Hey, thanks for the video. I graduate in may with an economics degree and want to get into salesforce, marketing trail specifically. Is it not a good idea to go into salesforce that early on in my career?
Marketing cloud is it’s own niche that I’m honestly not too familiar with these days. I started my career similarly (Marketo) 10+ years ago and I personally didn’t enjoy being a professional email spammer but everyone is different!
A bit late to the game here. Great post though. Curious to understand what your thought on the phase 1 hyper growth technologies that you would focus on if you were just starting out?
I have mad respect and admiration, but please don’t say getting a degree is the end all to getting a job at salesforce, cause clearly it’s not not all the big jobs even require a degree through salesforce on the website. I’m sure with the proper experience, and learning all the trailhead I’m sure you can still get a job through salesforce ecosystem….
Hi, I have programming background. I’m reaching mid life of my IT career. I’m luck to be given the opportunity to join the Salesforce team in the company I’m working for. I’ve been making $150k per year. But wanted to do something that could last till I retire. Wondering if it’s still good for me to jump on the boat of Salesforce.
Brauhh I have mad respect and admiration for you, but pleazzz don’t say the degree is the end all to getting a job at salesforce, because I’m sure it’s not many people a job through salesforce I’m sure without it if you work hard complete all the trail head learning I’m sure you can still get a high paying job at the actually salesforce company, or show relative job skills, I really do love your blog and greatly appreciate your helping me!!!
I have mad respect for you and admiration, but pleazzz don’t say that degree is the end all to get a job through salesforce because it’s not many people I’m sure without degrees have gotten in, and if you have relative job skills and show what you can do and learn all of trailhead and put in the hard work and effort I believe strongly you can get a job through salesforce ecosystem, there are many jobs on the actual salesforce website that don’t even require a degree, degree dose not say the whole story about you as a candidate!!!!
I’m just going to focus on my software enginner developer path right now and learning the languages and how to code, and now a job that’s 15 years down the road, would you recommend with starting learning the software language first then worrying about salesforce certifications super badges etc…..
Brauh love your article on the superbadges and 100 badges to get a job, I truly believe in my ability and if you work your absolute hardest you can achieve anything, bs or not just got to put in the work, would you recommend just starting out as a security engineer in salesforce or apex developer.
David I am getting emails from comments on this article but either they are poorly written or I am getting half the comment. I came here to try and read them but despite getting notifications, I cannot seem to view all comments. I was kind of interested in this latest thread talking about the value of a degree, vs Certifications and Trailhead badges. I find it impressive when people complete 100, 200 and 300 etc because I know the time it takes. I have shared my badge count with my team via a Gemba board and explain they should care I keep increasing that number because it means I am continuing to learn to be a better admin – both for myself and the company. Of course I cannot share the other hours I put in leading admin groups and meetings, attending webinars and reading blogs, or in your case writing one but I am setting the expectation. And a really good IT manager/company I think is looking at all those things.
As for the certs / badges question, that’s a good one for me to make a video on sometime! Short answer is certs are more valuable now. Also, I highly recommend everyone get a degree
Not even google or Apple Vice President jobs require any degree, so I would imagine with all the salesforce education you can still get a svp position what are your thoughts on that?,?
I feel you like can still get a svp positions regardless of a bs, if you can show you have the skills to do the job, mvp jobs at google don’t even require that or Apple they care about on the job skills more when hiring
, what are your thoughts on this???
So sorry if this sounds repetitive question if a lot of salesforce svp positions don’t have a bs requirement but one dose I want the most software engineering could I still get the svp software engineering without a bs if I can demonstrate skill and get the 10 plus years of experience in the salesforce ecosystem
Any worth is super badges apex developer and other developer super badges isn’t it real world experience you gaining them and it’s hard af to get them???
Certifications are more worthy on trail head, what if you earn the actual super badges is that resume worthy I hear there harder then certifications any truth to that???
Can you get a job in salesforce by doing every super badge, certifications , and badges and getting ranger status on trailhead. I throughly enjoy your videos and your blog aspires me, I also read that even though for some salesforce job a degree is a requirement if you can prove your experience you can still get the job, thanks so much I think you really great!!!
