Degree inflation – what is it?
It’s a known fact that a degree is almost always needed to get a decent job.
The phenomenon according to which companies demand to only hire staff with a degree is known as ‘degree inflation’. How does this impact the IT industry in particular?
The IT industry is advancing at an extremely fast pace. Universities often struggle to keep their curriculums relevant with this rate of change, whilst industry certification providers, on the other hand, are much more responsive.
Furthermore, the current climate and the severe skills shortage rising especially in the tech industry means employers cannot afford to be so picky and there are plenty of opportunities for professionals without a relevant degree.
What does it mean for Australian school leavers or career movers keen to enter the tech world?
Aspiring IT professionals can jump straight into the job market at an entry-level, progress their career through on-the-job training or gain certifications via shorter courses that can prepare them better than a lengthy four-year degree.
This is also true when it comes to entering the Salesforce Ecosystem, which offers a diverse range of roles for IT professionals to-be.
FINDING A CAREER IN THE SALESFORCE ECOSYSTEM
We have joined forces with Deena Tearney, Founder and CEO of Pacific Point and her team to shed some light on how to start a career in the Salesforce Ecosystem in Australia.
Pacific Point Inc. is a full-service Salesforce Consulting Firm helping clients transform their business with the power of the Salesforce platform. With over 10 years of experience, they are now a trusted partner in the ecosystem and they know what it takes to get ‘a foot in the door’.
Let’s dive in.
EARN A CERTIFICATION
Certifications are the new way to show the world what you can do. If you are hoping to land your first job it’s best to get the Salesforce Certified Administrator certification. From there, your possibilities are limitless and it’s a good idea to understand the different career paths that you can take!
Look over this Salesforce certification-guide where you can access free study resources through specially designed Trailmix (course) on Trailhead, the exam overview, related certifications, and prerequisite certifications. Having at least one certification shows an employer you are serious about learning and are actively taking steps to become the next Salesforce wizard. Explore different career paths and discover what certifications you need to achieve your goals
GET A MENTOR
The Trailblazer Mentorship Program
Connecting with a current Salesforce professional on a regular basis will give you the inside view into how to get a job within the Salesforce ecosystem.
Your mentor is dedicated to your success and will give you career advice, resume feedback, and interview practice. They also might be willing to share their network of Salesforce professionals! The Trailblazer Mentorship Program’s mission is to “empower mentees to connect to opportunities to land their dream job in the Salesforce Ecosystem.
Get plugged in
Everyone knows that relationships are the easiest way to find a new job. Some of our favorite groups we know about in the Sydney area are the Salesforce User Group Sydney Australia, Women in Tech Group, and the Salesforce Developer Group. Candidates (now consultants at our company) ask about consulting firms at Trailblazer groups and navigate themselves to Pacific Point.
Here are our top reasons to join a Salesforce group:
1. User group meetings tend to allocate a little time for announcements about open positions and group members are encouraged to post any new openings to the community page.
2. User groups often offer opportunities for members to present their own solutions and material, which is a great way to get your feet wet if you’re looking for some exposure or presentation skill-building.
3. User groups bring together SF professionals with varying levels of experience and from all sorts of backgrounds & industries. It’s a great way to get a sense of what’s possible, where you can go with your career, and if you already have experience, how you can help guide SF professionals with less experience.
4. User groups tend to have more lengthy presentations on releases and new features, so it’s a great way to keep up-to-date on the technology!
put your skills to work
When you are ready to put your skills to work consider these five things when choosing a company.
1. Work directly for a Company or be a Consultant: If you work for a specific company and/or industry you will learn a few products and industries inside out which will make you an expert. If you work as a consultant you will be working on a lot of different products with multiple companies and will need to be good at being adaptable, curious, and always ready to learn by drinking out of a fire hose.
2. Consider what Salesforce Products you want to learn: Salesforce’s ecosystem is huge! Currently there is Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Commerce Cloud, Data Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Community Cloud, Manufacturing Cloud, Analytics Cloud, App Cloud, and so on! As you can see, you can work in almost any industry when it comes to Salesforce. Think about the industries you want to work in and the types of projects you want to work on. You can multiply your impact by becoming an expert with the Nonprofit Success Pack, or you can help companies serve their customers better by creating case management systems. Ask a prospective company what they are working on and what they have worked on in the past. This will give you a good sense of the products you will be working on.
3. What industries are you curious about? Have you ever heard someone talk about different business verticals? This is just a fancy term that the industry uses to describe different industries. These include public sector projects, finance, healthcare, media, nonprofits, retail, etc. The key to understanding this segmentation is to define what vertical you want to work in, what companies are doing projects in that vertical, and what products are being used. This way you can focus your studying in the direction you want your career to move.
4. Look for news articles and press releases: An easy way to get an idea of how a company is perceived is by looking at news articles about their work. Another place to look is their press releases on their website. These will show you what projects are valuable to them and will highlight their success stories.
5. Ask good questions: Remember that an interview isn’t just about a company getting to know you, but also you getting to know the company. Ask thoughtful questions about the lessons that the team you will be working with has learned. You can ask about their projects, how they approach problems, and what the overall culture is of their company. It’s also important to understand the technical and soft skills you will develop. This is something that’s often overlooked but joining a company without this understanding often leaves people feeling frustrated.
Just remember the sky’s the limit! There is a place for everyone’s talent in building a Salesforce solution, which Pacific Point says is kinda like making a cake.
You too can be front and center in this technological revolution!
