If you are reading this, you are clearly considering a career in technology and specifically working with Salesforce.com. Here at ROD we deal with various Salesforce.com partners and end-users, so we know first hand, what skills they are looking for within their Salesforce.com Administrator jobs. But, if like many you are left scratching your head wondering where to begin, then read on. Over a series of blogs we will be going through some different Salesforce.com career paths you can take and how you can get there.
Where to start
The logical starting point for most beginners is to start out as a Salesforce.com Administrator. Starting off as an Administrator not only gives you soft skills and technical experience, but you also gain a thorough knowledge of how the platform works and what its capabilities are.
Administrators are critical to a company’s ongoing success with Salesforce.com CRM Services. They will gain a broad knowledge of Salesforce.com applications and have the ability to configure as well as manage Sales and Service Cloud applications. They are also responsible for suggesting ways for the company to get even more from additional features and capabilities in current and future releases.
What are the key accountabilities?
Salesforce.com Administrator jobs vary from company to company, but the common responsibilities running through them include:
- Collaborating with users and management in defining, analysing and designing of new processes and systems
- Day-to-day administration of Salesforce.com CRM, customisation and data integration
- Providing a high level of user support to internal clients
- To own and develop the Salesforce.com CRM training program and drive user adoption
What skills are required?
To be a Salesforce.com Administrator you have to be good with people, logical, analytical, able to prioritise work loads, have good problem solving skills, strong computing skills, basic knowledge of CRM and knowledge of HTML.
What can you expert to learn?
In the role of an Administrator you will understand data concepts and data manipulation. You will also go on to learn about business and system processes, and how to automate these processes using technology to increase productivity and efficiency. You will also gain an understanding of how to create security profiles and permissions to ensure that company data is protected and secured and how to integrate with third party applications. You are also likely to gain experience with creating visualforce pages and using apex language.
How can I progress?
There are a few routes open to Administrators. If you are analytical and driven by processes you may wish to pursue a career as a Senior Level Administrator or Consultant, which could lead to being a Systems Champion, CRM Manager, or Solutions Architect. However, if you are more technically gifted, then you may wish to go on to become a Developer and one day a Technical Architect.
To certify or not to certify?
Without doubt companies will like people who clearly invest into self-development and this is clearly reflected in the number of Salesforce.com Administrator jobs requiring certification. So if you have the means and time to obtain certifications, this will always be a big selling point! There are two main Administrator certifications you can take; the ADM201 and ADM211 (advanced certification).
If you are looking to take your certification, then take a look at our resources section on our website, to find exam study guides and tips on how to prepare for them.
How do I get a job within Salesforce.com administration?
ROD are a specialist recruitment company who work with some of the biggest Salesforce partners and end-users across the UK and Europe. Speak to one of our consultants now to discuss our latest Salesforce.com Administrator jobs and help find the ideal opportunity for you.
Next time…..A career within Salesforce.com development
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