That will have little value in the Salesforce industry. If you’re talking about working at Salesforce specifically, it could be useful, but I’m not too familiar with that industry
Yes I want a job in salesforce specifically is my goal, is so there was a azure cloud specific job, was wondering if they had a link at all or not, do you have a article on superbadges by any chances???
Salesforce has a ton of different jobs lol. No idea how much Azure cloud they even use. But focusing too much on that might hurt your chances. What if they decide not to use Azure? Microsoft is a competitor!
Where should I start if I want a software enginner or developer job with your certifications and how do I stand out when applying, so many questions I know it takes guts and grit to get a job in salesforce!!!
If I have no bs but all all the salesforce education in the world could I still apply for a developer job at salesforce for example software engineer, I hear if you can prove you worth and skill through experience degrees can’t get overlooked by the employer. I know there are plenty of salesforce jobs that require just experience, I know a bs is just a requirement but not the end all to getting that job. My other question was if I wanted to be a a azure cloud architect could I still apply if I have no bs but all the azure certifications architect, thanks so much I’m getting started on my developer journey by learning Apex first!!!!
There is such hot demand for Salesforce devs that companies will certainly consider you without a degree. I have given out offers to people without degrees myself!
Are superbadges worth willed in salesforce, like apex superbadges or other developer super badges can they help you stand on a job resume and interveiw in addition to all the certifications and ranger status what’s your take on superbadges, so sorry so many questions thanks so much!!!
Hi David – I am mid management professional currently working as a marketing manager and also working on the Salesforce platform as an end user. But I am well aware of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. And I am keen to learn and have a passion of tech. Although I have been in sales and client management all my career. Marketing is my current stint. Do you recommend me learning so late in my career?
This is great! If I dare add something to your recommendations, it would be towards those who see themselves as “technologists”. If you love technology, specifically web-based (not so much on the mechanical engineering side – however there is value there in the manufacturing industry…), then definitely consider jumping in. I would argue I jumped in late, but I am also a lover of web tech. So, for me, learning a new platform was a joy (not easy and not fast, but a joy).
This is where Salesforce REALLY differentiates itself from some of the competitors. Trailhead is, no joke, the most impressive learning tool I have ever come across when it comes to any technology platform. No other platform comes close.
Yes, there’s going to be competition, but if you have a passion to learn about web technology, you will differentiate yourself during the interview process. If you go through the employment process and get the feeling that the employer doesn’t value passion over experience, then you may want to keep looking around. There’s plenty of opportunity out there. I know my employer is aggressively hiring (we are a consulting company and the purpose of this post is not to advertise that, but rather provide my thoughts, so I’m leaving our name out of it).
Is the market getting saturated? Honestly, yes, but not with quality candidates. Yeah, there are definitely those that stand out either in intellect or just plain skill, but there’s enough opportunity out there that you don’t necessarily have to directly compete with those people. If you’re one of those people, great, then you’re probably not even reading this.
I totally agree that SF seems to be in the second phase of its lifecycle. It’s more about acquisitions these days than straight up internal innovation, but it seems like every new feature release of the platform brings some awesome functionality that I cannot wait to try to implement (like Summer 20 dynamic forms (Non-GA Preview)).
Some tips that I wish some of the people I interviewed followed: If you’re planning to go the developer route, learn about the VERY specific Salesforce devops process. Build something, it can be anything, and then showcase it as part of your application process (creating a Github repo is a GREAT way to do this ;)).
If you’re on the admin path, build and show some cool webforms or flows, or even integrations if you know how (and if you don’t know how, start trying to figure out the technology (assuming my premise is correct)).
Back to the main topic, I would say that web technology, as a whole, is seeing crazy uptick in professionals, and Salesforce is no different. If you can’t find a way to differentiate yourself from the pack, then it IS going to be harder, and IMHO, the easiest way to do this is to demonstrate that you have a passion for the tech. BTW, passion != accepting lower pay.
Depends on how lucky you are and also how skilled you are. Some CTAs are on that end of the spectrum. I’m also guessing that 400k could also include bonuses and equity and may not be reflective of direct salary (but it’s definitely possible).
