How did I Find the Right Resources that helped my Salesforce Journey?

I’m a storyteller, yes I tell stories with the numerous posts I create on social media, websites, case studies, presentations, events, and anything that gets published on the internet. Yes! Everything is a story that we share, as they are capable of evoking emotions at times you never knew that they existed. Being a storyteller, when I officially met Salesforce, it was a stranger that I recently wrote hardly a paragraph about (for my previous job in 2019)— it was for an identity and access management (IAM) company that integrated Salesforce with other tools for authorization. Let’s move on to September 2020, and I met The Stranger (Salesforce) again in my new job. What happened after that you’ve already read on my previous blog. Today we’ll see how I started walking with the stranger whom I instantly started liking.

Salesforce Journey and Resources

Free Learning Resources for Salesforce

• Trailhead.com
• Salesforce ApexHours (YouTube)
• Simplilearn (YouTube)
• Coursera (YouTube)
• DevopsLaunchpad
• Salesforce Help docs
• Automation Champion blog

Certification Preparation

• Letterkenny Salesforce Sessions (YouTube)
• Emily Call and Jeremy Call (Salesforce Associate Certification prep on Udemy)
• David Massey (Udemy)
• Focus on Force
• Salesforce Certification Days
• Apex Hours (YouTube and Blog)
• Join Study Groups for certification preparation

Paid Resources

• SaaSguru (Certification Preparation)
• Mike Wheeler
• Pluralsight

How to build your profile with real-time Salesforce experience?

• Follow people who talk about topics that interest you (here, it’s Salesforce)
• Enroll for the “Salesforce Trailblazer Mentorship” program and get support from an experienced mentor to glide through your Salesforce journey.
• Reach out to them on LinkedIn with a personalized connection request (I found Vanessa Grant and Akhilesh Sharma, who immensely guided me to take the big leap)
• Try for yourself and in case you need someone’s help then politely ask and wait a while for their response
• Join Clicked Experiences on app.clicked.com (admin or associate certified with Ranger rank on Trailhead)
• Attend local Salesforce Community Events or virtual ones that interest you
• Join LinkedIn community groups like SheforceWIT to build your network and learn from each other
• Align your profile with Salesforce-specific things, but never forget to add your personal touch, you’re a person and not a LinkedIn profile
• Find educational institutions and nonprofits that train people for free in Salesforce. I found some great ones on LinkedIn (Salesforce Days, PepupTech, Tequma, We Are Amplify, Apex Hours on YouTube, Salesforce Letterkenny, Salesforce Certification Days, #Journey2Salesforce, RADWomen, Blue RoadAcademy, Trailblazer Military Hours)
• Join Salesforce Commons Community Sprint projects for hands-on real-time project exposure
• Look for organizations that seek volunteers (Blaze Your Trail, The Mentoring Club, and they are plenty out there)
• Look for any relevant profile in a Salesforce consulting company if you’re not able to get directly into Salesforce (It takes time but you’ll get there). I joined as a tech writer with a consulting partner and then moved to a Salesforce BA and functional consultant role.
• Enhance your existing skills to stand out with your transferable skills (I did ask for volunteering because I wanted to help people and was not able to go out, I loved writing so I accepted a guest blogging offer for a popular Salesforce channel, I love mentoring and teaching so I was approached to create courses for a wireframing app)

P.S: Avoid, I mean Strictly Avoid Distractions!

Been there and done that. Yes, we all have this FOMO (fear of missing out) on Salesforce-related things. Someone else’s win on earning a certificate makes us feel bad about ourselves and we push ourselves to misery, wondering if we’re not good enough. Relax! This too shall pass like every other negative feeling, phase, and that Imposter Syndrome (see, I told ya’ I suffer from this pretty much all the time). You’ve your own pace and timing. Stay consistent and work without getting frustrated or feeling inadequate. Your journey may take time but you’ll reach there and knock those certificates off the list!!

How to stay focused and not suffer from imposter syndrome while learning Salesforce?

• Set your timeline as to when you want to reach a certain goal.

a. Reaching Ranger rank in a month (break that into mini segments — step by step you’ll move along the way)

b. If you’re on a Trail or Trailmix then please don’t stress over your ranks or the timeline. Rearrange your timeline and shift things to make room for the Admin Certification or Platform Developer Certification Preparation Trailmix, or any other certification for that matter.

c. While you’re on a trail and there are links to read a blog and document. Focus on reading the page you land on and grab everything you can get from it. Control the urge to delve deeper right at that time because it will delay your timeline to complete the trail. Bookmark the page on an online Notes app or Google Docs so that you can dive right in after finishing your trail.

• Stay consistent and don’t ditch the study time
• Find a study buddy on LinkedIn, Trailhead, or Salesforce Community Group (I have found some great friends on Salesforce)
• Practice writing to understand and memorize things for longer (my dad’s secret tip since I was a school kid)
• Create a blog, short video, help guide, or tutorial and publish (it boosts confidence plus helps others)
• Create your own flashcards for topics, terms, or concepts you find tough
• Relate tough concepts with a favorite thing, like MFA is a guard at your organization who needs ID card and a biometric scan to enter. See, I told ya’ it’s that easy.
• Take breaks, listen to music, or go on a trip when you feel overwhelmed, and come back to where you’ve left off.
• Don’t panic before the exam. Just stay calm and focus.

To conclude this blog, I would like to say that the story continues. I’ll be adding more resources to this in the future. Stay tuned! In my next blog, I’ll be sharing how to prepare for your first Salesforce role.