Introduction to Salesforce Certification and Career Planning from Udemy

What's inside

Syllabus

Understand the Salesforce platform as well as the multitude of cloud career paths that Salesforce provides.

I cover my background, certifications, and why this course exists. The purpose of this course is to answer common questions from those unfamiliar with the Salesforce Platform, and set expectations for what you will learn in this course.

In this text lecture I provide helpful resources you can take advantage of to launch your own cloud career.

Understand What Cloud Computing Is and Why There Is Such Demand for Salesforce Talent in the Employment Market.

New to the cloud, or not sure what cloud computing even is? We discuss why cloud computing has been so revolutionary in this day and age, and how you can leverage various cloud-based skills to super-charge your career.

We discuss the history of Salesforce, from its founding in 1999, through today. Relentless innovation coupled with the tectonic shift to the cloud have placed you in the right place at the right time to learn the skills to succeed with Salesforce.

The three core tenants of Salesforce are:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Functionality
Sales Process
Service Process

Students will come away from this lecture with an understanding of what types of processes are best suited for the Salesforce platform.

The first logical Salesforce Certification to attain is the Salesforce Administrator Certification. Attaining this Certification opens up a myriad of career options for you. In this lecture we discuss not only the obvious career route of that of a Salesforce Administrator, but also opportunities for Business Analysts, Project Managers, Product Managers, Developers, Architects, and a whole lot more.

In this lecture, I take you through the process of signing up for a free Salesforce Developer Account. This is an account that you can keep for life. Salesforce gives them away as a way to help you learn, whether you are an aspiring Salesforce Developer, Administrator, or End User.

Determine your course of action to get certified, as well as how to break into the Cloud industry with several resume building tips.

This lecture covers several creative ways to utilize Salesforce at your existing job. Through following these steps, you can gain verifiable and legitimate work history on the Salesforce Platform. These tips are key in building your resume to be cloud relevant and get well on your way to a new career.

There are many non-profit organizations that use Salesforce on a daily basis. They are often stretched for resources and lack the personnel to help them customize the platform to meet their needs. You may be able to volunteer time to these non-profits in order to assist them with their Salesforce implementation, as well as gain valuable experience that you can then add to your resume.

I recorded this talk on location in Seaside, Oregon. At the foot of a statue devoted to Lewis & Clark, I speak about the fear of the unknown, and taking you from 'what if' to 'why not?' when it comes to venturing into the cloud for your career.

Helpful Salesforce Resources

This lecture covers some of the helpful LinkedIn Groups that are related to Salesforce. You can follow the latest happenings on the platform, be alerted to job opportunities, and find out about local meetups in your area. LinkedIn Groups provide a great way to start networking and find Salesforce connections and jobs.

This text lecture covers how to connect with other Salesforce Users, Developers, Administrators and more, either online, or locally.

This lecture covers the Salesforce Success Community and also the Online Help system. The Salesforce community is a helpful online community of Salesforce professionals that answer each others questions. Both the Success Community and the Online Help System are indispensable resources that have gotten me past roadblocks many times in my Salesforce career.

You can check the status of your Salesforce instance by going to this helpful website. You can also monitor transaction counts, view maintenance and upgrade schedules, and more at trust.salesforce.com.

In this lecture, I point to several recent developments and news items that show just how in-demand Salesforce skills are.

I run through the website certification.salesforce.com and show you the different certifications that are currently available on the Salesforce Platform.

This bonus lecture introduces you to my latest course, "The Complete Salesforce Administrator Certification Course" and shows you how to get coupon codes to my other upcoming Salesforce courses for users, consultants and developers.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Teaches skills, knowledge, and tools that are highly relevant to employment prospects in cloud technology

Examines Salesforce, which is a leading player in customer relationship management (CRM)

Develops skills for a Salesforce Administrator, which is a highly sought-after role in the tech industry

Builds a strong foundation for beginners in cloud computing and Salesforce

Teaches learners to build applications in the cloud without prior coding experience

Utilises multi-modal learning, including videos, readings, and discussions

Reviews summary

Valuable salesforce career planning

According to students, this course is a great resource for understanding career options within the Salesforce ecosystem. It is well presented and offers helpful resources. Reviewers suggest that the course would be even stronger if the information were updated to reflect the current year.

Course is well presented.

"The delivery is excellent, not rushed..."

Course offers helpful resources.

"and the resources are really helpful."

Course provides a great overview of career options within the Salesforce ecosystem.

"I am pretty new to Salesforce and I am quite willing to understand the career options and benefits as I advance further into a career with Salesforce ecosystem and this course really helped me to understand what Salesforce has to offer and how I can grow with it."

Information should be updated.

"Just one thing that was little off track is that I am watching this in 2020 and some of the information is corresponding to 2017 and it will be really great if those can be updated for example, certifications information, latest releases and career opportunity. Rest is 5-Star."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Salesforce Certification and Career Planning with these activities:

Review cloud computing basics

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Review the basics of cloud computing including the different types of cloud services, the benefits of cloud computing, and the different cloud providers.

Browse courses on Cloud Computing Fundamentals

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Read an introductory article or blog post about cloud computing.
Watch a video tutorial on cloud computing.
Take a free online course on cloud computing.