Thanks David! I have often wondered if I got in too late 5 years ago. I think I am enjoying my own “phase 1” because I am just really starting to do some of the cool things MVPs like you, Jen Lee, David Litton, Eric Smith and many others are sharing. And occasionally thinking of my own new ideas! (which I think is the corner I want to turn, having the cool idea first!)
But I would just like to know – what do you think is the current Phase 1 CRM? is there one? Do you think due to all the investment SF is putting into improvements we could see a re-peak of Phase 1?
Thanks Ruth! Highly doubtful of a phase 1 repeat! Especially because the supply side is a factory these days and demand can only go so high. More likely a new competitor comes and rethinks CRM, taking over the industry like Salesforce did against Oracle!
What would you do to be on the lookout for that company? Is there a resource you like for keeping pulse on the industry of business tools? I am a pioneer at heart – would love to experience being part of that rise.
Salesforce coding lessons for the 99%
Hey, thanks for the video. I graduate in may with an economics degree and want to get into salesforce, marketing trail specifically. Is it not a good idea to go into salesforce that early on in my career?
Marketing cloud is it’s own niche that I’m honestly not too familiar with these days. I started my career similarly (Marketo) 10+ years ago and I personally didn’t enjoy being a professional email spammer but everyone is different!
A bit late to the game here. Great post though. Curious to understand what your thought on the phase 1 hyper growth technologies that you would focus on if you were just starting out?
I have mad respect and admiration, but please don’t say getting a degree is the end all to getting a job at salesforce, cause clearly it’s not not all the big jobs even require a degree through salesforce on the website. I’m sure with the proper experience, and learning all the trailhead I’m sure you can still get a job through salesforce ecosystem….
Hi, I have programming background. I’m reaching mid life of my IT career. I’m luck to be given the opportunity to join the Salesforce team in the company I’m working for. I’ve been making $150k per year. But wanted to do something that could last till I retire. Wondering if it’s still good for me to jump on the boat of Salesforce.
I’d love to know what folks think about this as well!
Brauhh I have mad respect and admiration for you, but pleazzz don’t say the degree is the end all to getting a job at salesforce, because I’m sure it’s not many people a job through salesforce I’m sure without it if you work hard complete all the trail head learning I’m sure you can still get a high paying job at the actually salesforce company, or show relative job skills, I really do love your blog and greatly appreciate your helping me!!!
I have mad respect for you and admiration, but pleazzz don’t say that degree is the end all to get a job through salesforce because it’s not many people I’m sure without degrees have gotten in, and if you have relative job skills and show what you can do and learn all of trailhead and put in the hard work and effort I believe strongly you can get a job through salesforce ecosystem, there are many jobs on the actual salesforce website that don’t even require a degree, degree dose not say the whole story about you as a candidate!!!!
I’m just going to focus on my software enginner developer path right now and learning the languages and how to code, and now a job that’s 15 years down the road, would you recommend with starting learning the software language first then worrying about salesforce certifications super badges etc…..
I think there are many paths to the top. =). Maybe focus on continuous improvement and eventually move into a management position!
Brauh love your article on the superbadges and 100 badges to get a job, I truly believe in my ability and if you work your absolute hardest you can achieve anything, bs or not just got to put in the work, would you recommend just starting out as a security engineer in salesforce or apex developer.
Apex for sure!
Thanks so much means a lot, should I learn about apex first then do the superbadges for salesforce developer on trailhead next???
David I am getting emails from comments on this article but either they are poorly written or I am getting half the comment. I came here to try and read them but despite getting notifications, I cannot seem to view all comments. I was kind of interested in this latest thread talking about the value of a degree, vs Certifications and Trailhead badges. I find it impressive when people complete 100, 200 and 300 etc because I know the time it takes. I have shared my badge count with my team via a Gemba board and explain they should care I keep increasing that number because it means I am continuing to learn to be a better admin – both for myself and the company. Of course I cannot share the other hours I put in leading admin groups and meetings, attending webinars and reading blogs, or in your case writing one but I am setting the expectation. And a really good IT manager/company I think is looking at all those things.
