As someone who's often jokingly referred to as having an A-D-H-D approach to life, I've rarely been the one to meticulously plan out my path.

However, in August 2023, amidst some Salesforce and BA projects, I made a conscious decision to pivot towards a more focused career journey.

With over two decades of experience spanning marketing, business analysis, technology, and Salesforce, I set a goal to elevate my skills.

My mission was straightforward – utilize my marketing skills and absorb more knowledge like a sponge, enhance my abilities, and most importantly, secure as many job interviews as possible in the Salesforce domain.

😳 Did you say 62 interviews? Yes I did. Actually, it was probably more. Once my LinkedIn profile started getting traction, I was getting 4-6 recruiters contacting me every single day. I had weeks where I had between 5-8 interviews in one week!

My strategy was simple: dive headfirst into every interview opportunity that came my way. A stumble in an interview? No big deal. I viewed each experience as a learning curve, a step closer to my goal. (I remember completely bombing on a few)

I had weeks where I had between 5-8 interviews in one week!

After a marathon of interviews, I've gleaned some invaluable insights:

Platform Power: I meticulously tracked my progress on Trello and discovered that when it comes to job boards, LinkedIn, Indeed, and Dice were the triumvirate of success in my job hunt, especially within the Salesforce ecosystem. These platforms are the golden ticket for aspirants.

Resume Customization is Key: Tailoring your resume for each job application is not just a good practice; it's critical to success. A generic resume is likely to go unnoticed. Yes, I'm talking about tweaking and customizing your resume to match up with every single job description you apply for.

Don't apply for 100 jobs with the same resume... apply for 20 jobs with a customized resume for each and every one. You'll get more interviews.

Demystifying the Hiring Process: Despite prevalent criticisms on platforms like LinkedIn, the hiring process isn't fundamentally flawed. It's more about understanding and navigating the system effectively... i.e. it's not broken.

No, the hiring process is not broken.

Recruiters: Your Shortcut: Want to skip the traditional job application route? Engage and attract recruiters. An optimized LinkedIn profile targeted at your desired role can significantly amplify your visibility to them.

Those dang recruiters... many will ghost you. Get used to it and move on.😜

The LinkedIn Effect: Speaking of LinkedIn, optimizing your profile for your target role can exponentially boost your chances. Think of your profile as a canvas showcasing your expertise, particularly in active and in-demand sectors.

Sidebar: If you are writing articles and/or posts that bring learning and value to people on LinkedIn good! If you are posting "boo hoo, whoa is me because I just got laid off" stories... uhhh, don't do that. Get your therapy someplace else. This is where your future recruiters and hiring managers hang out. Every single day.

Beyond Just a Profile: A stellar LinkedIn profile is part of the equation, but not the entirety. The assumption here is that you're targeting a role in a high-demand sector and have relevant experience. For me, targeting roles as a Salesforce Admin and Business Analyst was a strategic choice.

Experience vs. Certification: Real-world experience is the donut, and certifications are the frosting. They are desirable... together, but experience takes precedence. Who wants to eat frosting by itself?

My LinkedIn Strategy: Every nook and cranny of my LinkedIn profile – from the experience section to posts, articles, and recommendations – was a testament to my focus: 100% Salesforce Business Analyst.

The Numbers Game:

60-70% of hiring managers have zero clue how the Salesforce ecosystem works. Most want to know that you have the experience to do the job.

50% of the hiring managers I spoke with did not know what Trailhead was or even that Salesforce offered certifications. Yeah, think about that for a minute.

30-40% of every recruiter that made initial contact with me, eventually ghosted me. Wrap your head around that and get over it. Wasting time complaining on LinkedIn about how recruiters suck is like peeing in your own swimming pool. Yeah it sucks, but there are a lot of flaky recruiters out there... just like there are a lot of flaky companies and flaky job seekers.

30% of every job description I came across showed duties and requirements that had nothing to do with the job title.

30% of every job description I saw try to slip in additional requirements that have traditionally been an independent role. Companies want more for their money... get used to it.

60% of recruiters that contacted me were looking for a quick commission. Fast talkers that don’t care about you in the least. If they don’t see a perfect match between you and one of their roles… kaboom, they are gone and will never communicate with you again.

15-20%% of the recruiters I interacted with, actually do care about how they represent their company, and how they treat their candidates. Those are the ones that take time to get to know you and appreciate that long-term relationships builds fat sales pipelines.

70% of recruiters will ask you… “What’s your rate?” in the first sentence on the first time they talk to you. They want you to spit out a number. I never, ever, ever give out a number. I ask them: "What is the budgeted salary/hourly rate for this role?" Many times it's $10 more per hour than you were thinking.

3-4 were the usual number of interview rounds I saw. Once in awhile I saw five... but never less than three.

Certifications... only about 6-7 - yes that's the number of hiring managers and/or recruiters that made any mention about Salesforce certifications! Many recruiters and/or hiring manager just don't know how the ecosystem works.

I had a 15-30% response rate from my manually submitted, every resume customized to match every job description, job postings.

My interviews included initial phone calls, interviews with recruiters, account managers, hiring managers, technical panels, "is he a cultural fit" interviews, and more.

Some people were clueless, some were very technical and had zero personality, some out-and-out disrespected me, and some were super cool and actually cared.

I had two interviews that I cut short and told them "I've decided I don't want to work for your company". In an interview, you can get a feel for how you'll be treated once you get hired.

Asking me questions like: "Can you show me your driver's license?" Huh?? What? If you get that weird feeling in your gut... run. 😳

A Few Takeaways

Recruiters: I absolutely love the recruiter path. And there are many very professional recruiters out there that will become your coach and ally.

National numbers show that only 2-3% of submitted resumes end up on the hiring manager's desk. If there are 800 applicants for a role, your resume will have to align with 98% of the job description or the ATS bill boot you in a New York second.

But... once you get your LinkedIn profile optimized, recruiters will not only come to you, they will hand deliver your resume to the hiring manager. I love that.

The Certification Debate: Certifications are beneficial, especially for beginners, but they don't overshadow real-world experience. I worked multiple roles over the years with zero certifications.

A Diverse Role Expectation: Today, a Salesforce Administrator is often expected to have additional skills like Business Analysis, Developer, or Marketing expertise. Companies are squeezing out as much experience and talent as they can for their buck.

Beware of Last-Minute Changes: A cautionary tale - even after receiving a job offer, I cut all ties with my existing job network, but then things fell through two days before my start date. (yeah... I was not happy) It's prudent not to count your chickens too soon.

Don't let them treat you poorly: If you are being treated like you are not a human by a recruiter, hiring manager, or whomever, don't be afraid to end the relationship. There are tons of opportunities out there.

My journey through the Salesforce job market was an eye-opener. It taught me the importance of strategy, adaptability, patience, (definitely patience) and the power of a well-crafted professional profile and resume.

🪨🪨🪨 Remember, each interview, each application, is a stepping stone. Embrace the journey, and success will follow.

Don't give up and don't complain... especially on LinkedIn.

SumoLab · Salesforce · LinkedIn · Jerry-Rigged Podcast