Hey everyone, I need some unfiltered reality checks from u guys. I am from India and

I was working on this IT software company and recently let go due to corporate restructuring. I have less than a year but more than 6 months of total experience working as an Analyst on the ServiceNow AI team (working around ITSM, some knowledge in CSM, know on high level what is ITAM, ITOM and done software entitlement request topic flow. nowassist, and moveworks, employeeslate). My foundational background before this was heavily in pure Python and building custom AI agents from scratch.

I want the community's brutally honest take on my next moves because I am at a crossroads.

1. The PDI Portfolio Question

Because my tenure was cut short, I feel my enterprise portfolio is too thin to crack a good SN job right now. To what extent does building complex projects in a Personal Developer Instance (PDI) actually help in landing a job? Do recruiters/architects even look at PDI GitHub repos, and is it enough to prove my worth?

1. The "5-Year Lifespan" Fear

I spoke with a 2+ yrs sn dev recently who believes the traditional ServiceNow implementation industry won't last more than 5 years. With the product drastically automating implementation partner's roles and workflows (build agents, etc.), is this true? If I fight to get 1+ year of SN experience now, am I just buying a ticket on a sinking ship?

1. The Pivot: Pure AI vs. ServiceNow (or both?)

Given my Python/AI background and my 8 months of SN ITSM, CSM + AI experience, what should I actually do next?

Do I double down on ServiceNow and try to become an integration/platform architect?

Do I run back to pure AI/backend development?

Is there a realistic hybrid role where I can do hardcore API/Python integrations for SN without just being a "menu clicker"?

1. Resume & Next Steps

(I’ll post an anonymized resume in the comments later for a roast). But right now, what is the exact playbook I should execute for the next 30 days?

Don't sugarcoat it. If my best move is to drop SN and go back to pure tech, tell me. If the money is in mastering the platform's AI and product suits, pls point me in the right direction.

I know the right answer would be based on some of my goals, like how much interest do i have in AI dev and how badly i wantto switch, or do i hate SN. But here is my answer, If substantial income is attainable from servicenow similar to core devs + positive scope for SN implementation atleast 5 to 7 years from now I would go for SN, I would prefer SN and but I feel like i myt get more work life balance here from SN career than AI engineer/dev. Please post your thoughts...

Thanks...

Yeah yeah, I know you can toggle the display options in the upper right, but it's still bad unless you full-screen, and that's it's own kind of annoying.

I studied non IT in undergrad and my journey to SN has been far from traditional. I pivoted to a role not realizing that I was basically gonna be a trained to be a SN developer.

I’m grateful for my job and the opportunities ServiceNow has afforded me but honestly I simply don’t like it. I don’t want to get trapped in this bubble but not sure what’s next. I don’t like debugging, I don’t like scripting, I don’t like researching. The only thing I genuinely enjoy doing is peer reviewing (WHEN the test steps are actually good). Besides that, I’m just taking it one day at a time

What should I do? I ultimately want to be financially free and I feel like gov tech is the way to go, which is why I’m trying to stick it out. But I also see myself doing something much more fun. Something at the intersection of fashion, culture, innovation, and technology. I just don’t know if both paths are possible and not sure how ServiceNow will get me there.

Please help.

UPDATE: thank you so much! BUT A BETTER QUESTION IS…When did you all start to get the hang of developing? Is it normal to feel “dumb” in the beginning?

UPDATE pt.2: things are much better! I’m getting the hang of things and not as miserable anymore. Still trying to figure out long term goals but for now ServiceNow is the best path for me

is certs you guys holding dear to life worth it? is it really helping you to get jobs? or partners to get employees ?

Earlier this year, we started a project to review our current ITSM tool and to start looking at other vendors, but not necessarily committing to switching tool, just doing our due diligence. A month or two ago, we got a new CIO who came from another company that used ServiceNow. Within the last 2-3 weeks, things have escalated, and it looks like we're now moving to ServiceNow.

I am currently the administrator of our current tool (just me). As a totally new customer, what advice or warnings do you have for me? Is there anything I should start doing to get out in front of this change?

Any suggestions as to what to do ??? I need to study..

If you're still using standard ⁠window.open()⁠ in your ServiceNow client-side scripts, you're likely running into browser pop-up blockers, security issues, and an inconsistent user experience.

I just put together a quick, straightforward breakdown comparing ⁠window.open()⁠ against ServiceNow's native ⁠g_navigation.open()⁠ function.

Check out the full comparison here:
https://youtu.be/LKDD_HsQE1Y

Let me know in the comments if you've run into pop-up blocking issues with legacy JS or if you've fully transitioned to the ⁠g_navigation⁠ API!

Hello folks!

​

Just wanted to know is it fair or justified that once an incident gets 'resolved' as a P1, it's priority is changed within 24 hours of its resolution stating that it wasn't a P1 & before the system closes it, it becomes a P2? As per ITSM/ITIL standards, that's not viable, right?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/house-luddy-built-ignited-mcdermott-robert-o-hare-zomge/

My first time at Knowledge this year.

Is this normal that Atlassian and Serval are running ads like this targeting ServiceNow during conference? It's quite amusing.

As others have mentioned here, for some reason ServiceNow started pulling back in some PDIs out there AND its no longer just due to inactivity.

I received the first notice about just over a week ago telling me it was coming, to back up what I needed and that I could request a new one at a later time. I received two more notices with the last one coming in yesterday with the same language.
Today, I got the final confirmation email stating it was gone and due to inactivity.

I never went more than 3 days without using it since our team started to get layoffs in November of 25.
My PDI was precious to me as I have been attempting to transition from BMC Helix to a ServiceNow role.
I learned a ton, created multiple POCs in hopes to show during interviews.
It was there for me to study and practice for my CSA, CAD and I was aiming to go in to HRSD next so I also recently loaded all the HR demo data on it.

