New Salesforce Certifications Alert: Data Cloud Consultant + AI Associate

The Data Cloud Accredited Professional exam will be converting to the Salesforce Certified Data Cloud Consultant on September 6, 2023. Attempts for the Data Cloud Accredited Professional exam will be turned off on the day before (on September 5) – at this point, any further attempts will be canceled.

Plus, after several months of rumors, the Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification could be closer than we think.

Data Cloud has cycled through a collection of names in the past few years (including Salesforce CDP and Genie) – most of the changes having indicated advancements in its technology.

Benioff, Salesforce’s Chair and CEO, teased that we will be seeing more of Data Cloud at Dreamforce, Salesforce’s flagship conference that will take place September 12-14.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. If you’ve been following the news, you will have noticed a pattern of Data Cloud receiving the limelight. This is because Data Cloud has become the foundation that speeds up the connectivity between different ‘clouds’ across the platform.

Especially in 2023, the advent of GenAI innovations on the Salesforce platform (like Einstein GPT) are reliant on the connectivity provided by Data Cloud to improve the outputs surfaced from user prompts (such as the ‘next best action’ users should take). This is the magical trifecta AI + Data + CRM that Salesforce have been advocating.

With the C-Suite keen to deploy GenAI in their organizations, professionals skilled in Data Cloud will be in demand.

Now you have the context of why Data Cloud is a big deal, let’s dive into the new certification.

Data Cloud Consultant

Ideal Candidate?

As we mentioned, what’s now known as Data Cloud (Salesforce’s CDP offering) has adapted rapidly over the past few years. Going from a product that was designed for marketers to perform identity resolution (i.e. the ‘golden customer record’) to one that underpins Salesforce’s strategic direction.

While the certification outline hasn’t been confirmed, we can take a look into some of the skills required for a successful Data Cloud project – including data management skills, developer skills, business analyst skills, and more.

Salesforce Data Cloud Consultant (From Accreditation)

Salesforce accreditations are credentials designed to prove your extensive knowledge in a specific area of the Salesforce platform, on products/features that are emerging and/or are challenging to master. Plus, they are exclusively available for Salesforce partners (accessed via the Partner Learning Camp).

Any Data Cloud Accredited Professional accreditation attempts after September 5 will be canceled. To reschedule an accreditation exam after September 5, you will need to schedule the exam on WebAssessor.

Now that the credential for Data Cloud is converting from an accreditation to a certification, this means that the opportunity is open to any Salesforce professional (plus, the fee to book the certification).

Data Cloud Consultant Certification Cost

Exam registration for the Data Cloud Consultant certification opens on September 6.

The costs for Salesforce certifications vary, and the cost to take the Data Cloud Consultant certification is like the other consultant certifications at the $200 price point.

As with any Salesforce certification, you will need to book your exam via WebAssessor.

Salesforce Certified AI Associate

While there’s been no shortage of Gen AI news this year, and the rumors surrounding this new certification have been circulating for months. The Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification will focus on foundational skills in the ethical and responsible handling of data as they apply to AI in CRM.

There’s a session scheduled at Dreamforce that confirms this certification will be arriving soon (11am PT, Sept 13th).

Summary

The Data Cloud Accredited Professional exam will be converting to the Salesforce Certified Data Cloud Consultant on September 6, having moved from an accreditation that has only been available to Salesforce partners.

The cost to take the Data Cloud Consultant certification will be $200 – the same price point as most of the certifications.

The Data Cloud Consultant certification presents a significant opportunity for Salesforce professionals looking to future-proof their career – after all, Data Cloud is key to powering the GenAI innovations Salesforce have been rolling out this year, and these skills will be desirable to any organization wanting to use GenAI impactfully in their organization.

Plus, keep an eye out for more news on the Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification, with surely more to come during, or after, Dreamforce.