Do I Need a Certification to be a Gainsight Admin?
A lot of aspiring Gainsight admins wonder if they really need a certification. It’s not required, but getting certified can boost your career and show off your skills.
If you're eyeing a career as a Gainsight Admin, you might be wondering if certification is a must. The short answer is no—you don't need a certification to land the role. However, as Customer Success becomes increasingly vital, having a certification can give you a competitive edge. It not only boosts your resume but also validates your expertise and skills. Whether you're just starting out or aiming to advance, understanding the value of certification can help you make the best decision for your career.
Why Should I Get a Certification?
A Gainsight admin certification can benefit your career in several ways:
1. Professional Development: The process of preparing for and maintaining your certification encourages learning and professional growth, keeping you updated with the latest changes in the product.
2. Professional Credibility: Obtaining a Gainsight certification establishes your expertise and dedication to the field. It signals to employers that you possess a solid understanding of Gainsight's capabilities and best practices.
3. Career Opportunities: Being certified may open up more job opportunities. Many organizations look for certified professionals when hiring to ensure candidates meet a certain standard of expertise and proficiency.
For example, I looked for some recent job posting for Gainsight administrators and found the following:
“3 years of Gainsight administration experience, or Gainsight Administrator (Level 3) Certification”
“Gainsight NXT Certification preferred”
“3+ years of experience with Customer Success Software administration experience (Certified Gainsight Administrator preferred)”
The good new is that most job postings list these certifications as a preferred skill, so it’s not a dealbreaker if you don’t have one. However, having a certification is a good way for you to stand out against other applicants.
Which Certifications Can I Get?
You can find the most up-to-date information on the certifications Gainsight offers here: https://education.gainsight.com/page/gainsight-certification-programs
Gainsight offers a variety of certifications. For admin-specific certifications, there are 3 levels:
Level 1 Gainsight NXT Associate Admin Certificate
The lowest level admin certificate available. This is a good place to start for new admins or others looking to understand more about Gainsight administration.
* 36 multiple choice questions
* Must get at least 85% to pass
* Taken online, not proctored
Level 2 Topic-Specific Certificates
Certification for specific areas of Gainsight. Great for someone who will work mostly in one area like Journey Orchestrator.
* Practical exam within Gainsight
* Must get at least 85% to pass
* Taken online, not proctored
Level 3 Gainsight NXT Admin Certificate
Highest level admin certification. It is recommended to have at least 6 months of hands-on experience as a Gainsight admin before taking.
* 60 question multiple choice
* Must get at least 70% to pass
* Taken online and proctored through Kryterion
Bonus: Non-Admin Certifications
If you have already obtained your Gainsight admin certification and are interested in expanding your expertise, you can also look into other certifications. Some that I’ve seen other admins work on:
Other Gainsight Certifications
If you are interested in understanding more about the CSM/End user’s experience, the Gainsight End User Certificate tests from the user perspective
Pulse+
This is an annual training subscription, often purchased by companies for their teams. You can also purchase a subscription individually
The Certified Customer Success Operations Professional is specifically CS Ops focused
Salesforce Certifications
Many companies that use Gainsight also use Salesforce, so it can be beneficial to learn more about it, specifically the Administrator certifications
Other
Dependent on your interests and needed skills - some examples for specific software I’ve seen are Zendesk/support software, Snowflake/data platforms, Tableau/data visualization, and other CRMs like Hubspot. Also more generalized skills such as SQL, HTML/Javascript, and Project Management could be useful in your circumstances.
Obviously none of these examples are required to be a successful admin, but could be helpful for you (especially if you have a learning/development budget at your company!).
