Hireforce loves participating in ecosystem events and meet-ups, and last week was no different. We had the opportunity to speak to the Charlotte, NC User Group thanks to their awesome group leader, Jackie Travieso, who reached out to us to form a partnership. The user group attendees were looking to gain knowledge about job searching, resume tips, how to best use LinkedIn, and how to overcome barriers in the ecosystem. The major themes and key takeaways from our presentation included:
Overcoming Barriers to Entry
Leverage your existing skill sets and past experiences to get hired.
Entry-level individuals should not solely rely on Trailhead and Certifications to get into the Salesforce ecosystem.
Use Upwork.com, contract projects, build your own developer org to supplement your knowledge, etc. and use these as resume builders
Learn Apex and Flow - they are not as scary as they seem! Even if you learn the basics for troubleshooting and/or gain a basic understanding of these, you will stand out in an interview.
Work with your organization’s Salesforce team to take on projects they need help with.
Overcoming Ageism
Increase your skills and make your skillset irresistible (learn Lightning development, gain experience with niche products, etc.)
Be flexible to get new work - For ex. temporarily relocate, work in contract roles for a period of time to gain more experience, etc.
If you sense that culture fit might be a concern, bring that up in the interview. Say “I’m very excited about this opportunity and this company. How do you see me fitting into the culture here?” If you sense hesitation, you can explain how you fit well with the values and culture in the company to address any prior concerns.
Resume Tips
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use spell check
Do not make mistakes such as: Sales Force, Lightening
If you’re entry-level, make your resume as specific to Salesforce as you can.
Take out past industry jargon
For Example: Do not include 15 years of retail management experience and only 1 Salesforce certification. Cater your resume to the role!
If ageism is a concern, limit the experience on your resume to the most recent 10 years and consider removing education dates.
Always aim for “fewest words, highest impact”
LinkedIn Tips
Mark yourself as “Open to New Opportunities” and make sure your profile is set to receive InMails.
If you don’t check LinkedIn often, add your email to your profile to ensure you don’t miss a message.
Include locations, industries, roles that you are interested in hearing about - this can be set up when you mark yourself as “Open to New Opportunities”
Skills, job titles, and keyword searches are the main ways profiles are found so include relevant content.
Interview Tips
ALWAYS prepare questions - without questions, it will appear as a lack of interest
Do your research and be prepared to explain why you want to work for this company specifically. You can discuss their mission, their product and/or other aspects of the role.
Practice answering interview questions before the interview. Go through each bullet point on the job description and make sure you know what parts of your background intertwine with the role.
At the end of the interview, ask if the interviewer has any hesitations about your fit for their need at this current time. If they do, address them in a positive and constructive way to nip any hesitations in the bud.