Why Admins Should Answer Questions in the Trailblazer Community

A few years ago, I found myself at the beginning of my Salesforce journey trying to export email lists for marketing blasts. Besides having no clue what Salesforce really was, I had the added confusion of needing to learn both Classic and Lightning interfaces, since the company was in the middle of a Lightning migration. 

One thing that stands out for me about this period of time is I remember being grateful for the sheer number of credible resources available to me for almost any Salesforce issue imaginable. When I would find myself stuck on a problem, I could simply post my question to the Trailblazer Community and get an answer that day from another Salesforce customer. Fast forward 4 years, and I decided that I was ready to give back to the community and help others in the same way. 

In the rest of this blog, I’ll share some helpful tips for new Salesforce Admins looking to become more knowledgeable about the Salesforce Platform and gain hands-on experience and skills, all while giving back to the Trailblazer Community.

Gain real-world experience without a job

Trailhead is a great place to start learning as a new Salesforce Admin. The easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions in modules are a great introduction to get the basics down so you aren’t overwhelmed. The next step up is superbadges, legitimate Salesforce credentials that are great for showcasing your hands-on experience to potential employers. With superbadges, you can work toward understanding requirements and delivering on them without necessarily being given a recipe to follow like a regular Trailhead module would. 

Once you’ve conquered some superbadges, the Trailblazer Community is the natural next place to explore. Questions in the Answer community include REAL-WORLD requirements, where fellow Trailblazers respond and debate on the best way to deliver them.

Here are some great ways to leverage the Answer community to help you skill up.

• Replying to a question asking for more information helps to fine-tune your business analysis skills.  This is a very important skill for any admin to develop when working with end users and business stakeholders.
• Once you understand the requirements, solutioning and designing what needs to be built in order to give a helpful answer is great practice for what someone would encounter in a real-life scenario. Also, by having to type the solution out, you’re able to practice documenting what’s going to be built. Documentation is essential for maintaining a clean org.
• A key aspect to helping others in the Trailblazer Community is learning how to quickly research Salesforce topics. Being able to effectively search for the right documentation, blogs, and previous answers in the community can supercharge the speed at which you’re able to learn new skills and troubleshoot problems. You may never, ever feel confident enough to say you know everything about Salesforce, but honing your research skills WILL make you confident enough to say you’ll always be able to find the answers.
• Helping people troubleshoot flows trains you to look at the details and follow how the flow is running and what it’s built to do. This can also provide inspiration for ideas on new flows you can build to automate processes. 

Broaden your skill set

By answering questions on the Trailblazer Community, you can expand your skill set and learn about products you may have never used or even been exposed to. This can help to improve your responses when you apply for new jobs. When you’re in an interview and get asked about a topic, you’ll be better prepared to discuss Salesforce products and features with confidence. 

Give back to the community

Still, the most compelling reason why everyone should consider answering questions on the Trailblazer Community is the great feeling you get when you’re able to give back and help solve someone’s issue. Some people might feel vulnerable when posting about how they’re new to working with Salesforce or how they’ve been struggling for hours or even days on something. Their solution might be as simple as adding a comma in a formula, but connecting a fellow Trailblazer to their solution can end up being the highlight of their week. And don’t we all want to be the highlight of someone’s week?

Unlock new opportunities  

Giving back through the Trailblazer Community can be the key to opening new doors and exploring new paths as a Salesforce Admin. After years of self-learning and using the community as a resource, I am now a resource for others. You dont need to be an expert to help others; you just need the eagerness to learn and the determination to inspire the next generation of Trailblazers.

Resources

• Trailhead: Answers Community
• Trailhead: Admin Trailblazers Community Group