Why did you become a Salesforce Admin?
I’d consider myself an accidental Salesforce Admin. After years of working in infrastructure IT, my focus shifted to Salesforce, so I signed up for training. The turning point was when my course trainer, Leah McGowen-Hare, said, “80-90% of development in Salesforce can be done declaratively.” Realizing that I can understand apps, visualforce controllers, and create custom objects without having to be an in-the-weeds program developer was a game-changer. I was all in.
What is the most important skill for an Admin?
Admins have to be open to learning. One of my favorite parts of being an Admin is that I get to identify and create new solutions to enable my users to be successful at their jobs. There’s never just one way to build a solution in Salesforce, so I’m always open to learning new ways to solve problems. Every day I’m challenged to find new ways to enable my users to be successful by unleashing the power of Salesforce!
What’s your advice to other Admins?
Be comfortable with your level of understanding of Salesforce at every stage in your learning journey. As beginners, we get nervous about not knowing enough and get scared to ask questions. Be confident in what you know, and what you don’t know. Never let your level of knowledge or lack thereof make you feel inferior. The Salesforce community is connected, vast, and uniquely supportive.
