Whether you're newly graduated or looking for a career change, the tech sector is a fantastic place to look for jobs. After all, it's the second-largest industry in the United States, worth an astounding $1.6 trillion. A career in tech promises job stability, too; nearly 180,000 new tech jobs are expected to be created by the end of the year. 

That said, aspiring to build a career in tech and doing so are entirely different challenges. The prospect of paving a professional path — let alone achieving success — can feel intimidating to workforce newcomers. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the job search, or wonder whether you’re genuinely qualified for available roles. 

Fortunately, a few companies on the market go above and beyond to cultivate new talent. In this blog, we’ll consider what it takes to get started with our favorite tech ecosystem employer: Salesforce. The following sections will provide insight into Salesforce as a company, the ecosystem as a whole, the opportunities available to aspiring Salesforce Trailblazers.

What is Salesforce?

Salesforce is a Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud computing company specializing in customer relationship management, or CRM. With Salesforce, companies can manage all their customer relationships and interactions on one centralized platform. According to Salesforce, its ecosystem professionals (e.g., “Trailblazers”), “help businesses and communities achieve their most ambitious business plans, solve their biggest challenges, and harness their successes to leave our planet a little better than we found it.”

Salesforce sees the value in new talent and works hard to provide opportunities to new Trailblazers who want to expand their skill sets and advance their careers. One of the ways Salesforce does this is by facilitating ecosystem education via Trailhead, an online learning platform that helps Trailblazers learn new skills, connect with other professionals, and get certified in a variety of roles within the Salesforce ecosystem. Trailhead is just one of the many benefits of a Salesforce career, however.

Benefits of a Career with Salesforce

Now more than ever, working professionals are placing value on company culture and values. Salesforce calls its team members Ohana — which is named for a Hawaiian philosophy that families, whether chosen or by blood, are bound together and responsible for one another. Salesforce takes the well-being of its Ohana very seriously, and makes company culture a top priority. Other benefits of a career in the Salesforce ecosystem include:

• High earning potential – Depending on the position, Salesforce professionals can expect to make anywhere from $36,000 to $89,000 in their first year. On average, a Salesforce administrator makes over $90,000 a year, while a developer makes just under $115,000. Project managers, on average, make over $187,000 a year.
• Lots of growth opportunities – Through Salesforce’s certification platform Trailhead, professionals have the chance to learn nearly endless new skills and grow their abilities to create all kinds of options for the future. Professionals can earn certifications in everything from marketing to IT, all in one place.
• Job security – Salesforce has been going strong for over 20 years, and it shows no signs of it slowing down anytime soon. Global intelligence firm IDC predicts that Salesforce and its partners will create 9.3 million jobs and generate $1.6trillion in new business by 2026. Given this, it’s pretty safe to say a career in Salesforce has some major staying power.

After reviewing the statistics, the case for building a career within the Salesforce ecosystem nearly writes itself. However, deciding to find a Salesforce-relevant job and actually landing one are entirely different matters.

How To Jumpstart Your Salesforce Career

The Salesforce ecosystem is, in some ways, more like a universe: it is extensive and at times, overwhelming. However, opportunities are almost endless once you feel grounded and know how to start preparing yourself for roles. 

Taking a deep dive into Trailhead to see if anything piques your interest is a great start. Whether you're curious about a leadership position or a more tech-specific position (e.g., in solution architecture, application development, etc.) skimming through available courses on Trailhead can help you get a better idea of the subjects and role types you would be interested in taking on professionally. 

Companies involved in Salesforce systems integration (SI) may also offer skills training programs to new recruits. Gerent's Launchpad program, for example, gives recent grads and career pivoters an opportunity to gain crucial Business Analyst (BA) skills and kickstart their Salesforce careers within the company. During the six-month program, these aspiring BAs receive hands-on training, certification exam prep, apprenticeship experience, and networking opportunities, all at no cost to them. Then, these new BAs grow their experience by transitioning into official BA roles at Gernet. 

“We designed our Launchpad program to empower people to pave their own path into tech. It’s incredible what our enrollees achieve once given the opportunity to try,” Deb Stefanoni, Gerent’s Chief People Officer, shared on the Launchpad microsite.

Get Started Today!

Entering the workforce or changing fields can be an overwhelming process, but there are plenty of resources available to ensure new Salesforce professionals get the most out of their training and, ultimately, their careers. Hopefully, this blog taught you a little more about Salesforce and the opportunities available to you as a professional. If you are a little more advanced in your Salesforce journey and looking for career opportunities, feel free to check out Gerent's jobs page!