Attend a Salesforce User Group meeting

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Attend a Salesforce User Group meeting to connect with other Salesforce professionals. This activity provides an opportunity to learn from others, share knowledge, and expand your network in the Salesforce ecosystem.

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Find a local Salesforce User Group
Register for the meeting
Attend the meeting
Introduce yourself and network with others
Ask questions and participate in discussions

Volunteer with a non-profit organization using Salesforce

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Volunteer with a non-profit organization that uses Salesforce. This activity allows you to gain hands-on experience working with Salesforce in a real-world setting and contribute to a meaningful cause.

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Find a non-profit organization that uses Salesforce
Contact the organization and inquire about volunteer opportunities
Attend a volunteer training session
Start volunteering and assisting the organization with Salesforce-related tasks
Reflect on your experience and how it has enhanced your Salesforce skills

Five other activities

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Find a mentor in the Salesforce ecosystem

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Find a mentor in the Salesforce ecosystem who can provide guidance and support in your Salesforce journey. A mentor can share their knowledge, experience, and insights to help you accelerate your learning and career growth.

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Attend Salesforce events and meetups
Connect with Salesforce professionals on LinkedIn
Reach out to potential mentors and ask for guidance
Establish a regular communication schedule with your mentor
Follow your mentor's advice and seek their support when needed

Practice building Salesforce Communities

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Complete a series of exercises to build Salesforce Communities. This activity focuses on developing a strong foundation in building and managing Salesforce Communities, which is essential for success in the Salesforce Administrator role.

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Create a Salesforce Community
Configure community settings
Add members and assign permissions
Design and customize the community
Publish the community

Create a Salesforce-related blog post

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Write a blog post on a Salesforce-related topic that you are familiar with. This activity helps you demonstrate your understanding of Salesforce concepts and enhances your writing and communication skills.

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Choose a topic
Research and gather information
Write the blog post
Edit and proofread your post
Publish your blog post

Create a collection of Salesforce resources

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Compile a collection of valuable Salesforce resources, including articles, videos, and documentation. This activity helps you organize and access the information you need to support your Salesforce learning and career growth.

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Identify and gather Salesforce resources from various sources
Organize the resources into categories or topics
Create a central repository for the resources
Share the resource collection with other Salesforce learners and professionals
Update and maintain the resource collection over time

Develop a Salesforce solution for a fictitious business

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Design and develop a Salesforce solution for a fictitious business. This project allows you to apply your Salesforce skills and knowledge in a practical scenario, fostering a deeper understanding of the platform's capabilities.

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Define the business requirements
Design the Salesforce solution
Implement the solution in Salesforce
Test and deploy the solution
Document the solution

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Salesforce Certification and Career Planning will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Salesforce Administrator

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the Salesforce Administrator role. It covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to attain the Salesforce Administrator Certification. This certification is a valuable credential that opens up a wide range of career opportunities in various industries, making this course highly relevant for those interested in pursuing a career as a Salesforce Administrator.

See salaries and explore the career path for Salesforce Administrator

Salesforce Developer

This course provides a strong foundation for individuals interested in becoming Salesforce Developers. It covers the basics of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to obtain a free Salesforce Developer Account. This account allows aspiring developers to gain hands-on experience and build a portfolio of work, which can be invaluable when applying for Salesforce Developer roles.

See salaries and explore the career path for Salesforce Developer

Salesforce Consultant

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the Salesforce Consultant role. It covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals. These skills are essential for success as a Salesforce Consultant, who helps clients implement and optimize their Salesforce systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Salesforce Consultant

Salesforce Architect

This course provides a foundation for individuals interested in becoming Salesforce Architects. It covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals. These skills are essential for success as a Salesforce Architect, who designs and implements complex Salesforce solutions for clients.

See salaries and explore the career path for Salesforce Architect

Business Analyst

This course may be useful for aspiring Business Analysts who are interested in specializing in Salesforce. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Business Analyst in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Project Manager

This course may be useful for aspiring Project Managers who are interested in specializing in Salesforce. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Project Manager in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Project Manager

Product Manager

This course may be useful for aspiring Product Managers who are interested in specializing in Salesforce. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Product Manager in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Data Analyst

This course may be useful for aspiring Data Analysts who are interested in working with Salesforce data. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Data Analyst in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Analyst

Marketing Manager

This course may be useful for aspiring Marketing Managers who are interested in using Salesforce to enhance their marketing campaigns. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Marketing Manager in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Marketing Manager

Sales Manager

This course may be useful for aspiring Sales Managers who are interested in using Salesforce to improve their sales performance. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Sales Manager in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Sales Manager

Customer Success Manager

This course may be useful for aspiring Customer Success Managers who are interested in using Salesforce to improve customer relationships. It provides a comprehensive overview of the Salesforce Platform and its various cloud-based career paths, including a particular emphasis on the role of a Customer Success Manager in the Salesforce ecosystem. The course covers the fundamentals of Salesforce, including its architecture, functionality, and core tenants, as well as providing guidance on how to build a strong resume and network with other Salesforce professionals.

See salaries and explore the career path for Customer Success Manager