A little while back, we suggested a few Trailmixes that would help you on the Road to Ranger. This time around, we’re all about preparing for the ‘next normal’ – we’re yet to see what 2021 holds, but we do know a few sure-fire ways to head into it as strong as possible.
Create space for success
Most of us have spent the better part of 2020 (was there actually a better part?) working at home – we’ve settled into the spare room, the dining table, whatever corner we can make work, increased our data plans, and gotten on with it as best we could.
I’ve been delighted recently to see what our amazing community has gotten on with throughout this year – check out #TrailheadTaughtMe on Twitter to see for yourself!
Now, as we wrap up 2020 and move towards a more flexible version of ‘normal’, we need to optimise these spaces for the long-haul of hybrid working, so we can stay productive and motivated while we work from anywhere.
So we’ve made a Trail for that – Succeed from Anywhere During COVID-19 is all about doing old things in new, better and sometimes surprising ways. These include simple but powerful processes around email, calendar and time management.
Showcase your experience
You never know what’s around the corner, particularly in such an unpredictable environment. The only way individuals can mitigate risk is to be in the best position possible when opportunity comes along.
In terms of the latter, there could be a new opportunity in your organisation or with a new employer, or a chance to spread your wings and head into a new market, industry or territory.
To take advantage of such potential opportunities, it’s vital to be prepared. Start with the Salesforce Skills and Experience Building Module, which not only showcases your ability to analyse a business challenge and identify a specific problem, but clearly demonstrates your creative and strategic problem-solving talents.
Then, why not Build an App to Track Your Trailblazer Journey? This serves a number of powerful purposes. It demonstrates your technical confidence, sharpens your app-building skills, deepens your knowledge of and familiarity with the Salesforce ecosystem and, of course, results in an app that will be enormously practical throughout your Trailblazer journey.
Of course, if you’re serious about taking advantage of new opportunities you’ll want to rev up your resume. For this, you’ll benefit from the Resume Writing Strategies Module, which teaches you how to choose the best structure, represent your skills in the strongest possible way and add unforgettable finishing touches to your CV.
Once that’s done, it’s time to supercharge your CV by Building Your Personal Portfolio on Salesforce. This Module will lead to you having your very own site that shines a spotlight on your unique and highly valuable talent.
Finally, spend some time on the Career Development Planning Module to help you recognise what options you might enjoy and where to identify your next opportunity.
Become a data buff
As more organisations start considering themselves ‘data companies’ – rather than energy companies, retailers or banks – data analysis skills will become even more highly sought after across all functions.
Data is only as useful as its analysis and the insights that can be gained from it, so this is an excellent time for you to learn to use Tableau to prepare and visualise your data, and share insights from it, in The Tableau Workflow module.
Sharpen your business analysis skills
Salesforce Business Analyst: Quick Look teaches you all about what’s involved in the Salesforce Business Analyst role. And the Essential Business Analyst Skills Module will inform you of the vital skills required to drive projects successfully, and how you might best develop those skills.
Further learning around business analysis can be had in the Business Analyst Best Practices Module, and the Admin & BA Job Comparison: Quick Look Module will teach you the differences between Salesforce admins and Salesforce business analysts.
All of these Badges can lead to fascinating new opportunities, within your own workplace and elsewhere. It all helps to make you a more valuable employee – never has the need for multi skilled workforces been more pressing.
Beef up your security status
During the pandemic, cybersecurity was one of the top concerns for large, medium and small organisations across all industries – and it became far more complex to manage with a distributed workforce.
Two of the most powerful Trailmixes for those who’d like to boost their security ratings are Get Started with Cybersecurity and Cybersecurity Resources During Covid-19. Both offer a mass of valuable learning around personal and professional digital security matters, intrusion analysis, social engineering, threat intelligence, cybersecurity career paths and much more.
Use this time to upskill via Trailhead and you might remember 2021 as the year your career took a fabulous new turn.
These are the top badges we’ve picked for your 2021 prep – but there are so many more to choose from – including a raft of new Architect badges. Head over to Trailhead for more inspo.
If you’re ready to learn from leaders and Trailblazers in your industry, catch up on the Salesforce Live: A&NZ episodes, available on-demand.
