If you are reading this post, you already know that the Salesforce ecosystem is one of the hottest fields in the IT industry. I’ve heard stories of people jumping career paths to join the revolution (and have helped a few find success with my learning plan). (link to last week’s article). Trailhead, and other learning platforms, has made the transition to a Salesforce career seamless and relatively friction free. And as more career seekers join the ecosystem the job market will become tighter and more competitive.
Through my work with clients, I gain a unique perspective into their concerns regarding Salesforce Implementation once a consultant finishes the gig. Their concerns are not about a lack of sufficient knowledge transfer taking place. Rather, their concerns are in finding candidates to hire as FTE’s that meet the needs of their business.
Preparation for the first role or move is important for all consultants. Here are a few articles that will certainly provide great starting points for consideration:
I’m certified, now what: https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2017/10/salesforce-certified-career-strategy?utm_content=bufferd4730&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Career Development Planning (SFDC Trailhead): https://trailhead.salesforce.com/modules/career-development-planning
Interview Questions: http://www.salesforceben.com/30-salesforce-admin-interview-questions/
This post will outline some areas of the IT industry you should be learning more about as you continue your journey to becoming a seasoned Salesforce professional. I hope you can take some of these suggestions as points to learn in your upward trajectory.
As the Salesforce Admin demands drop (https://www.sfdc99.com/2020/10/22/why-are-admin-jobs-disappearing/), traction in the application process (and in the process of showing value to your current employer) relies heavily on having the right skills portfolio.
As we discuss consulting and the ups and downs of the career (i.e., not receiving that job offer) my goal is to change the narrative away from “What am I doing wrong?” to a more productive mindset of “What more should I be experiencing?” Because that job or promotion may have had more to do with the experience another candidate brought to the table.
One final thought before we look at some experiences to include in our skills portfolio: Salesforce certifications. I cannot say enough how important Salesforce.com certifications are for you and your career. Salesforce talks about some of those benefits here: https://secure2.sfdcstatic.com/assets/pdf/misc/5-reasons-to-earn-salesforce-certifications.pdf.
While Salesforce certifications are important and you should be obtaining at least one as soon as you can, they are not enough to help you thrive rather than merely survive, in this ecosystem. Here are some tips and strategies to get you thinking about how you can improve as a consultant every single day.
You do not need certifications to be an expert
A certification does not guarantee that a candidate has adequate knowledge of implementation in their certified area. Obtaining certification is proof that work has been put into the book learning and playground training that equipped someone to sit for their certification exam. But then comes implementation.
There are several people in the ecosystem who have years of experience with Salesforce and many full cycle implementations under their belt, who for years did not have one certification. Some have earned one or two, but don’t be fooled. These pros may not have multiple certs on their wall, but they know their stuff.
Remember:
Your certifications do not guarantee you a job, your skills do
Certifications do not translate to a strong skills portfolio
Certifications are a goal, not a means to an end—Seek experience
Think of your certifications as a tie breaker between equally qualified candidates
Don’t Try to be an Expert at Everything
Since the Salesforce ecosystem is large and expanding at high rates, it can be challenging to stay on top of each release without also trying to be an expert in each area. Instead of striving for expertise in every single Salesforce avenue, master one path and familiarize yourself with two or three other paths to give yourself a well-rounded SFDC education.
ABL—Always Be Learning
Certifications are a step; not the first step, not the most important step, just one of the steps to success. Because once they are obtained, they have to be maintained. Although we test once a year, we cannot risk becoming obsolete if we do not read the release notes and practice building those new features in our dev orgs.
Additionally, constantly learning brings diverse knowledge to the table. Read trade magazines, Devops books, and business books. A professional who is exposed to differing industries with different approaches will remain fresh and can filter that knowledge into actionable steps within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Deliver Quickly, Not Perfectly
While it may be hard for the perfectionist in all of us to accept, delivering something to a client at 80% is better than delivering at 100% but after a deadline. The important thing to keep in mind as a consultant is that solutions are fine but execution is everything. 80% is good enough to get started and there is always room to improve as you go along. The key is to just get started and be able to deliver to the client. The product does not have to be perfect and neither do you.
Practice Humility
Humility is absolutely essential to a consultant. Be confident in your work, but not cocky. The confidence needs to come from a place of experience so that you can offer best practices and solutions that you know are proven to be successful. Clients are looking for consultants that know what they are doing and make them feel at ease entrusting them with a big project. By coming from a place of humility you will be more prepared to take criticism and let it fuel you to do better. Remember: you are not better than your client, you are there to help them, so be sure to show it in your attitude and approach.
Strategic Thinking
Building on that, consultants must be strategic thinkers in their approach in order to help clients and save themselves time in the process. By thinking through problems strategically, successful consultants do not waste time on chasing down leads or formulating plans that fall through. A strategic consultant looks ahead, understands potential outcomes, and maps out changes that will bring additional value in the future. They see what others may miss and they act with a plan, looking at the big picture while also paying close attention to the details. If you want to get better at strategic thinking, document everything. Then read those notes and ask why, how, then what? Question the question, question the process, think ahead to things that can go wrong and mitigate those risks.
Process and Automation
Now that you’ve started to think more strategically, start to think beyond the manual process. Imagine the perfect end state for the client. Now, work backwards. Figure out what changes need to be made to get there and then make those changes happen.
Change Management
Additionally, it is important to maintain a predictable DevOps process. This will not only bring confidence to your client, but also will help the team easily find issues that need to be fixed. As you do that, you will gain recognition among potential clients. If you have not been exposed to change management, start learning today. This and Devops are vital learning components for our careers.
Market Yourself
The nature of this career is that you will always be marketing yourself, your project, and/or an update or change. Much like marketing ads you will most likely have to tell your end users several times that a new feature is now available. Just because the information did not stick the first time does not mean you stop trying. You must continue to market until you see success. And once you’re successful, market some more. Once a week present updates to your client that highlights your accomplishments. Show them why you’re there and the value you bring. Yes, this is equally important if you are an FTE.
Think of Yourself as a Contractor
On top of being your own marketer, you are also your own contractor. As a consultant there are no guarantees, so act like tomorrow’s employment depends on today’s output. Once you put yourself in that mindset you can use it to inspire you to work even harder to deliver quality work to your clients.
Be a Salesperson
You need to do more than simply market yourself and hope for the best. You are a salesperson at heart and, while being an expert at the technology you’re using is essential, it’s not enough to thrive in this career. You must be able to sell your solution to the client and then implement it effectively.
Learn to Code
In this increasingly more technologically savvy world, knowing how to code is becoming more and more essential to your work and ability to get new clients. Learning to code is not only a great way to get a leg up on the competition and stay ahead in this competitive market, but it also allows you to develop your critical thinking skills. Coding improves versatility and can help anyone from content creators to office managers. Even the most basic programming skills can give you the edge in an increasingly competitive job market.
Developer Org
Finally, you must build in your Developer Org and build often. Build out the new features you learn about through release notes. Insert your Dev Org into your personal life so you can use it every day. Always have your Dev Org show ready as it is your sole criteria for landing your dream job because the time will come when you need to move from talking about your experience, to showing it. Start building out that experience in the Dev Org.
Join us next week where we’ll look at ways to win gigs, followed by how to survive in a shifting industry.
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