Continuing Education and Career Development

In the previous chapter, you learned about certifications and how to prepare for them. But I want to remind you of one thing: you work in IT, where everything changes from minute to minute. We, the IT people, need to stay up to date. So, in this chapter, we will discuss where to find out about upcoming updates to Salesforce, where to find people with similar interests, which industry events to attend, and which direction your career path should take. This chapter includes covers the following:

• Staying up to date with Salesforce releases
• Joining the Salesforce community
• Advanced certifications and career pathways

Staying up to date with Salesforce releases

I have often stressed that today’s world is very dynamic. Just when we think our knowledge is up to date, a new update appears, and we start our learning journey anew. Every manufacturer of electronic equipment or software must improve their product; without this, it will become outdated and fall behind current standards, and its security will be compromised. Just as phone manufacturers release updates, Salesforce also has such updates. (Actually, that’s not surprising: even my vacuum cleaner updates itself from time to time.) So, I do not mean to worry you, but after passing your admin certification, you still need to learn. But thanks to this, you can implement the latest solutions in your org. So, there is some give and take.

What is a release? A release is nothing more than an update to the Salesforce platform. These updates are released three times a year – in spring, summer, and winter. These updates provide...

Joining the Salesforce community

Every passion has its community, where you will find like-minded people for whom the language you use at work does not sound like blah, blah, blah (shoutout to my wife, who hears me like that when I talk about my work – I will teach you Salesforce one day, honey). Just as Metallica fans have their meetups and concerts, and motorcycle enthusiasts have their events, so do we.

But let us start first with people. After all, it is us, the users, administrators, developers, architects, and many, many others who create new products and configurations and share ideas – yes, it is us who are the community. What is definitely unique in these groups is the willingness to help. During my adventure with Salesforce, I noticed that people from different international communities, when they meet, talk like old friends even though they are meeting each other for the first time. I remember my first Salesforce World Tour in Warsaw, where I met many people...

Advanced certifications and career pathways

If you have already passed the Salesforce Admin certification, you are on a very good path to continue this winning streak. As they say, “No risk, no champagne.” Certifications are a bit like tattoos: once you get one, it is hard to stop. But what is the next certification? This question troubles many administrators. I can only advise you; I cannot decide for you. Have you ever watched Dragon Ball? (If not, you have a lot to catch up on.) In it, the main character and his friends reach a new levels of power called Super Saiyan, and there’s Super Saiyan II and Super Saiyan III too. It is similar to Administrator certifications. Why not go for Advanced Administrator? This is the first certification that can also be useful in an administrator’s near future. But there are many certifications. I will mention only those that are extremely useful and those that you could not even have dreamed of when you first learned...

Summary

I sincerely hope these recruitment experts’ knowledge will assist you in future recruitment opportunities, and that the advice from the first two experts will help you choose the right career path. In this chapter, you’ve been introduced to the more social side of Salesforce. You’ve read about people creating their own communities, how to implement your ideas globally, and where to look for events. The last section was incredibly helpful; I wasn’t fortunate enough to find a mentor who could give me career development ideas. Thanks to the last section, you can now transform your image in the business network and benefit from the contacts you’ve acquired. I am confident that after reading this book, you will have substantial knowledge of Salesforce. But do not just stop with this book. Find Trailheads that will introduce you to Salesforce’s new features, get to know the upcoming AI, and build your knowledge and portfolio. To conclude...