With the release of new Trailhead Ranger Ranks and the release of the Associate certification, the gamification of the Salesforce learning experience continues to evolve. For those who are not familiar with gamification, it is the process of utilizing elements of game playing - i.e., point scoring, competition with others, and specific rules of engagement - to help build learner engagement and loyalty within a program. Gamification is a powerful tool and has been key in helping build the Trailblazer community. However, sometimes change is difficult.
Within the Trailblazer community, there have been discussions regarding these changes with Trailblazers applauding the changes while others have expressed their disappointment. When the new Ranger Ranks were released, many Trailblazers were automatically leveled up based on their badge and point totals - congratulations to all the multi-star Rangers! On the other hand, many who were once at the top of the food chain are now somewhere in the middle as one-star Rangers. Others were excited about the opportunity to highlight their ability to level-up in the future and continue their learning adventure on the Trail.
We also saw interesting discussions regarding the new Associate certification. Many Trailblazers hailed the certification as a fantastic way to bring new people into the Salesforce ecosystem and bring a motivating boost for those already preparing for their Salesforce Administrator certification. To the contrary, others discussed the potential for confusion for employers seeking Salesforce talent and expressed their disappointment in having another entry level added after working so hard on their Salesforce Administrator certification. Finally, we saw people questioning the validity of people simply adding this certification to grow the number of certifications, calling it a money grab by Salesforce, and the introduction of including the time in which it took an individual to complete the exam.
Through all these discussions, one powerful thing stood out to us. The power of learning. Though the game had changed, people continued to acknowledge how important learning was and the role that the Trailblazer community played in providing support to those working in the Salesforce ecosystem. We are happy to be part of the growing Trailblazer community and believe that everyone’s Salesforce journey is unique. The game is fun, it is exciting, but the pursuit to better oneself should only be a competition with yourself.
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