- Salesforce Careers
UPDATED November 2021
At its core, searching for your first Salesforce job is pretty simple. You put together a well-written resume or CV that outlines your qualifications and accomplishments, you send it to companies or recruiters who have an open position, you get an interview where you wow and dazzle, and then you get offered the job of your dreams.
Easy, right?
Unfortunately, even though the steps in the process are straightforward, there are lots of hurdles you’ll need to overcome along the way. Particularly if you’re vying for a Salesforce internship or the first Salesforce job of your career, you’ll need to make sure you stand out from other applicants and showcase your talents and skills better than the rest.
Luckily, we’ve gathered tips from our top recruiters to help you out. As a Salesforce registered consulting partner, we know what it takes to build a Salesforce resume that will get you noticed by potential employers, and how to showcase your skill set in a way that will have them chasing you.
Here are our top tips on how to land one of the sought-after Salesforce careers in the ecosystem.
Get Certified
Although a certification isn’t critical in every organization, seeing one when searching through Salesforce resumes might move you to the top of a pile.
In one survey, of professionals who have a career in the Salesforce ecosystem, 77% of them said they held at least one certification. What’s more, of those who started their job without one, one in four saw a salary increase once they completed just one.
Salesforce offers a variety of certifications and Trailhead modules to help expand your knowledge base, and completing them may give you an edge over other job seekers in your area.
Use Social Media
Remember, once you start your job search, all of your social media profiles are fair game for prospective employers. In fact, it’s a good idea to assume that they will check out your online presence, and you can use that to optimize your exposure.
Stay active on social media sites, particularly LinkedIn, and make sure that they are up to date with highlights about your past experience, projects, certifications, and trailhead achievements.
Add a link on your resume and LinkedIn page that goes to your trailhead profile to showcase your badges and achievements. Make sure that you’re staying up to date on trainings, and work towards ranger status to show that continuing education.
Tweak Your Resume
When you begin searching and applying for jobs, it’s important to recognize that your resume won’t (and shouldn’t) be one size fits all.
Although your fundamental skills and experience won’t change, each position will offer a new and unique opportunity for you to highlight your expertise. Read each job description thoroughly, and then use those details to point out areas where you can add value to the organization in your resume.
Tweak the language to match what they use in the description and mention specific experience or projects where your skills will translate. For example, if you are applying for a job that requires community cloud and you’ve used it on one project, highlight that. This could give you a competitive edge over other candidates or get your foot in the door. Need help ensuring that your resume is customized to perfectly fit the job description? Try a service like Jobscan to help your application standout.
Contact a Recruiter
Although there is a significant demand for qualified Salesforce professionals, that doesn’t always mean it’s easy to find a position that matches your skill set with an organization where you fit into their culture.
This is where a Salesforce-specific recruiter can help.
Experienced and credible Salesforce recruiting firms have relationships with top employers in your area and have tons of experience reading through Salesforce resumes and matching candidates with opportunities.
They can be your advocate and pitch you and your skills to an organization to fill their vacancy. Your recruiter can also give you valuable insight that you won’t find in the Salesforce job description about the company culture, team dynamic, and hot-button topics you’ll need to be ready to address in your interview.
The best Salesforce recruiters will have jobs posted on their website for which you can apply, and will also offer a portal where you can submit your resume for consideration.
Research the Organization
Once you’ve landed your interview, it’s time to do some prep work so that you put your best foot forward.
Research the organization by browsing through their website and social media pages. Search for any recent news articles to be up to date on current events or changes at the company. See if anyone from the company is active in the Trailblazer community and connect with them.
Determine who will conduct your interview and check out their LinkedIn profile to get some background information to help you formulate interview questions. Memorize the job description and jot down specific experiences you have that relate to the core responsibilities and needs that they have.
If you’re working with a recruiter, ask them for some sample Salesforce interview questions to help you better prepare your answers. You can also check out this article for an idea of what to expect during the conversation.
Think Outside the Box with Experience
Since this is your first job in the Salesforce ecosystem, it’s possible that you won’t have any amazing stories of real-world applications of your skills. That’s all right.
More years of experience doesn’t necessarily make a better candidate, and if the organization decided to bring you in for an interview, there is a reason why.
It’s all right to use non-Salesforce examples to answer problem-solving questions, and you should focus on what you’ve achieved that others may not have done. Remember, skills translate and sometimes an employer is simply trying to understand how you think through a problem and develop a solution. Be honest and specific, and you can’t go wrong.
Prepare for the Interview Format
The role for which you interview may impact the format, and it’s important to be prepared. For example, if you’re applying for a position on the Sales or Marketing side of the team, you’ll likely have a very different experience than someone looking for a Salesforce administrator or developer role.
Ask your Salesforce recruiter what to expect, and then prepare accordingly. You may need to take a test, work through a timed exercise, write or fix code, or just have a conversation. It’s best to know ahead of time and brush up on your skills so that you’re not unnecessarily surprised (or stressed out) when the time comes.
Showcase your Career Drive
Because this is your first Salesforce job, chances are good that you will follow a path of advancement within the organization. One way to stand out from other applicants is to demonstrate your drive and discuss how this opportunity is the next logical step for growth on your path.
Discuss what you hope to learn from the opportunity, the skills you plan to build, and what that will mean for you five years down the road. This enthusiasm for the job and long-term growth in Salesforce will strengthen your case that you are the right candidate for the position.
Ready to get started toward your first Salesforce job? Search our Salesforce jobs here.