The honest answer
You can start with no Dynamics experience. Starting with no work experience at all is harder. Clients pay partners for people who have delivered projects before, so outright junior consultant openings are scarce. The people who break in usually bring something else the client values: an accounting background, a few years in sales operations, warehouse work, or an IT support job. Dynamics is business software, so knowing how the business works counts for as much as knowing the product.
Expect your first title to be trainee, associate consultant, support analyst or junior developer. Plan on a year or two of supervised project or support work before anyone bills you as a consultant in your own right.
Four ways in
Graduate and trainee intakes. Some Microsoft partners hire graduates into a cohort, train them for a few months, then put them on projects under a senior consultant. Every firm runs these differently and on its own schedule, so look at partner careers pages directly. We have not listed named schemes here because we could not confirm which ones are open right now.
Support desks. Partners and large end users run support teams that handle tickets on live systems. You learn the data model, security roles and the common ways a system breaks. Strong support analysts often move onto project teams within a year or two.
Internal moves. If your employer runs Dynamics 365, volunteer for the next rollout as a super user or tester. A finance clerk who knows the ledger and has tested the system is a credible junior Finance consultant. Moving onto the project team inside your own company is often the fastest route in.
Free training and the exams that still exist
Microsoft Learn's training modules cost nothing. Build a free trial environment and work through the modules for one app. Do not try to cover every app at once. Pick one area, such as Finance, Business Central, Sales or Power Platform.
The two Dynamics 365 fundamentals exams are gone. Microsoft retired MB-910 Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (CRM) and MB-920 Dynamics 365 Fundamentals (ERP) on December 31, 2025. If you passed one, it stays on your Microsoft Learn transcript and does not expire. PL-900 Power Platform Fundamentals is still available. Microsoft rates it beginner level, gives you 45 minutes, and says it is not a prerequisite for any role-based certification. Students can book it through Certiport.
Your next step after PL-900 is an associate exam for your chosen app, such as MB-800 for Business Central or MB-310 for Finance. Associate certifications expire after one year. You renew them for free by passing an online assessment on Microsoft Learn, and the renewal window opens six months before expiry.
What entry pay looks like
No source tracks entry-level Dynamics pay on its own. D365 Market's US adverts that state pay give a sense of the market, but they lean toward experienced hires. Adverts tagged mid-level had a median of $120,000 across 17 adverts. Trainee and support roles typically pay well below that, and you should not expect it in your first job. Treat all of these figures as advertised pay, not what people actually earn.
Pay
USD a year, before tax. D365 Market advertised pay from US adverts that state pay, snapshot 2026-11-05 (48 adverts, 34 employers). These are advertised figures, not earnings. They skew toward states with pay transparency laws and toward experienced hires, so they overstate what entry roles pay. Refer to the Dynamics 365 (General) salary guide for figures from live adverts.
What you need
- Business knowledgeKnow how one business area works, such as accounting, sales, service or inventory. That counts for more than product trivia when you apply for a first role.
- Hands-on practiceUse a trial environment to build something that works, such as a customized form, a simple flow or a posted journal, and be ready to walk an interviewer through it.
- PL-900 (optional)Power Platform Fundamentals is the beginner Microsoft exam that is still live. It is useful but not required for any role-based certification.
- One associate examAn associate certification for your chosen app, such as MB-800 or MB-310, shows you mean it. You renew it each year with a free online assessment.
- Clear writingJunior staff write test scripts, process notes and ticket updates. Clients read them, so they have to be clear.
How to get there
- Month 1Pick one app areaChoose Finance, Business Central, Sales, Customer Service or Power Platform based on the background you already have.
- Months 1-3Learn for freeWork through Microsoft Learn modules in a trial environment. Take PL-900 if you want a beginner exam to start with.
- Months 3-9Get in the doorApply to partner trainee intakes and support desks, or join an internal rollout as a super user or tester.
- Months 6-12Pass an associate examTake the associate exam for your app once you have used the product for real.
- Years 1-3Move onto projectsWork under a senior consultant on configuration, testing and data migration, then start leading workshops yourself.
Open now on D365 Market
Questions people ask
Can I still take the Dynamics 365 Fundamentals exams?
No. Microsoft retired MB-910 (CRM) and MB-920 (ERP) on December 31, 2025. If you already passed one, it stays on your Microsoft Learn transcript, and fundamentals certifications do not expire.
Is PL-900 worth taking with no experience?
It is a sensible first step. Microsoft rates it beginner level and it is still available. It will not get you hired by itself. It shows you have learned the basics of Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse and Copilot Studio. It is not a prerequisite for any associate exam.
Do I need a degree?
Graduate intakes usually ask for one. Support desks and internal moves often do not. On those routes, relevant business or IT experience counts for more.
Is the Microsoft Learn training free?
Yes, the learning modules cost nothing. Exams cost money, and the price depends on the country where you sit the exam. Renewing an associate certification is free.
Which route is fastest?
Usually an internal move. If your employer is rolling out Dynamics 365, joining the project team as a super user or tester gives you real project experience without having to compete for a scarce junior opening.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: Microsoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals
- Microsoft Learn: Study guide for Exam PL-900
- Microsoft Learn: Exam and assessment lab retirement
- Microsoft Tech Community: Certifications refresh, AI-focused and fundamentals updates
- Microsoft Learn: Renew your Microsoft Certification FAQ
- D365 Market: advertised salaries
