Can You Learn Salesforce While Working Full-Time?

You already have a full-time job, maybe kids, and a to-do list that never quite ends. So, the real question isn’t “is Salesforce worth learning?” It’s “where on earth would I find the time?”

Get our practical answer to this question including how many hours you actually need. We talk about how to fit study time into your already packed schedule and how to stay consistent when you’re trying to get Salesforce certified. We learned Salesforce while grinding through 12-hour days as real estate appraisers during the busy pandemic home-buying spree, so we’re not theorizing here.

We’ve been there 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️

By the end, you’ll have a realistic plan to make this work without quitting your job or losing your mind.

Can you learn Salesforce while working full-time?

Yes. Most people who get Salesforce certified do it while working a full-time job, studying in small, consistent pockets of time in the early mornings, evenings, lunch breaks, or weekends.

You do not have to quit your job or blow up your life to make this happen. The path was practically designed for busy people, because that’s who most career-changers are. Almost no one has three empty months to study. Instead, you will schedule your study time around your current work/family/school obligations.

So, if you’ve been waiting for things to “calm down” before you start, they probably won’t. But the good news is that you don’t need them to.

How many hours a week do you need to study Salesforce?

You can make steady progress on five to ten hours of study per week. Consistency matters far more than volume. Setting aside 30 to 60 focused minutes a day will add up faster than the occasional marathon session.

We’re speaking from experience here. You don’t need huge blocks of time. You just need to schedule in short, regular study sessions. Thirty minutes before work, a lunch break with your laptop, an hour after the kids are down. It will all add up over time and those small investments will compound. Someone who studies an honest 45 minutes a day will be taking the exam sooner than someone who crams every Sunday. And if all you have is Sunday, no shame. Do what works for you.

How long does it take to get Salesforce certified while working full-time?

If you’re working (or going to school, or caring for family members) full-time, plan for four to six months to learn the skills and pass the certification exam. With a focused, consistent routine, this is a realistic goal.

That timeline assumes you’re studying 5 to 10 hours a week, fit around your obligations. You can ramp it up when you have extra time, but give yourself a break when life gets busy. Either way, you’re looking at a career change in months, not years.

Want to see our week-by-week study schedule? We break it down in How Long Does It Take to Become a Salesforce Admin?

When is the best time to study Salesforce?

The best time to study Salesforce is whenever you can do it consistently. Most of our students say they study in the morning when things are quiet before the day starts, but some prefer evenings after dinner, and some only have time on the weekend.

Pick whatever works best for your schedule and block off the time, consistently.

Ideas for when to study:

⭐ Early mornings, before the house wakes up and the inbox starts pinging and it’s quiet and distraction-free.

⭐ Evenings, once the day’s obligations are handled and you can breathe.

⭐ Lunch breaks, for a focused 30 minutes.

⭐ Weekends, for the longer hands-on practice that’s harder to squeeze into a weekday.

Try a couple and see what sticks. Then make an appointment with yourself and keep it.

Your goals and dreams are just as important as all the other stuff you have to do during your day.

How do you stay consistent when you’re already busy?

To stay consistent, schedule your study time like an appointment. Build a study routine, track your wins, and lean on a community or accountability partner so you don’t quit when you get stuck.

This is where most people stall, so let’s be real about it. Motivation alone will not carry you when life gets crazy. But having a study system will.

Set up your study system:

• Put study time on your calendar and treat it like a meeting you can’t skip.
• Keep the same time and place so it becomes a habit, not a decision you have to make every day.
• Check off each topic as you finish it, because visible progress helps you stay motivated.
• Don’t do it alone — a course, a mentor, a community (or all 3) can provide support and accountability.

If you’re worried that trying to learn Salesforce skills on top of your already-full schedule will be too much, we answered that in Is Salesforce Hard to Learn?

Do you have to quit your job to learn Salesforce?

No! You should not quit your job to learn Salesforce! The smart move is to keep your current job and income while you study, then transition once you’re certified and job-ready.

Please don’t quit anything to “focus.” That’s unnecessary risk, and it adds money stress to a process that should feel hopeful, not scary. Keep the paycheck. Study around your job schedule. And don’t consider quitting your job until you’re certified and someone is offering you an entry-level Salesforce admin position.

How to find more study time

You don’t need a wide open schedule. You just need to find 30 to 60 minutes a day.

Where is that 30 to 60 minutes going to come from? We’re glad you asked! Most of us have a sneaky little doom-scroll hour hiding in our day. Trade one hour of mindless scrolling for one Salesforce study session, and you’ve found your study time without adding a single thing to your schedule. Instagram and Tik Tok will survive without you. We promise. And you’ll have a shiny new career to show for your sacrifice. 

If you want more ideas on how to make your Salesforce career dreams come true, grab our free guide.

👉👉 Grab our guide The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to a Salesforce Career and learn how to become a Salesforce certified admin. 👈👈

A year from now, you could be certified, earning more money with a flexible work schedule. And you’ll have built it 30 to 60 minutes a day, around the job you have right now.

This article is part of our Getting Started with Salesforce series. Read the rest of the series here.