Free, online training: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/ <-- review the first page or so.
Sign up by clicking on the "Sign Up" button in the top right.
Next go here: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/users/amberboaz/trailmixes/great-overview (yep, that's my face!) This is a sequence of modules/trails that I put together in a specific order to help folks who are new to the Salesforce community!
Here's another Trailmix for job seekers: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/users/trailblazerconnect/trailmixes/trailblazer-community-for-job-seekers
Now, join a User Group (or two)! Here's a list of all the groups in North America: https://success.salesforce.com/featuredGroups?filter=a0L3000000Rq7LXEAZ Use the navigation on the left to pick your state.
Last, but certainly not least, please keep in touch! I want to hear how you're doing!
So you wanna be a Certified Administrator? How do you prepare for the exam?
Want some other certification? Check here: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/credentials
Looking for a career in Salesforce or a Salesforce mentor?
Are Podcasts your thing? Here are some of my favorite Salesforce-y podcasts: Amber's fave Salesforce-y Podcasts !