How to Stand Out in the Salesforce Ecosystem: 3 Insider Tips
Network, skill up, and give back — but there’s more. To stand out in the Salesforce ecosystem, you’ve got to take each to the next level. Follow these three insider tips to elevate your visibility and help you get noticed more by employers and recruiters.
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With more than two decades of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem combined (that’s almost as old as Salesforce itself!), five Salesforce pros share three big takeaways to help you stand out in the Salesforce ecosystem and gain more attention from employers and recruiters.
1. Don’t just join the community, add value
Eric Dreshfield, VP of Delivery for ITequality (a consulting firm for Salesforce customers), founder of Midwest Dreamin’, and a Salesforce MVP since 2013 (plus inducted into the Salesforce MVP Hall of Fame in 2020), admits his Salesforce journey took time, commitment, and a lot of hard work.
It was a few rocky years of managing several jobs at once, struggling to pay the bills and feed his family, before Eric happened upon Salesforce. “The company I was working at asked me to help with the rollout of Service Cloud. But there was a catch; they said, ‘We can’t afford to send you to any training, so find a local Salesforce user group.’”
Eric did just that. But he did more than join a Community Group. Since entering the Salesforce ecosystem in 2009, Eric has added tremendous value.
“I put myself out there. I founded a Trailblazer Community Group, began a blog series, started a Dreamforce Breakfast for newcomers, and have spoken at Dreamforce consecutively since 2016.” Eric shares, “And by launching Midwest Dreamin’, I wanted to give back to the community to help others grow and succeed, just like the community helped me.”
Eric has the same advice for anyone looking to build a career in the Salesforce ecosystem.
“When I started getting involved, I discovered the value in the Salesforce Community that no one told me about — giving back. So I’m telling you: Volunteer, speak at events — use the Salesforce ecosystem to build your career and make yourself heard.”
Like Eric, Tiffany Spencer, Salesforce MVP, Co-Leader of the Orlando Salesforce Administrators Group, Black Orlando Tech President, and Founder of HBCUforce, wholly embraced the Trailblazer Community.
“I didn’t realize how much I needed to be involved until I made the decision to be more active and apply to be a group leader. BEST DECISION EVER! I love the group here in Orlando.”
Stephanie Herrera, Global VP, Salesforce Practice, for Computer Futures (a leading global STEM recruitment company), Salesforce Saturday founder, and Salesforce MVP since 2016, dove into the Salesforce ecosystem, immediately bringing value.
“Getting involved in the community was key to my success. I was all self-taught, leaning on my community for support. Through the community, we can lift each other up.”
Spearheading and organizing a myriad of support networks through Salesforce Saturdays and as a PepUp Tech co-founder, Texas Dreamin’ founding board member, Merivis Board Member, and Austin Salesforce WIT Founder & Leader for five years… that’s just a glimpse of how Stephanie has added value back to the ecosystem.
Each of these networks provide opportunities — like Stephanie had when she began her career — for the community to connect, learn from one another, and further their Salesforce expertise and visibility in the ecosystem.
This doesn’t mean you have to go out and start a new conference! Look for your next Trailblazer Community Group event to help with or volunteer at the next Salesforce Saturday.
Volunteering your time and contributing your skills will help you develop meaningful connections throughout your career. When recruiters and employers see you stepping up, they know you’re more likely to give back through volunteering or training other employees, making you a great investment for any company.
🌟 Pro tip: Learn more and earn the Trailblazer Community Groups badge on Trailhead. Start by attending virtual Community Groups, answering questions, and volunteering to help others in the Trailblazer Community.
2. Don’t just skill up, show it
The pros agree that skilling up is essential. And by showing it, you’re taking it to the next level by demonstrating your expertise on a visible platform — your Trailblazer.me profile, a personal blog, or via social media. This is how you truly stand out to recruiters and employers: by giving them the confidence that you can apply your skills to real business solutions.
“Always ask yourself, ‘How can I use Trailhead to solve real-world problems?’” Chris Hopper, known as The CRM Recruiter, shares. Chris is a Salesforce recruiter, technologist, blogger, and speaker and has helped professionals achieve success in the Salesforce ecosystem since 2016.
