Why you should love Trailhead Superbadges

As someone who has worked across Salesforce roles, over the last 9 years, there are times where a Salesforce certification will only carry you so far.

This isn’t an article second-guessing the value of certifications. They are great to ensure the certified admin/developer/consultant is aware of the specific features and options needed for their roles.

But they need to cover a lot of topics broadly. With little or no guidance and experience on implementation.

This means you end up understanding the theory, with little real world / hands on experience.

Trailhead Superbadges, grouped and assorted by Role.

Enter Trailhead Superbadges

This is the gap that Trailhead Superbadges addresses. Blending the theory of regular Trailhead modules with the hand-on experience.

A Trailhead Superbadge delivers you into a simulated real-world example. Where you have to focus on user requirements and then setup, configure, develop your way to a workable solution.

How do Superbadges they work?

Starting off with a Trailhead Superbadge, still starts with learning the theory.

Prerequisites:

All Superbadges require you to complete a number of pre-requisite modules. This grounds you in the basics of the topic at hand and prepares you for what is coming next…

Preparation:

This is an important section, so read through this section carefully.

Normally, it contains information on preparing the Trailhead Playground for the Superbadge assessment. This often includes installing a package in the environment to setup pre-defined custom fields, custom objects and/or Apex triggers/classes.

Pre-work contains important information about setup/initial config to prepare.

Use case:

Each Superbage gives you an overview of the use case / problem you are trying to solve (and in turn be assessed on).

It often includes specifics, such as customisations and schema details required to meet the Business Requirements.

Here is part of the Use Case and specifics of the ‘Lightning Experience Specialist’:

Use case and details overview, which you’ll need to solve the Business Requirements…

Business Requirements:

This is is where we start get into the simulated real-world.

Business Requirements are what have to be met in some fashion day in, day out for all admins, developers and consultants.

These are involved and contain all the details you need to pass the Trailhead Superbadge. It is your job to translate all of this information and find the way that is required of you, to implement the solution.

Business Requirements in action…

Career Gold…

This is the gold in the mountain – this is the reason that you should love Trailhead Superbadges.

It is this very skill and experience of taking requirements, filtering out what is needed and finding a way to to implement it, which strengthens your capabilities as an Admin/Developer/Consultant.

This is the skill that will set you up for your career within Salesforce.

And Trailhead gives you a way to practice it repeatedly and for free!

Over to you…

Have you started with Superbadges? If so, which ones have you completed? What’s next on your Trailhead journey?

Adam Gill

Hi, Adam here! I am a Trailhead Ranger and also 6x certified. I have been working with Salesforce since 2007, across a wide variety of CRM projects and orgs (both greenfield and legacy). I love travelling and fun fact, I had my scuba diving license before my driving license!