I was hired as a senior developer in 2015. Soon after I became a manager, and one of my first assignments was to do a comparison study to make sure that Mule was our best option for integration projects. It wasn't long until I became convinced that MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform was the future of integration.

Being part of the Trailblazer Community opened the door to a vast network of brilliant integration professionals and amazing leaders from whom I've learned a lot. Now that MuleSoft is a part of Salesforce, I've been exposed to Trailhead and learned more about Salesforce's integration capabilities. Trailhead has also simplified my explanation of what MuleSoft does. Now, I can just say, “Check out the MuleSoft Basics badge!”

As a MuleSoft consultant and practice lead, using MuleSoft is my future because, in addition to the amazing Anypoint Platform, MuleSoft promotes top architecture trends and development best practices for integration in the industry. Keeping my MuleSoft skills current means staying ahead of the curve. I also plan on digging more deeply into Trailhead. There are many modules I've favorited to take later, and I've already learned all the MuleSoft content, of course! My goal is to continue to learn more technology and business skills on Trailhead and to earn badges and superbadges along the way.

It's a way to give back to and, at the same time, learn from the community. With the power of MuleSoft and the learning opportunities on Trailhead, there are so many ways to help others find successful careers in this ecosystem like I have.

Set some time aside and don't skip steps or topics related to the new skill you're learning. It's always wise to have a good foundation and build upon that. In addition to utilizing the documentation and training materials, join the forums and, if possible, a local meetup group. I also really believe in the power of a good mentor; thankfully, there are so many amazing people in the community who want to help!