Eric Elam was looking to transition to a Salesforce business analyst role but kept losing out on opportunities due to limited Salesforce experience.
“I was interviewing a lot but not getting the job. I had a lot of experience in my previous roles but no formal Salesforce training. I knew I wanted to refine my CRM skills and improve my Salesforce knowledge, so I sought out programs and found the Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate Program through my alma mater Emory.”
The program syllabus stood out to Eric, who decided to give the program a shot and enroll.
“At first, I thought I was more advanced. But the courses quickly humbled me and taught me more about the Salesforce platform and CRM skills. I liked how the program was structured to build upon what you learned in the earlier stages and appreciated the fact that you had enough time to digest the course materials before being tested. But what’s most valuable is the hands-on environment Pathstream creates. Instead of multiple-choice exams, you apply your skills within a sandbox environment, which mirrors what you would do on the job.”
Emory’s Salesforce Administrator Career Program is instructor-led and flexibly paced, designed for working professionals like Eric, who works sixty hours a week.
“I was driven to finish because I wanted to make a career change sooner rather than later. It’s very similar to becoming a new parent; there is an internal drive to do what you need to power through those challenging times. It all paid off because my certificate gave me a slight edge in the job market. ”
Eric opted to work with Career Services while completing his third course to help him spruce up his resume and give him confidence in the interview process.
“Career services are engaging; they reach out frequently and helped put me in the right direction for opportunities by matching me with potential employers. They would introduce me to their clients, which was outstanding.”
Eric is now a Sales Cloud product owner at Equifax.
” My role is to mitigate any issues that may negatively impact my company’s Sales Cloud production environment. I meet with stakeholders to understand the various pain points. Then set up process flows and design user stories to pass on to the Salesforce developer.”
Eric’s final piece of advice for students currently enrolled in our Salesforce Administrator Career programs:
“Don’t skip over steps within the learning process. It’s easy to say: I understand this on a high level. But when it comes to Salesforce, especially if you’re going to be a Business Analyst or Administrator, you need to know how things work inside and out. Because on a high level, it can appear straightforward. But often, you need to get into the weeds. Take the time to understand the nuts and bolts and what’s going on holistically.”
He also advises students looking for a certificate program to:
“Take the plunge with Pathstream. It will be rewarding and put you ahead of many people debating whether or not to take a course. You are going to learn a lot. Regarding your experience, the projects you complete will help you build upon your resume and serve as great talking points during interviews. Don’t miss out on improving your skills and staying competitive.”
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