Several reasons may lead to a career change. Some are personal while others are professional. Whatever the reason, one factor remains constant; the skillset to remain competitive and employable in the new career switch.

Personal reasons for a career switch may include a better salary or a relocation. Professional reasons may include; seeking work flexibility with the option to go hybrid or fully work remotely.

One of the major career switches of the past decade has been a switch to a career within the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce careers are highly lucrative and rewarding and it’s no surprise that most people are jumping on the train.

Wondering how to switch careers to Salesforce? Wondering which career path within the Salesforce ecosystem to take? Worry not for the world’s #1 customer relationship management (CRM) platform offers numerous career opportunities beyond technical careers like Developers and Architects.

With Salesforce, you can take other career paths like Business Analyst, Marketing Cloud Specialist, or even CRM Manager. Simply put, in the Salesforce ecosystem, there is a career path for everyone from any industry.

It doesn’t matter what your current career path is. As long as you have the passion and will to learn, you will easily adapt while switching careers to Salesforce.

However, there are several lessons to be learned if you seek to fast-track your Salesforce career.

How to Switch Careers to Salesforce

Here is the breakdown of how to switch careers to Salesforce.

1.   Fill in the missing gaps in your resume

You don’t have to start from scratch when switching to the Salesforce ecosystem. Depending on the Salesforce career switch, you can build your existing resume by adding the missing Salesforce skillsets.

For example, a marketing expert can become a certified Salesforce Marketing Cloud Specialist by adding the relevant skills offered by Salesforce.

With pre-requisite skills like email marketing and social media campaigns, you can easily switch to Salesforce by getting certified in these Marketing Cloud skills.

Marketing Cloud Administrator certification

It provides users with knowledge of the features available to end users and configuration options available in Marketing Cloud. You will also get skilled in how to perform common business requirements as an administrator applying digital marketing’s best practices.

Marketing Cloud Consultant certification

You can only become a consultant after being in the trenches. Marketing Cloud Consultant certification is an upskill from an administrator.

Marketing Cloud Developer certification

A marketing or coding background comes in handy for this certification. As a Salesforce career switch aspirant, you will need an understanding of scripting languages across the platform to help configure Marketing Cloud.

Marketing Cloud Email Specialist certification

With or without any marketing background, this certification enables you to understand Salesforce data management, content development, and digital marketing best practices. It focuses on features like; Content Builder, Automation Studio, Email Studio, and Journey Builder.

The same applies to any related Salesforce career switch. However, it’s not all gloom for individuals whose backgrounds are not related to careers in the Salesforce ecosystem.

For example, a hands-on career like plumbing probably has little to do with CRMs unless it’s management. But a plumber passionate about technology can switch to a Salesforce careers like Salesforce Admin by getting certified and upskilling into other departments from there.

2.   How to switch careers to Salesforce: Find a mentor to hold your hand

It’s like standing on the shoulders of a giant as Isaac Newton would put it. One of the easiest ways to switch careers to Salesforce is to get a mentor – a Salesforce expert to hold your hand in this new journey.

However, before you can approach a potential mentor, it’s prudent to complete the Salesforce training course of your choice.

Great training programs for Salesforce careers offer mentoring as a package. However, don’t expect a one-on-one mentor from these programs, but community support is a great offer.

As a mentee, here are ways to improve your mentorship relationship and fast-track your Salesforce career.

Be open and honest – It’s OK to open up about the challenges you are facing with your Salesforce training. Let your mentor know exactly where you need serious help so that they can offer guided and structured mentorship.

Create space for personal connection – Mentorship doesn’t need to be serious all the time. Create time to build a personal connection with your mentor. This allows both of you to even go deeper into others’ career journeys and experiences.

Know what you are looking for in a mentor – Highlight what you are looking to gain from a mentor. Then go searching for a mentor in Salesforce communities, social media channels like Twitter or LinkedIn, and Salesforce training support groups.

Embrace feedback as a gift – Trust that your mentor’s feedback is meant to grow your Salesforce career. Take it positively and improve on the negatives.

3.   Take advantage of your employer’s budget

Employees are the gatekeepers between the organization and its customers. So, it’s in the company’s best interest to train its employees to offer the best customer experience.

Employers often set aside employee training budgets, and if your organization already exists in the Salesforce ecosystem, you can take advantage of this budget to upskill and switch your career into the space.

There are a couple of ways to take advantage of an employer’s budget to upskill your Salesforce career aspirations. Here are some ways;

Seeking professional development – If your employer offers learning vouchers, you can use them to get Salesforce professional skills from programs outside the company. After acquiring the skills, then present them for a promotion position in the company where they are required.

Ask for more responsibilities – This shows your desire to help the organization grow. Seeking out more responsibilities may trigger the organizations to link you to training for you to deliver better results.

And if the required skills are related to Salesforce, then it’s a plus for your aspirations to switch careers to the Salesforce ecosystem.

Create opportunities – Depending on how long you have worked for the company, you may notice some areas being neglected. Take advantage of these career gaps and gain the necessary skills before approaching the organization to help them deliver in these areas.

4.   Showcase your portfolio on Salesforce Trailblazers

Whether you have gained your Salesforce skills in and out of the Salesforce Trailhead, you can share your portfolio in the Salesforce Trailblazers community and stand a chance for mentorship and career opportunities.

Start by telling your story;

• How did you get to join the Salesforce community?
• What is your initial background?
• Why are you passionate about the Salesforce ecosystem?
• What are some of the handles you have faced in your Salesforce career journey?

Let other Trailblazers relate to your journey. This will build a strong connection with some members who will be open to holding your hand as you upskill and switch your career to Salesforce.

Promote your skills and projects; a marketing expert with skills like paid social media, email marketing and copywriting can showcase their portfolio in the Trailblazer community for prospective employers to consider hiring trailblazers with such skills.

Also, you can share your Trailblazer profile displaying your projects showcasing your  Salesforce skills.

Conclusion

It’s easier to switch careers to Salesforce if you have relatable background skills. Even though you may feel intimidated by Salesforce technicalities, start your journey by making transferable skills stand out.

An example, a marketing expert switching into Salesforce has a greater chance to secure a Salesforce job in the Marketing Cloud career. Think creatively about how you will repackage your resume with the newly acquired Salesforce skills for the Salesforce job opportunity.

I sure hope our 4 insights on how to switch careers to Salesforce will help you as you make that switch. It is never easy making a career switch but it’s all worthwhile and it gets better as time goes by. So take the leap of faith and just do it.

Looking to make a career switch to Salesforce? Let us help you. We offer a wide variety of courses that will establish you as a revered and sought-after Salesforce professional. Check out our courses section and let us get started.