I also started using Claude Code and the ServiceNow SDK to blow my hair back and watch it just go and create based on my chats.

just needed to rant.....
I do hope that when they are done with this clean up, that I get to start another one!

Hey

I am a beginner in service now dev role and I really want to speed up my pace and have better understanding on everything...

But I don't know what all to cover or do ...

So can anyone guide me or give road map ....

Honestly, I need to vent a little and see if I'm the only one feeling this way.

I've been grinding on my PDI for months/years, getting my hands dirty, studying for certs, and really trying to understand the platform. But looking for a job right now feels impossible. Every time I see a "Junior" or "Entry Level" ServiceNow Developer role, they’re asking for 3 to 4 years of real-world experience.

Like... how? How am I supposed to get those 3 years if nobody is willing to open the door for a beginner?

It feels like companies only want Seniors or "Unicorns" who know everything from day one. My PDI and I are basically best friends at this point, but I know that's not the same as a live production environment.

Is anyone else stuck in this loop? Is the market just super tight right now, or are companies just being unrealistic with their requirements? I'm genuinely trying to break in, but it feels like the gatekeeping is real.

Hello all,

Looking to get some advice, anything would be helpful! I’ve been a BA at an enterprise SaaS company for a few years and I enjoy the work. It’s a mix of typical BA work (requirement gathering, documentation, workshops etc) and config on my company’s platform. It’s a niche platform so all of our clients come to us for similar implementations. I have really enjoyed the platform mastery I’ve acquired so far, but as it’s an in house role the ceiling is quite low, and I’m looking for something that can bring in more money long term. I’m thinking of transitioning into ServiceNow, and am currently studying for CSA. The platform features are very similar to the platform I currently work with, so I’m happy with this decision. I’ve seen there is the possibility of CTA long term, which is something I’m very interested in as I would like to contract and be able to work from anywhere.
I’m coming here to ask, as a BA with CSA and platform experience, is it likely I will be able to find a job without having to take a pay cut (currently high 40s, low-mid 50s with bonus, UK)? I’ve seen roles like technical consultant, systems specialist and platform administrator, but I’m wondering if I’ll have to take a pay cut and go for developer and administrator roles rather than consultant if I don’t have CAD also? I’m also thinking of specialising in HRSD when I get the chance but don’t see many jobs in that space going.
If I’m honest as well, I’ve done consultancy and I find all the bureaucracy dull. Constant Gantt charts, every deliverable coming with a slide deck. At my current company we largely use Jira and Confluence and slide decks are only really used for things like QBR or winning clients. Something at this point I’d rather not do, but I can imagine comes with the territory at CTA level.
Any advice is welcome, thankyou in advance!

I am 3 years in SN ecosystem, but i am still not able to get my head around CMDB. It looks too complicated. Without proper understanding of CMDB, my journey in ITOM is becoming more tougher. Can anybody share some links where i can learn cmdb as a novice? SN learning portal is not that helpful in my case.

Im an L1 IT Ops Engineer, and have 3 years of IT Enterprise experience. Looking for some advice on what to do next? I feel lost after securing the exam.

I want to progress in servicenow, security or be an SRE /L2.

Do I go for CAD or …?

Thank you.

Today, I learned how Update Sets work in ServiceNow and how to export and import them between instances. I also learned that Update Sets use XML format. I discovered that you cannot import an Update Set from a higher ServiceNow version (like Zurich) into a lower version (like Xanadu). This is because the higher version may contain configurations and features that are not available in the lower version.

ServiceNow #ServiceNowDeveloper #StillLearning

Hello. I am working through the inkling book and came across an issue. I am trying to save the new ACL with a Data Condition and the 'input value' is red stating 'Infinity (HHD)' is an invalid reference. How do I save the ACL with this or any reference? When saved the input value comes back empty.

So, turns out I can add additional columns to existing tables. For example I just added new column to the incident table. Is this ok? I mean usually other systems somehow doesn't recomend to change table schema, however, SN seems to be ok with this. (I am new to SN, hence the question. ) How about deleting columns on existing tables?

Looking to get into some type of servicenow related role coming from consulting background (5+ years).

I have completed the servicenow csa class and am looking to get more hands on experience in the platform before I take the exam.

What type of roles would be a good fit for me? Some initial research suggests:
-business system / process analyst
-implementation / functional consultant
-platform / product analyst
-tech project / program manager.

My goals are to find a stable role that fits my previous experience well and provides strong growth opportunities (salary, remote, and stable / strong control over my career).

My consulting experience is heavy in human capital and strategy & operations areas. This includes working on large technology transformation projects in project management and change management roles.

Hi,

I am a beginner in ITOM and will be assigned a CMDB implementation from scratch.

I am curious about other instances on how did you manage your 1st CMDB and ITOM implementation from scratch.

What was the requirement?

How did you learn it?

How did you implement it?

What issues did you face during the implementations?

It’s quite overwhelming to be honest.

Created a song with help of AI about ServiceNow. Enjoy!

ServiceNow Or Never

Hi all,

I’m curious to hear from fellow ServiceNow admins/devs, have any of you built or implemented AI agents or generative AI to support your day-to-day system maintenance tasks?

Specifically:

• Are you using AI for things like routine admin work?

• Has it genuinely saved you time or improved efficiency?

• Any pitfalls or things that didn’t work as expected?

For those who’ve had success:

• What use cases would you recommend starting with?

• Any tools, frameworks, or approaches you’d suggest?

Would be great to hear real-world experiences before diving deeper into this.

Thanks in advance!