Be a problem-solving, challenge-overcoming coder. Be a Salesforce Developer.
Developers — the automation experts tasked with designing, coding, testing, and implementing new Salesforce applications — are at the forefront of helping growing companies meet their expanding business objectives. See how successful Salesforce Developer, Neetu Bansal, leads the way for more Women in Tech.
Recent figures show that by 2022, an impressive 3.3M jobs will be created in the Salesforce ecosystem. Likely to be one of the most in demand of these jobs is Salesforce Developer. In fact, Indeed ranked Salesforce Developer as number 10 in The Best Jobs in the U.S.: 2019.
To call Developers “versatile” is an understatement. They need to be familiar with not only the coding languages Apex, VisualForce, JavaScript, and SQL but also the basic principles of business software design and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.
Neetu Bansal, a Salesforce Developer and Team Lead at Accenture in Jaipur, India, perfectly demonstrates this ability to pivot as she problem solves to improve software capability and functionality.
But her road to becoming a Salesforce Developer was not an easy one.
An Inspiring Journey
Before pursuing her role as a Developer, Neetu first had to convince her family to break with custom and allow her to leave home and attend college.
She explains, “I had to argue with my family. I had to really convince them that I want to go out, I want to study.”
“I want to learn something. I want to become something.”
Her passionate plea paid off: They knew the value of a good education and allowed her to leave home to study engineering. She became the first woman in her family to attend college.
As soon as she graduated, Neetu landed her first job, and it was there that she had her first experience with Salesforce. She admits that at first, she was a bit reluctant to embrace the technology.
“When I joined Salesforce, I was not from a Salesforce background. I was from a Java background… Frankly speaking, when they gave me projects on Salesforce, I was totally like, ‘I don’t want to work on this technology.’”
Neetu quickly became a Salesforce convert, however, after experiencing the versatility of the platform and realizing how it jibed with her knowledge of Java.
But, as Neetu explains, it takes more than technical skills to succeed as a Salesforce Developer. “You should know how you’re interacting, how you’re speaking, how you’re behaving, how you’re listening.”
“Your communication should be good… You should know how and to whom you have to reach out when you face any issues.”
Throughout all phases of a project, Developers must be able to effectively communicate and collaborate with various individuals — from clients to project managers to other devs — across departments (and sometimes time zones) to ensure the Salesforce environment supports all functionality and performance requirements.
The Salesforce Difference
As Neetu continued to work on the Salesforce Platform, she began to appreciate its ability to keep her on her toes.
“You never claim at any point that you [know] everything about Salesforce because they have the latest plan in every quarter, so you have to learn new things. They are improving the technology. They are adding more skills. They are upgrading it with time.”
And Neetu continues to see the value of her role, which is in demand globally and pays a yearly average salary of $125,000 in the United States.
“The market value of a Salesforce Developer is much more than compared to other technologies… Plenty of jobs [are] available in the market, and as everyone knows, Salesforce is one of the most innovative companies.”
Salesforce’s cloud-based platform gives Salesforce Developers the ability to work from anywhere, which is yet another advantage. “You just need an internet connection,” Neetu says, “and you will be all set to use it.”
Salesforce Developers get to tackle a variety of projects as they help companies customize Salesforce to meet their specific needs.
This includes creating applications that can be listed in AppExchange, making them available to other companies and developers, both for free and for purchase.
The potential to generate income is certainly appealing, but as Neetu explains, the real reward is in offering others exciting, business-building capabilities. “Anyone who wants to implement the same functionality, they just need to browse [the AppExchange], and they can install the complete functionality with just a few clicks… You can build something that is very helpful for everyone.”
Invaluable Community Support
The AppExchange is just one way that Salesforce Developers can connect with other developers and businesses. They also can reach out via the Trailblazer Community and Developer online forums, two resources that have proven invaluable to Neetu as she continues to hone her skills.
As a member of these communities, Neetu receives support from all over the world, building virtual and real-world relationships that her colleagues at other companies don’t necessarily get to experience.
After speaking with a colleague who doesn’t work in the Salesforce ecosystem, Neetu realized that community is one more thing that sets Salesforce apart.
“He was like, ‘What are all of your conferences about?’ I let him know that this is the model of Salesforce. They have appointed leaders for user groups and Women in Tech groups, and now we collaborate with all the other Salesforce Developers. He was like, ‘We never have this kind of involvement in our technology. We want to have that.’”
Neetu suggests that those interested in dev work, or Salesforce skills in general, turn to — where else — Trailhead!
“Trailhead has changed the lives of so many people… Even now when I have to train someone on Salesforce, I just give them a link and they just start.”
And because Trailhead and Trailblazer Community resources are readily available to anyone, the Salesforce Developer role isn’t just for those who’ve studied Computer Science or Engineering — anyone can take the dev career path.
This “all are welcome” approach to learning is just another great thing about Salesforce, Neetu believes.
“Salesforce is something that if you don’t have any degree from any university, but you are willing to learn and you have the skills, then you can easily learn.”
That’s the best part. They are not focusing on the degree of the individual. They are just testing your skills, your knowledge, and your willingness.”
Ready to Start Your Salesforce Developer Career?
Learn more about Neetu’s experience as a Salesforce Developer by listening to her episode on the Trailblazing Guide to Careers podcast.
Then, if you’re down to start developing, complete the dedicated Build Your Developer Career on Salesforce trailmix. Plus, discover the Salesforce Developer credentials you can earn to grow your resume and gain a competitive edge.
Explore more of the amazing career paths you can unlock with Salesforce, check out The Trailblazer’s Guide to Careers blog.
