Want to learn how to use Salesforce? Here is how.
My organization recently joined theranks of organizations that will be using the Salesforce platform. My team willhelp support the application for our users. I always enjoy a challenge and Ijumped at the opportunity to gain experience on how to administer this newplatform. I am embarking on this journey and will use this blog for recordingthe “How To’s,” after completing the course. I will use my notes here as Iprepare for the Salesforce Admin Certification Exam. As part of my preparatoryresearch, I discovered that there are many ways to learn and become familiarwith Salesforce. There is expert led courses (paid) and the Trailhead community(free) as well as other options on the web.
Why Learn Salesforce
There are several reasons why someone might choose to learn Salesforce:
Career opportunities: Salesforce is one of the most popular enterprise software platforms, and there is a high demand for professionals with Salesforce skills. Learning Salesforce can open a wide range of career opportunities in areas such as administration, development, business analysis, and consulting.
High earning potential: Professionals with Salesforce skills can command highsalaries, as the platform is used by many large organizations and businesses.
Flexibility: Salesforce can be customized to meet the needs of a wide rangeof organizations, and there are many different areas of specialization withinthe platform. This means that learners can choose to focus on an area thatinterests them or aligns with their career goals.
Strong community: Salesforce has a strong community of users and developers, whichmakes it easy to find support and resources as you learn.
Widely used: Salesforce is widely used across many industry verticals such as financial services, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, nonprofit and many more, which means that the skills you learn will be valuable across many diverse types of organizations.
What is Trailhead?
Trailhead is a learning platform for Salesforce, a popular customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise software. Trailhead is organized into a series of trails, each of which covers a specific topic or set of related topics in Salesforce. Each trail is made up of one or more modules, which are further divided into units that cover specific skills or concepts. The units consist of a combination of text, videos, quizzes, and hands-on projects that help users learn and practice what they've learned.
Users can earn badges as they complete trails, modules, and units on Trailhead, which serve to track progress and demonstrate proficiency in various Salesforce skills. Additionally, users can earn points and progress through various levels as they complete more badges and challenges.
You can access different trails based on your interest, skill level and the role you want to pursue on Salesforce platform. Examples of trails are Administrator, Developer, Business Analyst, Consultant, App builder, etc.
How do I create a Trailhead Account?
1. Go to the Trailhead website (https://trailhead.salesforce.com/).
2. Click on the "Sign Up" button in the top right corner of the page.
3. Enter your email address and create a password.
4. Click "Sign Up".
5. Or you can signup using your Google, LinkedIn, Apple, or Facebook account.
6. Fill in your personal information and click "Continue".
7. Verify your email address by clicking on the link sent to your email.
8. Once verified, you will be taken to your Trailhead dashboard where you can start learning Salesforce and earning badges.
9. You can also sign up using your Salesforce credentials if you already have a Salesforce account or you can sign up using your Google, LinkedIn, Apple, or Facebook account.
Other Ways of Learning Salesforce
Another way to learn Salesforce for free is by using the Salesforce Developer Network (developer.salesforce.com)which is a comprehensive resource for learning about Salesforce development. It offers tutorials, documentation, sample code, and other resources to help users learn about Salesforce development and customize the platform to meet their needs. Additionally, there are several online communities such as Salesforce Stack Exchange, Salesforce Developer Community and Salesforce Trailblazer Community where you can ask questions and get help from experienced Salesforce professionals. Lastly, there are many free Salesforce certification courses available online such as Udemy, Coursera and edX which can help you learn Salesforce and prepare for certification exams.
How Do I Create a Salesforce Developer Account?
1. Go tohttps://developer.salesforce.com/ if you already have a Trailhead account.
2. Go to the website https://developer.salesforce.com/signup and signup for an account. The account is free.
3. Click on “BrowseTrials”.
4. Click on “Sig nUp for the Salesforce Developer Edition”.
5. Fill out the required fields in the registration form.
6. Click on the"Sign Me Up “button located in the top-right corner of the homepage
7. Click on the"Create MyAccount" button
8. Verify your email address by clicking on the link sent to your email
9. Log in to developer.salesforce.com using your email address.
10. If you already have a Salesforce account, you can use that account to log in to developer.salesforce.com.
About the Exam
Content: 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and 5 non-scored questions
Time allotted to complete the exam: 105 minutes
Passing score: 65%
Registration fee: USD 200 plus applicable taxes as required per local law
Retake fee: USD 100 plus applicable taxes as required per local law
Delivery options: Proctored exam delivered onsite at a testing center or in an online proctored environment. Click here for information on scheduling an exam.
References: No hard-copy or online materials may be referenced during the exam.
Prerequisite: None required; course attendance highly recommended
Exam Question Breakdown
Configuration and Setup 20%
Object manager and Lightning App Builder 20%
Sales and Marketing Applications 12%
Service and Support Applications 11%
Productivity and Support Applications 7%
Data and Analytics Management 14%
Workflow and Process Automation 16%
I am ready to begin. I hope you find this information helpful. Cheers!