I started using Salesforce in 2007. When I first heard about Trailhead at Dreamforce in 2014, I knew this was something special. I found Trailhead to be immediately impressive. Quality training is so important because a product is only as good as the people who use it. Trailhead provides a practical but fun way for me to learn about the newest features of Salesforce and to have more of a mastery of the tool.

I'm motivated to use Trailhead because the information has such a high level of clarity, quality, and conciseness. Trailhead is extremely convenient. At my level, it's crucial that I am able to stay on top of things quickly and efficiently. I need to understand and master Salesforce but I cannot study all day long! Of course, I also enjoy the gamification with points and badges, who wouldn't? If I had to label myself, I would say that I'm more of an Admin. I’ve noticed that the modules for Admins have increased in number and advanced levels since I first started. It’s possible to grow as a user and continue to use Trailhead, it is not just for beginner students.

There are some areas of Salesforce that we may not directly use at the moment, but that we want to learn about. Trailhead is great for exposing you to new functionalities without having to implement them in production. For instance, we are on a journey to activate Lightning later this year. Since we have a highly customized org, it will take time before we flip the switch. Thanks to Trailhead and the Trailhead Playgrounds which are in Lightning, my team has been exposed to the Lightning Experience and framework for months now. There is a lot of excitement about the switch to Lightning, for example seeing your sales funnel on the homepage. It's a promising journey for us.

The Salesforce community here in the south of France is very small, intimate, and supportive. It is a great group, and a strong resource especially for beginners or people who work in smaller companies because it provides an opportunity to meet other users and be exposed to new ideas. From time to time, we have people present how they use custom development and these presentations illuminate the possibilities for what one can do at one's own company. I encourage everyone to join their local group if they want to find out all of the creative ways to use Salesforce and especially to network and grow your career.

I’ve always been more of a kinesthetic learner, so when I heard about Trailhead, I was already all in. Being able to jump in and have a play with functionality is a far more meaningful and engaging way to learn. Plus then you have something to refer back to later on!

If someone wants to learn Salesforce, I'm convinced that studying via the modules on Trailhead is the best way to to learn the core functionalities of Salesforce. Salesforce is so flexible and there is so much to learn. It is a gift to be able to read and learn on your own schedule, from your home or desk.