From my perspective, the most crucial element in developing one’s career is finding genuinely cool aspects. Someone might say it is cliché, but this is true: “Just answer the important question – what do I enjoy doing in life? Then start doing it.” If learning about a certain area does not bring joy, the entire process will be very challenging. I started with CRM systems around 2015. When I first saw Salesforce and its archaic Classic, I was not convinced (at that time, I was still in love with Siebel from Oracle), not fully understanding how such a system could be helpful at work. As an administrator responsible for data migration, I spent hours clicking through tickets and Excel spreadsheets filled with rows of product descriptions that ultimately had to land in a brand-new Salesforce org. Such work can be demotivating in the long run. However, the consultants working alongside us were leading the entire implementation, coming from a large external company. My curiosity led me to talk with them about what they saw in this system and what their work truly entailed. They explained how crucial data and clarity of processes within the company are. I must admit, their business acumen impressed me – that is when a light bulb went off in my head, and I thought that I would like to have a similar career someday. Over time, comments from users switching to Salesforce also emerged, with people appreciating how work became easier with our cleaned data and enjoying there being less clicking. That is when I realized our work was not meaningless – it might have been laborious and repetitive, but in the end, it genuinely helped these people! This was a major shift in my perception of these tasks, giving me new sources of motivation! That’s something I always try to convey to younger colleagues just starting with various systems and administration – tinker with settings.
At the end of the day, it is a real help for someone. My fascination with the work of people who saw a bigger picture of the whole implementation and could find meaningful aspects of value for their client, along with gratitude from end users, made me want to dive in! That was when the Trailhead platform was just starting, with significantly fewer materials than today, yet it was still a real treasure trove of knowledge. I was (and still am) impressed by how many wonderful courses Salesforce offers for free to its community. Working with my sandbox and playing with various setting changes became a habit. It might sound funny, but I often created various scenarios for myself – mainly problems that clients could have – and then slightly role-played being a consultant; I was not only trying to change my system’s settings but also thinking about how I would present it to someone on the infamous call. I quickly realized that such attempts were fun for me. They brought me more satisfaction than data work or creating user accounts for more people. When I felt more confident in this, I started looking for a new job where I could make use of my newly acquired skills.