Words from the Wise: Six Tips from Experienced Admins on Getting Started

Are you getting ready to start your career as an #AwesomeAdmin? Congratulations! You’re about to be the hero of your office by making it possible for your users to connect to customers in new ways.

As you begin, there will be a lot to learn. But never fear—you have a community of experienced and oh-so-wise Salesforce Admins at your fingertips to help you along the way.

Earlier this year, we reached out to them on Twitter to gather their sage advice for new Admins like you. We saw six key themes emerge. Take a look:

1. Learn

From trails to Community Groups, there is an infinite number of options for learning new Salesforce skills. Make this your #1 priority from the very beginning.

Aleks Radovanovic‏ |@_AleksM

Trailhead is your best friend when it comes to learning and growing your career. Don’t be afraid to dive into topics that are not familiar to you – you’ll end up being even more of an #AwesomeAdmin with every new badge!

 

Bhavana Singh‏ | @singhbhavana

Develop a habit of learning. 30 minutes of Trailhead every morning.

David Carnes | @davidpcarnes3

Each time you work on something for the first time, take the time to read up on that topic in Help. @salesforce’s doc set is excellent and is vigorously updated with each new release.

2. Communicate with your users

Proactively communicating with users about updates and priorities unlocks more productivity for them and more focus for you. But don’t forget that it should be a dialogue, not a soapbox.

Carlos Siqueira | @akaCarioca

Communicate, communicate and communicate with your users. It will pay off many times for you and for them.

Bhavna Banodha | @BhavnaBanodha

Try to find out business value in every requirement you get from business/end users.

3. Ask questions

Asking questions not only opens the door to big-picture strategy but also helps you build stronger relationships with users. Curiosity is the best policy.

Mary Tagler | @yramtSFDC

Get to why. You will design better solutions when you can have the full picture.

John Kwasek | @johnkwasek

When supporting your users, don’t just quickly answer their question if you can also improve what they are trying to do. Providing excellent above and beyond support improves usage and engagement.

4. Build a network

Create a community inside and outside your org. Regularly assess the needs of key users internally while sharing learnings externally with other Admins.

Corey Snow | @corey_snow

Think first in terms of building a trust network among your many constituents. Proactively reach out and listen with intent to understand the challenges faced by each. Give without being asked. Aspire to become a trusted advisor. Everything else will fall into place.

Mark Adcock | @techforecastis

Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try things you don’t know well. When you get stuck, tap into the power of the community to help.

5. Start small

Take the pressure off. You don’t have to become an expert overnight. Set small, short-term goals for yourself and then trust the process.

Michelle Hansen | @mehansen82

Find what works for you & embrace it. Go at your pace—it will be here when you’re ready!

Stewart McNaught | @McNaughtStew

Passion project. Decide on a project to help you learn the ins and outs of the platform. Start small – apply what you learn in @trailhead and through conversations with the #SalesforceOhana

6. Keep going!

We can’t guarantee it will be easy, but we can guarantee it will be worth it. Push through the tough stuff. You’ll thank us later.

RACHEL PARK | @SurvivorModa

KEEP. GOING! Learning anything new is not easy — don’t give up! And find your #SalesforceOhana… we’re here to support, empower & inspire you!

Thanks to our passionate community of experienced Admins, you’re well on your way to starting your #AwesomeAdmin career. What’s next, you ask?

Continue the conversation by following us on Twitter, participate in our online Trailblazer Community, join a local Community Group, and MOAR! Check out Nine Ways to Get Started in the Salesforce Ecosystem as a Salesforce Administrator for all the options you have at your fingertips.