Hey Ruth! This is the link you want! https://www.sfdc99.com/2020/06/15/should-you-learn-salesforce-in-2020/#comments
As for the certs / badges question, that’s a good one for me to make a video on sometime! Short answer is certs are more valuable now. Also, I highly recommend everyone get a degree
Not even google or Apple Vice President jobs require any degree, so I would imagine with all the salesforce education you can still get a svp position what are your thoughts on that?,?
If you get all the trailhead education could I apply apply for a salesforce MVP job ranger status, superbadges, certifications do you know???
I feel you like can still get a svp positions regardless of a bs, if you can show you have the skills to do the job, mvp jobs at google don’t even require that or Apple they care about on the job skills more when hiring
, what are your thoughts on this???
So sorry if this sounds repetitive question if a lot of salesforce svp positions don’t have a bs requirement but one dose I want the most software engineering could I still get the svp software engineering without a bs if I can demonstrate skill and get the 10 plus years of experience in the salesforce ecosystem
Any worth is super badges apex developer and other developer super badges isn’t it real world experience you gaining them and it’s hard af to get them???
It’s not worth that much since you can just copy answers online.
I hear you can gain real world experience and it’s impressive to recruiters it says on trailhead what are your thoughts???
Lol check out this post: https://www.sfdc99.com/2020/01/25/how-to-get-your-first-job-in-the-salesforce-industry-2/
Certifications are more worthy on trail head, what if you earn the actual super badges is that resume worthy I hear there harder then certifications any truth to that???
See this. =)
https://www.sfdc99.com/2020/04/03/certifications-the-elephant-in-the-room/
You gotta read through a lot of my posts, I answer a lot of your questions in depth in them. =)
Your the best ever I mean it thanks so much!!!
Np buddy go dominate!
I read super badges are harder then certifications and are impressive to salesforce recruiters any truth to that, are certifications more worthy???
Can you get a job in salesforce by doing every super badge, certifications , and badges and getting ranger status on trailhead. I throughly enjoy your videos and your blog aspires me, I also read that even though for some salesforce job a degree is a requirement if you can prove your experience you can still get the job, thanks so much I think you really great!!!
Thanks Breck!!
Do you think azure cloud certifications are also worth getting if I want a job as. Cloud architect at salesforce???
That will have little value in the Salesforce industry. If you’re talking about working at Salesforce specifically, it could be useful, but I’m not too familiar with that industry
Yes I want a job in salesforce specifically is my goal, is so there was a azure cloud specific job, was wondering if they had a link at all or not, do you have a article on superbadges by any chances???
Salesforce has a ton of different jobs lol. No idea how much Azure cloud they even use. But focusing too much on that might hurt your chances. What if they decide not to use Azure? Microsoft is a competitor!
Where should I start if I want a software enginner or developer job with your certifications and how do I stand out when applying, so many questions I know it takes guts and grit to get a job in salesforce!!!
How to get a dev job: https://www.sfdc99.com/2020/03/01/step-by-step-guide-to-becoming-a-salesforce-developer-in-2020/
How to make your resume stand out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ht_-QxRPiE&t=1s
Very much appreciated !!!
And yes opportunity is everywhere in this industry for those who put in the work!
If I have no bs but all all the salesforce education in the world could I still apply for a developer job at salesforce for example software engineer, I hear if you can prove you worth and skill through experience degrees can’t get overlooked by the employer. I know there are plenty of salesforce jobs that require just experience, I know a bs is just a requirement but not the end all to getting that job. My other question was if I wanted to be a a azure cloud architect could I still apply if I have no bs but all the azure certifications architect, thanks so much I’m getting started on my developer journey by learning Apex first!!!!
There is such hot demand for Salesforce devs that companies will certainly consider you without a degree. I have given out offers to people without degrees myself!
Are superbadges worth willed in salesforce, like apex superbadges or other developer super badges can they help you stand on a job resume and interveiw in addition to all the certifications and ranger status what’s your take on superbadges, so sorry so many questions thanks so much!!!
You are just a blessing David for me in Salesforce.
I found you late but I’m so glad I did. I learnt triggers and test classes from you.
Thank you so much for posting this video.
Please keep posting more motivational videos.