“Showcase your work,” Chris adds. “What are the individual apps you are creating? Are you going to community pages to see what problems are out there? How are you sharing your work or tech knowledge? Do you have a YouTube channel? A blog?”
“You have to share the work you’ve done based on the foundational knowledge you’ve built through Trailhead.”
Patrick Solum, Solution Consultant at Wave6 (a Salesforce consulting firm and implementation partner), Salesforce MVP since 2016, and Founder and host of Trailblazer Community Group Leaders Office Hours, agrees.
“Show your passion. Show your work. Document the things you are doing on social. Make yourself visible. You have to do things to get noticed based on what you learned from Trailhead.”
Stephanie highlights that applying for workforce development programs, like the organization she co-founded, PepUp Tech, not only provides qualifying candidates with the skills, training, and mentorship to begin a tech career but also is a great way to increase visibility in the ecosystem with those in key leadership roles.
“It’s about connecting with and learning from people who are out there in the field. Workforce development programs can help you skill up and show that you are learning from those who are actually doing the job.”
🌟 Pro tip: Prove you can apply what you’ve learned by using Lightning Web Components to Build your Personal Portfolio on Salesforce. Create a personal Community website and add a portfolio showcasing your demos of projects or apps, mentorship and volunteer experiences, and awards.
3. Don’t just pay it forward, pave the way
Giving back is a staple value for Salesforce. And taking this prized value to the next level will not only help you do good but also make you stand out, creating more visibility for yourself in the ecosystem and paving the way for success.
When Stephanie began her career in tech, she had major imposter syndrome. She started in a sales role for Dell with no college degree but ended up scoring the second-highest on a sales exam in one of the sales training programs.
Being a competitive program, Stephanie was surprised to learn that her classmates were upset with her — and not because of her high test score. “They said, ‘You didn’t help us. You didn’t stay after class to help us do better.’ After that, I always made it a point to share knowledge. In the Salesforce ecosystem, it’s a constant circle of paying it forward.”
“When you share, you teach. This makes yourself and your community stronger. Each of us has the power to turn into a leader. By showing up and sharing with others, you are investing in your career, your development, and the growth of others.”
When you give back to your community, it demonstrates to employers and recruiters not only your commitment to show up and be a team player but also that you work well with others, will invest in your team, and can commit to a common mission.
Eric has a similar view. “We need to do more to give back to other people. My constant drive to give back to the community — mentorship, presentations to vocational services for admins, helping them skill up — is my way of paying the community back for what it’s given to me.” And, through each of these actions, Eric continues to elevate his visibility in the ecosystem.
Patrick stresses the importance of volunteering at different community events as a great way to give back and build your community connections.
“Volunteer, volunteer — [it’s] a great way to network.”
When you pay it forward, it’s a win-win for all.
🌟 Pro tip: Check out The Life-Changing Power of Mentorship: 5 Reasons to Become a Trailblazer Mentor.
Ready to dial up your commitment?
Tiffany has been in the Salesforce ecosystem since 2007 and leads with an unwavering vision of a more diverse and inclusive tech workforce.
“I’ve seen how fast someone’s life can be changed with a little training, Trailhead, and an opportunity.”
Commitment like Tiffany’s has long-range impact. Now, Tiffany receives so many one-off asks for guidance that she created her own webinar series aimed at helping the community. Learn more in the 3 Trailblazers Leading with Inclusion blog post.
Stephanie believes that to succeed, you need to be constantly learning and have a growth mindset. That you should listen to people when they tell you what they see in you. And when people say you can do it, believe them.
“Take advantage of what you have available to you. It’s whatever you want to make of it. There really are endless opportunities. You have to be consistent.”
It’s time to stand out
You’ve heard it from the experts. To stand out, you’ve got to take your involvement in the Salesforce ecosystem to the next level. Join the Trailblazer Community and find ways to add value. Skill up and prove you know your Salesforce stuff. And pay it forward by paving the way for others to follow.
Connect to your next opportunity through events, mentorship, and career resources at Trailblazer Connect.
And for even more top tips, including how to research a new company and brush up on your virtual interview skills, check out the Employer Spotlight — Tips from Recruiters session on Trailhead LIVE.
But, almost as importantly, commit to standing out. It won’t be easy, but, with time, it will pay off. As Tiffany says,
“It’s worth it to find a place that will love you as much as you want to love it.”
