In speaking with aspiring Salesforce career seekers that have yet to get their break in landing their 1st PAID Salesforce position after months or even over a year of disappointment, I often think, maybe there’s a better path forward for them which has nothing to do with Salesforce.
Daily, we are getting hit upside the head with the future of Salesforce opportunities, thousands of jobs to be had, the projected growth of the platform, the ease of training oneself on Trailhead, the vast support system that’s available, the big money to be made, the local and national events, the list goes on and on, BUT…
This career path may NOT be the right one for you.
Sure, obstacles, challenges and the ability to push through the anguish to land that 1st Salesforce position might be what you have your heart and mind set out to do, but maybe another way to think about it, is:
A Salesforce career or something better than where I am today
With this mindset, it gives you the opportunity to explore other career options that exist that can also give you the sense of accomplishment and career satisfaction, and only you can decide what better might be by being open to hear, explore, think and try those options.
Better for you is FOR YOU, not what anyone else necessarily encourages you to do. Your own personal perspective weighs heavily into what “better” might be, and having context around what you enjoy, and excites and motivates you to move forward.
Therefore, if you feel extreme anxiety, or the burden upon you every day as you chase this Salesforce career path, re-evaluating your situation with a deeper perspective should be the next, best course of action.
Giving up is also a sign of maturity and internal wisdom to realize something is not working and a change needs to be made.
Additionally, we often don’t speak to or highlight the challenges that a Salesforce professional experiences as part of their day to day activities, but they should be accounted for.
Some examples:
- Additional stress of managing unrealistic expectations by company stakeholders
- Dealing with end users who really don’t care about using the platform
- Working with other members of the team that end up breaking what you’ve built
- Spending hours during your personal time on the weekends or evenings to meet specific deadlines
- Carrying dead weight of other members of the team that make you miserable working with
- Layoffs will/do happen even for a Salesforce professional
I think if you have a candid conversation with most Salesforce professionals, they will tell you that their Salesforce career has its associated challenges.
For some, Salesforce fell into their laps, for others, the challenge to break in wasn’t extremely difficult, for others it was, but in summary:
It’s OK if you determine that this path is not meant for you, it doesn’t have to be, as there are endless possibilities to finding a career that brings you joy, satisfaction and success, and it’s up to you to find it.
As you continue your pursuit, rather than having the mindset of:
Salesforce only
Think about:
Salesforce or something better than where I am today
Hopefully you would agree, that’s what really matters in your career…