I look forward to meeting you someday.
Thank you Binoy. =)
Hi David – I am mid management professional currently working as a marketing manager and also working on the Salesforce platform as an end user. But I am well aware of Salesforce Marketing Cloud. And I am keen to learn and have a passion of tech. Although I have been in sales and client management all my career. Marketing is my current stint. Do you recommend me learning so late in my career?
If you are in the financial position to do so, then yes I would recommend switching. You have to be able to look back one day with no regrets!
Hi David
You mentioned about some resources to improve Salesforce skills in the video.
Where are they ??
Did not seem to find them in the comments section.
Thanks
Check out the video description!
Really nicely summarized David
This is great! If I dare add something to your recommendations, it would be towards those who see themselves as “technologists”. If you love technology, specifically web-based (not so much on the mechanical engineering side – however there is value there in the manufacturing industry…), then definitely consider jumping in. I would argue I jumped in late, but I am also a lover of web tech. So, for me, learning a new platform was a joy (not easy and not fast, but a joy).
This is where Salesforce REALLY differentiates itself from some of the competitors. Trailhead is, no joke, the most impressive learning tool I have ever come across when it comes to any technology platform. No other platform comes close.
Yes, there’s going to be competition, but if you have a passion to learn about web technology, you will differentiate yourself during the interview process. If you go through the employment process and get the feeling that the employer doesn’t value passion over experience, then you may want to keep looking around. There’s plenty of opportunity out there. I know my employer is aggressively hiring (we are a consulting company and the purpose of this post is not to advertise that, but rather provide my thoughts, so I’m leaving our name out of it).
Is the market getting saturated? Honestly, yes, but not with quality candidates. Yeah, there are definitely those that stand out either in intellect or just plain skill, but there’s enough opportunity out there that you don’t necessarily have to directly compete with those people. If you’re one of those people, great, then you’re probably not even reading this.
I totally agree that SF seems to be in the second phase of its lifecycle. It’s more about acquisitions these days than straight up internal innovation, but it seems like every new feature release of the platform brings some awesome functionality that I cannot wait to try to implement (like Summer 20 dynamic forms (Non-GA Preview)).
Some tips that I wish some of the people I interviewed followed: If you’re planning to go the developer route, learn about the VERY specific Salesforce devops process. Build something, it can be anything, and then showcase it as part of your application process (creating a Github repo is a GREAT way to do this ;)).
If you’re on the admin path, build and show some cool webforms or flows, or even integrations if you know how (and if you don’t know how, start trying to figure out the technology (assuming my premise is correct)).
Back to the main topic, I would say that web technology, as a whole, is seeing crazy uptick in professionals, and Salesforce is no different. If you can’t find a way to differentiate yourself from the pack, then it IS going to be harder, and IMHO, the easiest way to do this is to demonstrate that you have a passion for the tech. BTW, passion != accepting lower pay.
+100 your comment would make a great YouTube video LOL
umm who’s making $400k annually???? what job description is THAT? :)
Depends on how lucky you are and also how skilled you are. Some CTAs are on that end of the spectrum. I’m also guessing that 400k could also include bonuses and equity and may not be reflective of direct salary (but it’s definitely possible).
That’s definitely TOP TIER pay, though.
Thanks David! I have often wondered if I got in too late 5 years ago. I think I am enjoying my own “phase 1” because I am just really starting to do some of the cool things MVPs like you, Jen Lee, David Litton, Eric Smith and many others are sharing. And occasionally thinking of my own new ideas! (which I think is the corner I want to turn, having the cool idea first!)
But I would just like to know – what do you think is the current Phase 1 CRM? is there one? Do you think due to all the investment SF is putting into improvements we could see a re-peak of Phase 1?
Thanks Ruth! Highly doubtful of a phase 1 repeat! Especially because the supply side is a factory these days and demand can only go so high. More likely a new competitor comes and rethinks CRM, taking over the industry like Salesforce did against Oracle!
What would you do to be on the lookout for that company? Is there a resource you like for keeping pulse on the industry of business tools? I am a pioneer at heart – would love to experience being part of that rise.
I’d learn general AI to be honest!