Are you looking for a Salesforce job? Explore our tips and land your dream role!
There are many Salesforce careers to explore, and the demand for individuals with Salesforce skills is growing daily. According to Burning Glass, 1.6 million job postings required CRM skills in the last 12 months. But what do you do if you have no prior job experience in Salesforce? How can you get a Salesforce job in the world of Salesforce?
The good news is that you can get an entry-level Salesforce job without experience. All you need to do is market your transferable skills, ensure you have the right soft skills, and master those Salesforce technical skills you need to work in the platform. Below is a list of tips to help guide you through the process:
6 Steps to become an entry-level Salesforce Admin
1. Pick a Salesforce career path.
There are many Salesforce careers to choose from, but we recommend you review the credential requirements for each path. You can find a Salesforce job without previous experience, but you may need to consider an approach that includes a gateway or stepping-stone job.
These are positions or experiences correlated with helping people ultimately land a Salesforce Admin position. Stepping-stone jobs help you gain experience configuring Salesforce, generating reports, and practicing some of the functions of an admin, even before they have a formal job title.
If you are brand new to the field, it can often help to pursue a Sales Operations role to gain experience and apply your technical skills. It will also help you identify your passions and pinpoint the types of work you are less excited about doing long-term. For example, after one year in a Sales Operations role, you might get promoted to Salesforce Administrator (Admin). Or maybe your coworker, a Salesforce Developer, taught you code and automation tricks. Instead of going the admin route, you opt to go back to Trailhead and forge your path as a developer.
We recommend you strongly consider applying for or accepting a stepping-stone job because it will help accelerate your career growth. Check out the video below to learn more about how real Pathstream students forged their Salesforce career paths.
2. Be confident in the skills you already have.
Are you intimidated by the number of technical skills listed in Salesforce job postings? Remember, soft skills are equally important. You can always learn more technical skills by accessing resources freely available online.
Even if you have not held a formal Salesforce role, you may have had responsibilities in a past position or even used CRM. Think creatively about how you can repackage your past work history to make it relevant to an entry-level Salesforce Admin opportunity.
Click here to check out our workshop below to learn how to market your transferable skills.
3. Sharpen your Salesforce Admin skills.
Digital skills are vital for career success, but how do you develop those in-demand Salesforce skills? First, we recommend you determine what skills you need by reading “Top Salesforce Administrator Skills You Need in 2022“.
Then set yourself apart by building a solid foundation in the Salesforce platform by accessing training resources via Salesforce Trailhead. With Trailhead, you can teach yourself. This user-friendly platform contains modules and other learning tools that you can use to prepare for the exam.
However, this may not be enough to prepare you for the exam, especially if you are brand new to Salesforce. Signing up for a Salesforce Administrator career certificate program could be a better option. These programs include interactive projects, personalized feedback, and career support. Once you’ve earned your certificate, show off your skills by adding them to your resume or LinkedIn profile. Your experience with the CRM platform will impress prospective employers and recruiters.
Protip: When searching for a Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate program, select one that Salesforce consultants created in partnership with Salesforce Trailhead. Otherwise, you may waste your hard-earned money on an illegitimate or ineffective training course.
4. Join a Salesforce professional network.
Early in my career, I struggled with networking. It felt forced and insincere. But over the years, I learned that successful networkers genuinely want to develop professional relationships to share information with, learn from, and establish credibility. When transitioning to a new career, consider exploring Salesforce professional networks.
Protip: Check out Trailblazer Community Groups to find a group near you! These communities share Salesforce tips, update you with recent trends and job postings, or help answer your job-related questions.
5. Set up alerts for entry-level Salesforce Ops and Admin roles.
This step is often overlooked but makes your life easier! Set up alerts on job boards like Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Wayup to notify you when a Salesforce job that meets your criteria is posted. You can also create a shortlist of companies you would like to work for and schedule time on your calendar to monitor their job boards. If you want to make an extra good impression, connect with people who work there and set up an informational interview. Remember, most jobs are filled through networking, so don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.
6. Perfect your resume.
Once you’re confident a job posting is what you’re looking for, edit your resume to highlight relevant experience aligned with the job requirements. Make sure you proofread your resume and ask someone to provide feedback. Angela Prakash, program director and user researcher at Pathstream, says, “Adding any Salesforce experience you have – whether it’s using Salesforce as an end-user, proposing changes to optimize a Salesforce instance, or configuring Salesforce on the back end – can help to show employers your CRM skills.”
Here are some more resources to help you improve your resume:
7. Prepare for your first Salesforce job interview.
Great job, you scored the interview. The first step is a 30-40 minute phone screen which consists of a conversation with a recruiter or hiring manager to get a sense of your background and potential fit for the role.
We put together a few interview prep blog posts to help you impress the toughest hiring managers below:
- Get Ready for a Salesforce Interview
- Top Salesforce Administrator Questions and Answers
- 10 Steps to Prepare for an Interview
Also, consider these tips below:
- Research the company to understand key facts about its business and operations.
- Reach out to a current employee, particularly one in Sales, Marketing, or other departments that will interact with Salesforce.
- Check out their website!
- Learn how to tell your story.
Landing your first Salesforce job with Pathstream’s help.
Get ready to forge your career path in this booming industry using our Salesforce Admin resume examples.
Click here to download them, or click the images below. Contact us today if you would like to start the journey to learn the Salesforce skills and career guidance you need to get a Salesforce Admin job.
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