Hi everybody,
I'm basically looking for advice about helping someone find a job.
I'm involved in the Trailblazer Mentorship Scheme and just after our second session, my mentee sent me an email saying they've been made redundant and have one more month left at their company.
This person is based in Nairobi, Kenya but is looking for remote work primarily in the UK as a Salesforce Administrator. What's interesting is the person's profile - a triple star ranger on Trailhead but without a single certification. My advice has focused on trying to get certified as a priority and what I did that helped me pass my exam. We've also looked at the CV, plan of action and what to expect in an admin role and potential jobs, we've covered a lot of ground and it's apparently been useful.
What I'm wondering is, do any of you have any suggestions on whether my mentee should continue trying to find a job as an admin currently or look for a role similar to the one they had? How likely is it that someone like this would land an admin job? The person currently works as a Data Quality Assistant. The good thing is that they use Salesforce and Data Loader in particular almost daily. Obviously this doesn't make you an admin but it helps. I'm aware that this decision also depends on their personal financial situation and whether or not moving back into parents' home is feasible, etc.
Prior to this new information, I'd been advising the mentee to prepare for the admin cert as I believe they're capable and that cert is pivotal in the SF job market - I believe that without that, you'd be unlikely to get an admin or junior admin job regardless of Trailhead work. However, it may be the case that attempting the Salesforce Associate cert could be useful, especially as the person is more likely to be able to prepare for and pass it faster than the admin cert. It would mean that the mentee would have 1 cert and it could possibly help to get this person a junior admin role which would now be a great outcome having been laid off suddenly like this.
If there are any recruiters that may be able to make suggestions, please jump in too. I'll be posting this on Reddit and SFStackExchange.
I'm looking through my Salesforce network to see if any of them can help and I have about 5 people lol.
As always, thank you for reading and for any thoughts you can add.
Best wishes,
Matt
Hi @Matthew Webber. What an amazing initiative, thanks for giving back and helping others. A couple of tips:
- Certifications are Crucial: With 300 badges, it's safe to assume that your mentee has the knowledge to pass the Salesforce Administrator exam. If the cost of the exam is an issue, keep an eye out for voucher promotions. I know there were some free Associate vouchers but I'm not sure if they are still available.
- Job Location Considerations: Securing a remote role from Kenya in the UK might be challenging. Contracting could be a more feasible option, but it may still be difficult due to location. He should consider starting with local opportunities in my view.
- Leverage Existing Experience: Your mentee's experience as a Data Quality Assistant, especially with Salesforce, is a strong asset. Make sure this is clearly highlighted in the CV and in interviews.
- Hands-On Experience Matters: While certifications are important, real-world, hands-on experience often carries more weight. Encourage your mentee to seek opportunities that will provide such experience (e.g. volunteering with a charity/NGO)
- Networking is Key: Encourage your mentee to join Salesforce communities and actively network. This can significantly increase job opportunities.
- Prepare for Interviews: Encourage your mentee to practice common Salesforce interview questions and to be ready to demonstrate knowledge of the platform and past experience using it.
- Stay Positive: The Salesforce job market can be tough, especially for newcomers. Encourage him to stay positive and persistent. Landing the first Salesforce job is often the hardest step, but it will get easier from there.
