Salesforce is one of the few career paths that is poised for explosive growth in the next few years. A report by IDC estimates that there will be over 4.2 million new Salesforce-related jobs between 2019 to 2024. Putting it differently, getting a Salesforce job this time would not be difficult. So if you are looking to switch careers to tech, Salesforce should be one of your top considerations.
But when switching careers, you should expect a decent level of the barrier of entry. You cannot expect jobs to drop on your lap. The onus is on you to put in the work and stand competitive in the job market. But what are the things you must do to land your first Salesforce job in 2022? This is why you will be learning in this article.
For the benefit of the doubt, we’d begin with the basics.
What is Salesforce?
Salesforce is an online service (typically called software as a service -SaaS) that is used for customer relationship management. Customer relationship management or CRM for short plays an important role in the success of any business. It basically helps you to keep track of the details of customers that buy from you and how they interact with your brand. This gives you a deep insight into your end users’ buying habit which comes in handy when making business decisions. In addition, CRM also helps you have a personalized relationship with your customers.
CRM did not begin with Salesforce. It has always been. Salesforce just makes it easier and more efficient. For example, if you are a car dealer and you write down the details of customers that buy cars from you, when they buy them and the kind of car they buy. You are performing CRM, though crudely. That data can help you identify the month of the year to buy a particular brand of car, the car preference for particular demographic, and the buying history of returning buyers.
These are things Salesforce can help you with with a few clicks.
Since Salesforce’s inception in 1999, it has remained a leading CRM tool actively used in businesses both big and small. The international data corporation (IDC) has ranked Salesforce as the #1 CRM tool for the past 8 years straight. No wonder the demand for Salesforce Admins and Developers is on the increase.
Over the years, Salesforce has developed many products that help companies connect better with their customers. Some of these products include Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, etc.
How to get a job in Salesforce
So yea. You know Salesforce is a great career path to transition into. The sweet thing is you do not need a specific degree to quality as a Salesforce Admin or Developer. With the resources online, you could learn Salesforce from the comfort of your home and land a job in a matter of months. But what are the steps involved in securing that Salesforce job?
Let’s discuss them.
- Be good at Salesforce
This may come as a no-brainer but it is critical to understand Salesforce. You need to understand why it is widely used in companies and how the platform can be used for CRM purposes. Then you move on to learn the technical parts of Salesforce.
Having a robust knowledge of the business side of the product and the technical side of Salesforce makes you well prepared for most Salesforce offers. You should be able to devise how you can use Salesforce to solve companies business requirements irrespective of the niche.
To learn more about Salesforce, you should consider checking their official Trailhead website. If you are someone that would require some form of guidance to learn, then consider enrolling in a Salesforce training course. Alternatively, you could check YouTube videos on Salesforce or read blog articles.Â
- Join a community:
If you are serious about mastering Salesforce and landing a job, do not despise communities. Salesforce has a welcoming and vibrant community that is willing to help you, irrespective of your background or experience. You will need to join communities to get along with your colleagues and also learn from experienced professionals in the field. Here are some of the communities you can join:
- Salesforce official trailblazer community: This is a platform created by Salesforce where people can ask questions and get answers from the more experienced ones. So if you are stuck in a project, you should consider sending your questions on the forum. In many cases, you’d get an answer within a day.
- H2k Infosys group: H2kInfosys creates a group for learners where you can interact, learn and grow. It is strongly advisable to be active in the group and answer questions when you can.
- Twitter: Twitter is a great place for professionals to interact with one another. You can jump on threads and air your opinions. You could ask questions openly and connect with hiring managers. As a budding Salesforce expert, Twitter should be a place where you show passion for the tool and demonstrate expertise alongside.
- Get a Certification if you can
While this is not compulsory, holding a recognised Salesforce certifications gives you an edge over others. Salesforce has a wide range of certifications that you can choose from. When you have any of these certifications, you indirectly prove that you are proficient with the tool. If you want to get a Salesfroce certification, you can join a Salesforce online training where you’d learn the fundamentals to getting the necessary certifications.
- Do volunteering jobs and target internships.
VOlunteering is a great way to learn hands-on skills. While you may not get paid, it exposes you to the kind of workflow you’d face when you land your first job. It is also a way of demonstrating to the hiring manager that you are passionate about the field. Working for free tells a lot.
Beyond that, you should also be open to internship opportunities. Of course, although the remuneration may not be as much, it is another great way of having hands-on experience.
- Have side projects to build your portfolio
Even when you are yet to have a job, it is important to have personal projects that you can work on. Putting this together in a portfolio makes you stand out of the crowd.
- Apply! Apply!! Apply!!!
This is a no brainer. Jobs would not come your way if you do not show interest. So you would need to apply for as many Salesforce jobs as possible. It is a matter of time before you get the mail that you have been accepted.
Wrapping up
In this article, you have learned how to land your first Salesforce job. It is important to note that the work lies in the implementation for the steps outlined here. So if you want to land that job, start putting this knowledge to work.
