MEET THE SFORCIUM

WHY SALESFORCE

 

Today's materials shall take approximately 30 minutes. When signing Up for Trailhead, do not worry too much about the information you fill out, this has no impact on your training or progress. Do not get distracted within Trailhead; just focus on the Action Items we have outlined for Lesson 1. The goal for this lesson is to get signed up for Trailhead and to review the Exam Guide. No need to move through the actual content just yet, we will focus on that in the next lesson! The #1 reason learners give up is because they burn out by trying to move through everything too quickly. Pace yourself as you get started and we will show you everything you need to know! Resources are linked throughout the course.

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Lesson 1 – Accessing Trailheads

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URL: www.trailhead.com

• Open your browser and go to Trailhead, Salesforce's completely official training platform.

• Click Sign Up in the top right and fill in your information as accurately as possible.

 

Once you sign up, you will be sent a Single Use Verification Code. Check your email and fill it in and you will now be logged in to Trailhead!

You will now want to go directly to the Prepare for Your Salesforce Administrator Credential lesson. From here, go ahead and click the first link to look at the Administrator Exam Overview. This is a great place to start familiarizing yourself with what to expect in this journey.

You will also want to preview the Salesforce Introduction to gain an understanding of what Salesforce will be like and what you are preparing to accomplish to become an Administrator.

Log into Trailhead with the credentials you created.  Therefore, you are now ready to start the Salesforce CRM module and Salesforce Platform Basics module. In theses modules, you will begin to peel back the layers of what Salesforce is and the power that it holds. Our goal is to complete 3+5 sections in these two modules today!

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Lesson 2 - LinkedIn Profile Optimization

 

Welcome to lesson two of our Salesforce career development program. In this session, we will guide you through the process of optimizing your LinkedIn profile to create a professional and engaging persona within the Salesforce ecosystem.

 

• Time Expectation: The setting up of LinkedIn profile is expected to take approximately 1.5 hours. Focus on establishing foundational elements rather than perfection at this stage. Small tweaks can be made over time as you progress in your Salesforce journey. Once you get your first certification, you will come back and add that information on your LinkedIn profile and you'll be ready to start applying for positions!

 

• Profile Image: Your profile photo is the first impression you make. Ensure it conveys professionalism and aligns with the Salesforce persona you aim to project.

       A picture of you working at a computer or wearing business casual/professional attire can set             the right perception of who you are at a professional level. Everything about your Profile should         say Salesforce, you are only applying for Salesforce positions, so forget everything else and                 dedicate to Salesforce!

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• Background Image: Utilize one of the supplied background images to enhance the visual appeal of your profile. Choose an image that resonates with the Salesforce ethos.

 

• Certifications and Badges: If you are already certified or have achieved notable milestones on Trailhead, these can be added to your profile to showcase your expertise and dedication to Salesforce. You may work towards super badges.

 

Lesson 3 - Networking on LinkedIn

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LinkedIn offers an invaluable platform for networking within the Salesforce community. Join Salesforce groups, connect with professionals, and immerse yourself in discussions and posts that broaden your understanding of Salesforce.

You may have guessed there is a mobile app for LinkedIn, why not install it and log in once your profile is setup? Imagine if you replaced just one of your social apps with LinkedIn and spent that time exposing yourself to professional posts and conversations instead of seeing what your cousin had for breakfast!! This could help you think more professionally and start to get a feel how other professionals are networking with each other.

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Additional Tips for Success:

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- Embrace Continuous Learning: Dedicate 1 to 2 hours per day, 3 to 4 days per week, to studying Salesforce materials. This consistent approach will enhance your understanding and retention of key concepts.

 

- Networking Best Practices: Accept connection requests and engage in open and honest conversations with professionals and recruiters. Connect with individuals in the Salesforce ecosystem by acknowledging their content and seeking advice, fostering meaningful and mutually beneficial connections.

 

- Professional Engagement: Invest your time in professional content on LinkedIn, replacing casual social media usage with professional exposure. This shift will cultivate a more professional mindset and allow you to observe and participate in professional interactions within the Salesforce community.

 

By following these principles, you can effectively leverage LinkedIn to build a strong and impactful professional presence within the Salesforce ecosystem, positioning yourself for success in your Salesforce career.

 

Steps to utilize LinkedIn:

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If you do not  have a LinkedIn Profile, Click Here (LinkedIn) to get started creating one! (If you already have a LinkedIn profile skip to next step).

Take a moment to watch this video from Jayanth discussing LinkedIn and some tips on how to create your resume specifically for a Salesforce LinkedIn Profile. The most important parts of your profile are your Title and About section as this is how companies get search results when looking for employees.

Because you most likely do not have Salesforce work history, you should also use non-Salesforce work history to help showcase your skills. It is important to consider past jobs and re-word or translate your responsibilities at those jobs to be applicable to a Salesforce role. Go ahead and enter in your work history and any other information you want to draw attention to for your professional profile.

Volunteer projects are a great way to expand your professional network, build a resume, sharpen your skills and help a group in need. Volunteer Projects also lead to downstream opportunities for you.  Jayanth and others in Sforcium have worked multiple Volunteer Projects and about 50% of the time the company will engage in paid projects, after the Volunteer Project is complete. Use sites like Volunteer Match, as explained in today's video to find available projects.

There are other volunteering sites, feel free to search for other opportunities on other sites, however Volunteer Match leads the market right now for these types of projects. Remember to search for Virtual projects. You may not find opportunities in your area and it really does not matter because Salesforce is a cloud-based platform, which means you can work for anyone from anywhere if you have an internet connection.

Do not apply any filters when searching except using the keyword "Salesforce". This is because sometimes the non-profit organizations do not set up the project correctly, so you can accidentally filter out great opportunities by applying filters. Feel free to apply for multiple volunteer projects, if you accept an opportunity, it is okay to let other companies know that you have already dedicated to another group, but may be able to help in the future.

Try to limit volunteer projects to under 2 months, this helps you not overcommit and sets an expectation for the client that this will not be a long-term relationship. You may request a certificate after the completion of volunteer projects. Do not forget to keep learning, if you have some extra time keep moving down the Prepare for Your Salesforce Administrator Credential list of lessons.

 

 

2 WEEK SALESFORCE CHALLENGE WRAP-UP:

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Continue moving through the Prepare for Your Salesforce Administrator Credential list of lessons.

Do your best to study 1 to 2 hours per day, 3 to 4 days per week. This will help you keep what you are learning fresh in your mind which will allow you to continue to understand the material more quickly.

You may notice that professionals are connecting with you and recruiters are reaching out to you on LinkedIn. Make sure to accept their connection requests and have open conversations with these individuals. Be honest, be yourself and grow your network! Be open to connecting with other professionals in the Salesforce ecosystem, let them know you enjoy their content or that you really connected with something they posted. These small actions of sending over some kind words can be the beginning of building a stable network. If they interact with you, go ahead and let them know what you are doing and ask if they have any advice.

People love to be respected and asked for advice, so you can make some great connections and create a positive perception of yourself all at the same time.

If you have not already started your first volunteer project then you need to stay focused on this. Check for new projects every couple of days and make sure to keep applying. If you have already started a volunteer project, make sure to add the experience to your LinkedIn profile and be prepared to ask for a letter of recommendation to be used in the future.

 

Good Luck!