Nonprofit Salesforce Administrator Adventures and Resources

Are you a new Salesforce Administrator? Or are you about to embark on your first implementation adventure? Either way it can feel overwhelming. You might be wondering where exactly to start, or how to account for the plethora of moving pieces.

Recently, I was preparing for my first section hike of the Appalachian Trail – and really my first backpacking trip ever. There were so many things to do logistically speaking that it felt overwhelming (sound familiar?). Luckily, I had a few things in my favor, I had access to a community of Appalachian Trail hikers, the never ending information source known as the internet, and some really good weatherproof maps.

The beautiful thing is that you, whether you know it or not, already have phenomenal resources in the form of online and in person communities to ensure your success. When you begin your journey as a Salesforce Admin it’s just as important to take advantage of those resources on hand. Let’s start with Community Resources.

Community Resources

Having a community is a powerful tool when you’re striking out into something new, whether it’s a new project, a new job, or a new adventure.

In preparing for my hike, I dove head first into hiking communities that helped me understand the mental and physical toll of hiking 50 miles over the course of 5 days. I found a book by the woman who holds the fastest known time for through-hiking the Appalachian Trail for motivation. I had a chance to chat with her when she came to our local library, and she started her backpacking journey just like me. No experience, just sheer desire to do the thing. She imparted so many pearls of wisdom. We also had the amazing community of fellow hikers who crossed our path and we always parted with “happy trails.”

The Salesforce community is an extremely welcoming place with groups focused on Salesforce Administrator success.

• There is a robust Trailblazer online community segmented by fields and interests as well as local groups.
• Salesforce Ohana embraces working collaboratively, taking care of one another, and having fun. Individuals feel comfortable sharing their successes and lessons they learned when solving complex problems. You can even upvote ideas to help inform Salesforce product improvements.
• With in person Trailblazer community events you get to meet people in your area who work in the Salesforce ecosphere. In these meetings they host guest speakers, talk about the latest features in releases, or highlight a project someone in the local community has created.

Internet Resources

There are plenty of jokes about the rabbit holes one can find themselves in on the internet. However, when you know what you’re looking for it’s a powerful tool. I read reviews on backpacks, looked up average calorie burn and food packing strategies, the best items for a first aid kit, and how much water one needs so they don’t get dehydrated. I read countless articles on bear safety and the best bear prevention measures to take when you’re hiking, too.

Being able to quickly search on a topic makes preparation a breeze and ensures you don’t forget anything.

• Salesforce Trailhead is the tour de force when it comes to online learning and it’s not just limited to the technical aspects of Salesforce.
• Trailmixes have been created about building your career, trails on project management, and even fun projects so you get real hands-on experience.
• As an added bonus you get to collect virtual badges and can earn the infamous Ranger badge once you’ve completed 100 trails.
• Several Salesforce users (including BackOffice Thinkers) have helpful blogs, podcasts, and online videos.
• Even a quick google search on how to merge contact records can provide you with countless how to articles.
• Using an online document to outline your customizations can be helpful when looking at adding integrations or reviewing release notes, to see if you will need to make changes.

Tangible Resources

When you’re in the woods you don’t have a guarantee of internet access so it’s important to have tangible resources too. I had a waterproof map that outlined sections of the hike, shelters, water, parking lots, and federal forest service roads. We also knew to keep an eye out for the iconic white blazes (white rectangle to denote the Appalachian trail), those were the breadcrumbs to get us all the way to Mt. Katahdin in Maine. Without these tangible resources we would have literally felt lost in acres upon acres of forest.

Having tangible review items will help ensure your success as a Salesforce Administrator.

• Salesforce has in person workshops and events where they share fun swag and documentation.
• There are several books on Salesforce architecture best practices, development tools, and Apex code.
  I am a huge fan of notecards and sticky notes when I am trying to document a solution.
• I keep a notebook nearby to write key questions and ideas that come up in meetings or when I am reading a blog post.

Taking advantage of your community, online, and in person learning opportunities, as well as some good old fashioned books and notes will truly set you on your path to be a successful Salesforce Administrator. It will also be the foundation for friendships and professional networking opportunities. These things ensured my success on the Appalachian Trail as well as in the Salesforce ecosystem. Happy trails and continued success as you on your Admin adventure.

Of course, sending to our experienced team through your support email is always a great option. Learn more about our Salesforce Ongoing Support options.

Resource List

What are Trailblazer Ranks?
Salesforce Trailhead
Salesforce Trailmixes
Trailblazer online community
Salesforce Ohana
BackOffice Thinking Salesforce blog
100 Best Salesforce Books of All Time