

• UI Policies, Client Scripts, and Business Rules (basic understanding)

Best practices:

• Practice each topic in your Personal Developer Instance (PDI)

• Do not just memorize answers—try to understand why a feature is used and when to use it

Once you follow this path, your ServiceNow learning journey will be smooth and structured 

Try to spend 2-3 hours daily  on community which will help you understand different real  time scenarios ,different approaches . Explore University Course which also enhance your knowledge.

Start with the "Welcome to ServiceNow " training, it's really good and it will gives you your first certificate!

The Certified System Administrator (CSA) certificate is initial stage , it's useful for almost for any servicenow role .

You can also explore Learning plans from below :

https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/learn/learning-plans/zurich

All the best for your Servicenow Journey😀

If this helps you then mark it as helpful and accept as solution.

Regards,

Aditya

[yashkamde]

Hello @Mohd_Farhan ,

I would like to share my journey throughout what I experienced in servicenow,

1. Start with the Basics

• Sign up for a free ServiceNow Developer Instance to practice hands‑on.
• Learn how to navigate the platform: tables, forms, lists, and roles.
• Get familiar with IT Service Management (ITSM) modules like Incident, Problem, Change, and Knowledge Management—these are the foundation everywhere. (Base of Servicenow)

2. Focus on In‑Demand Skills

• ITSM: Core processes every company uses.
• ITOM (Operations Management): Discovery, CMDB, monitoring—high demand in large enterprises.
• HRSD (HR Service Delivery): Growing adoption in HR tech.
• Integrations: REST/SOAP APIs to connect ServiceNow with other systems.
• Scripting: JavaScript and Glide API for customization.
• Service Portal/UI: Building user‑friendly portals.

3. Certifications to Target

• CSA (Certified System Administrator) – your entry point.
• CAD (Certified Application Developer) – if you want to build apps.
• CIS (Certified Implementation Specialist) – choose ITSM, ITOM, or HRSD depending on your focus.
• CTA (Certified Technical Architect) – advanced, for senior professionals later in your career.

4. Best Learning Resources

• ServiceNow University – official courses and labs.
• Developer Portal – tutorials, challenges, and community discussions.
• YouTube & LinkedIn Learning – practical walkthroughs.
• Community Forums – real‑world problem solving and networking.
• Release Notes – stay updated with twice‑yearly platform updates.

If my response helped mark as helpful and accept the solution

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Mohd_Farhan 

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]

Hi @Mohd_Farhan 

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...