Dashboards. Reports. Security. You know Salesforce administration like the back of your hand, and that’s a wonderful thing. The IDC predicts that the Salesforce Economy will create 4.2 million new jobs by late 2024, the opportunities for career growth are endless. Technical aptitude plays a big role in that, but business skills do too. Business skills sometimes referred to as soft skills, are all of the non-technical skills that make you a great employee. These are things like communication, perseverance, and creativity which can make a huge difference in your career and how it advances. As you develop these characteristics, you’ll carry them with you and continue to improve upon them. It’s not always the most technically savvy person who gets the promotion or raise – oftentimes, it’s the most well-rounded individual who has the right combination of both technical and business acumen. We spoke with Stephanie Herrera – VP at Computer Futures, Salesforce Saturday Founder, PepUp Tech Co-Founder, member of the Board of Directors for Merivis, and Salesforce MVP – to talk about the business skills she finds most important for admins. Here is what she had to say:
First and foremost, Salesforce Admins must enjoy problem-solving. If you like puzzles, figuring things out, taking things apart and putting back together again, or reverse-engineering an issue, then you are probably a great Salesforce Admin. People who are problem solvers WELCOME a challenge, and they thrive on being able to find the BEST solution for their end-users’ problems. You enjoy using your resources and critical thinking skills to save the day!
A willingness to learn and be coached by others shows that you are adaptable and able to take direction. As a Salesforce Admin, you understand that you have the capacity to learn more than you already know and can execute on directions. You demonstrate this by being receptive to change and feedback and then you turn that feedback into action. Managers prioritize if you are coachable or willing to learn over how smart you are. If they can’t coach and manage you it means that their team may not achieve the objectives set by the business.
Using creativity and inquisitiveness in order to overcome difficult problems is a key skill for a successful Salesforce Admin. In our world, people are coming to us for the answers and we don’t always have them. You have to have the ability to think outside of the box and the desire to go out and find answers, which means using Trailhead, Google, your network, and peers. How efficient and agile you are in this directly equals how successful you will be solving any problem that is thrown at you. You have a no holds barred mindset, thrive in stressful situations and there is nothing that you can’t solve in the most creative and efficient manner possible.
Whether you’re a seasoned Salesforce Admin or trying to land that first job (if the latter, check out the Salesforce Talent Alliance), think about situations where you have demonstrated these skills and be prepared to talk about them in performance reviews or interviews. Be on the lookout for opportunities to further develop them (and other business skills) through work experience, volunteer experience, or leadership experience and you’ll be taking your next step in no time.
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