Salesforce coding lessons for the 99%Finally, Apex tutorials for point-and-click admins! Written by a self-taught Google engineer.
Salesforce coding lessons for the 99%
Preface: this post is part of the How to get a Salesforce developer job series.
Considering a career in Salesforce development but don’t know if it’s right for you?
Here are some tell-tale signs you’re meant to be a Salesforce developer!
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#1. You’re good at Googling things
Yes! Being good at Googling things is actually a skill. And if you’ve made it to this site you must be a master because my SEO is weak. This fundamental ability is especially potent in the Salesforce world since most books are severely outdated. Bonus points if you know how to use advanced search operators. |
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#2. You want to be a master of Salesforce
Reaching the pinnacle for you means understanding every possible aspect of Salesforce. You’d rather have unlimited Salesforce powers than unlimited political powers within your company. If getting the Technical Architect certification is your goal, a Salesforce developer career is the natural path. |
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#3. You love finding workarounds
Salesforce is full of random limitations but you’re not one to let this get in your way. Tricks like “The Power of One”, URL hacking to pre-populate fields, crazy workflow / formula field combinations, and relative date filters are all regular tools in your arsenal because you go to extreme lengths to find solutions. |
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#4. You shoot first and ask questions later
You’re working hard on a problem but suddenly come across a totally unexpected issue. Your first reaction is to: |
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#5. You always envied the engineer’s lifestyle
Do you catch yourself wondering why engineers seem to have things better? You might not even be into free t-shirts, sci-fi movies, or Nerf gun fights – you just like how engineers are comfortable being themselves without conforming to the rules of the business world. Plus, they seem to really enjoy their job! |
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#6. You can’t sleep when the problem is unsolved
You’re that person who doesn’t want to hear the answer to a riddle until you’ve solved it by yourself. You’ll think about the problem while you’re driving home, taking a shower, and eating dinner. And when you finally solve it… EUREKA! Totally worth it – best feeling in the world! |
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#7. You’d rather deal with technology than people
People are complicated and unpredictable. Computers are infinitely beautiful, have no emotions, and always do the exact same thing when given identical inputs. It’s not that you hate people – it’s just that their problems are much more stressful to deal with! |
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#8. You don’t believe in magic technologies
You have a certain curiosity to understand how things are built. It’s unsatisfying for you to simply assume that advanced technologies like artificial intelligence are magic. There must be some logical explanation to how it works. You might’ve enjoyed building Legos more than playing with the finished set. |
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#9. You pay attention to the details
You see things that other’s can’t! Some people are stuck thinking only at a high level. But you have a special kind of focus, a special lens, that lets you zoom into the absolute details of a problem. |
Congratulations if you identified with a lot of these traits – you have all the right pieces to become a great Salesforce developer! …Now stop slacking and get back to coding!
If you didn’t hit a lot of these signs, don’t feel too bad. I sincerely believe that anyone can code. Plus, we happen to work in an industry that rewards people with non-traditional backgrounds. Just make sure if you choose this career path that you do it for the right reasons!
Happy coding!
This is the reason I love Salesforce and motivators like you…touched and felt your words “life is all about priorities”.
Hi David,
I have close to 15 years of non technical experience in IT and nearing 40 now. What do you suggest would mid career switch to Salesforce be a wise decision at this stage?
40 years old? You’re a child! People in the 50s and 60s are making the switch!
https://www.sfdc99.com/sfdc99-reader-success-stories/
I caught myself laughing aloud on the “may God have mercy on your soul” comment. I find myself relating to majority of these points above. Thanks for your article David!I’m at the point in my career where I need to make a decision and actually delve into the developer side of Salesforce and devote myself to it but my job is primarily focused on senior administrator role. How should I shift and transition into it if it’s so difficult and I have no time to gain more dev knowledge into it?
Thank you!
Life is all about priorities =)
You gotta take a good hard look at what you want to do in your life, and see if coding has a place in there for you!
I have a baby now so I know exactly how difficult it is to make time for things! Something’s gotta give!
Good luck!
David
So true! It really does all come down to how we prioritize family, career, continued education, etc. to further develop how we evolve as individuals. Thanks for sharing all the dev posts and articles on sfdc99 by the way. You are an inspiration to many and a role model to those who want to take the same learning path as you have ;) keep it up!
P.S. You’ll have to share more up to date pics of your baby!
#7 is so good.
That was a hilarious read. LOL! That dot, I will now be looking for it. -_-
Oh that tiny dot will now haunt me forever. Thanks a lot David! lol
what a great post!