In 2010, shortly after moving to the UK, I started working as a Customer Support/Inside Sales Representative in a manufacturing company. I knew this wasn't going to be a job for life, but I had no idea what I wanted to do for my career. At the time, it didn’t seem like I'd have many options since recruiters kept telling me that being a non-European Union citizen and an Army wife meant I couldn't hope for more a customer support or receptionist job. If I could travel back in time, I would have told them, “Just watch me!” No one should place limits on how far a person can go professionally.

A few months later, the company's old database/ERP system crashed and most of the important customer data was lost. The only way to recover the data was to manually re-enter it from printed copies stored in our archive. Once this disaster was over, the company decided to upgrade their software and introduce a new CRM system. One day our sales director invited me into his office. He told me about a new system called Salesforce and asked me to help make it work for our European offices. When I got home later that day, I spent my entire evening researching Salesforce. That night was followed by many more days, months and years of learning Salesforce. That day defined my career.

Before I was in my current position, I was more interested in the technical modules on Trailhead. Now, I find myself gravitating to more business content. I enjoyed the Learn Drucker MBA Essentials trail and I’m currently working on the Manage the Salesforce Way trail. This content has been a huge win for me because, as I grow in my career, being able to properly manage others has been a crucial component of my success. The Coaching and Feedback module in particular has been helpful for improving communication with my team members. Thanks to Trailhead, I’m learning how to work and collaborate more effectively.

I usually browse through new trails and modules and work on the ones that I know the least about. Salesforce is a huge platform and you can never know everything about it. In order for me to give solutions to my customers, even before passing a problem on to the development team, I need to understand the land of possibilities within Salesforce. Trailhead helps me have a good overview of what type of issues my customers may face. I’m much more prepared to help my customers thanks to what I learn on Trailhead.

Trailhead’s gamification keeps me motivated to learn, earn badges, and progress along a path. I like the concept of hiking through the trails and learning in a particular order. If you follow the trails you’re not just completing random exercises, you’re building upon your knowledge in a thought out way. I also love the hands-on challenges since you get a better grasp of the technology from actually building things in an org. My next goal is to work on my Apex coding skills.

I usually do my Trailhead modules during my two hour commute to London. It’s a great opportunity to learn during your commute even if you’re fortunate enough to have a shorter commute than mine.

A Trailblazer is a person who works on Trailhead not only for the sake of accumulating badges, but in order to grow their expertise and skill up.

If you come from a non-technical background, start with the Admin Beginner trail and make sure you understand the foundations of the Salesforce platform. Reach out to members of the community. Everyone is willing to help.