Tony Robbins once said, “The only impossible journey is the one that never begins.” Half a year ago, I wrote about the start of my journey in My Path to a Career in Data Governance. Today, I’m excited to share my professional journey since that blog post.
Recently, I jumped into a seemingly impossible endeavor with both feet — becoming certified as a Collibra Ranger. Even though I had only dipped my toe into metadata analysis and data governance, I aspired to get this certification. Anyone in the data field knows Ranger certification represents the highest level of training available through Collibra, so I considered obtaining it a pivotal milestone in my career.
Often, I look around First San Francisco Partners and am amazed at the caliber of experts here. (When you work with professionals like my teammates, you can easily doubt your capabilities, talents or accomplishments.) To achieve great goals, however, every underdog is able to persevere with consistent encouragement from talented mentors who motivate them to emulate the abilities and expertise of leaders in their field. So despite my apprehension, I knew that, with the help and guidance of my colleagues here, I could not fail.
How to Get Collibra Ranger Certification
Achieving the Ranger certification requires planning and executing client-centric solutions in a Collibra environment. The certification program is global with a very limited number of applicants getting accepted.
The ideal candidate should have years of experience implementing data governance best practices across multiple organizations in various engagements using Collibra. The certificate is rarely awarded to individuals with less than a year’s experience using the tool, which made things more intimidating — but I was able to prove to Collibra my current client work was resulting in significant adoption and expansion of Collibra. Additionally, my initial skepticism of my abilities in pursuing this prestigious training program was dissolved by teammates Catherine Ruef and Sarah Rasmussen, who stood steadfastly by my side and encouraged me to leap.
When I learned I was an elected candidate, I was speechless. Unspeakable excitement was quickly tempered by the knowledge I would have only a month to complete the work. I would also have to provide meticulous supporting documentation for Collibra’s education board to evaluate. A heaping dose of drive and a dash of adrenaline pushed me forward to live and breathe Collibra and data governance at a higher level than I ever had for the next 30 days.
Last November, I had the honor of attending Collibra’s Data Citizens event, where FSFP received Collibra’s Regional System Integrator of the Year – North America award. (I’m the third person in from the right.)
I’m a Collibra Ranger Now!
Ultimately, my diligent work, late nights, and occasional frustrations became gratifying memories when I achieved the Ranger certification. Though there weren’t flashing lights or confetti falling from the sky, I felt like I’d reached the summit. I was elated over the achievement, and it took only a moment to feel humbled and overwhelmingly grateful for the countless ways my mentors and colleagues helped me to get there.
In the end, bettering myself is about serving FSFP’s clients with excellence. And with the help of professionals like my teammates, I learned no journey is impossible. It’s an honor to contribute my knowledge and experience to our data governance team. I can’t wait to see where my journey takes me next.
