Ask The Trailblazer: How to Advance Your Career in the Salesforce Ecosystem

Go behind the scenes with #AskTheTrailblazer host Jaylena Lomenech to discover the magic formula of sharing knowledge to grow careers in the Salesforce ecosystem.

As someone who made a career pivot into tech, I understand the impact that representation plays in fostering a growth mindset. At the beginning of my career, I leveraged Trailhead—Salesforce’s free online learning platform—my global network, countless tutorials, and workshops to learn about Salesforce and how to have an impact in the technology sector.

Representation matters

But the biggest influence for me has come from the Black leaders who inspire, motivate, and champion others through their work. The ones who make an impact through sharing their own experiences of being a person of color in tech.

While there will always be challenges when navigating to new career heights, there’s really a power in community. I’ve learned over the years that when you build a community around you, you can soar to new levels—and there’s no telling where you can go.

Inspiring a new series

This is what inspired the new series #AskTheTrailblazer—building a connection with individuals who are taking control of their careers in a very intentional way.

I know the power of seeing what you can be, so it was very important to me to create something that will not only amplify the voices of our underrepresented community but also showcase their Salesforce expertise, expand their network, and establish a solid foundation for their success.

Each episode answers a question submitted directly on the Trailblazer Community, focused on best practices for passing a Salesforce Certification exam, leveraging Trailblazer Community resources, and securing an in-demand job in tech. But the best part of it all is seeing the community sharing encouraging pieces of advice to other Trailblazers about how to do it.

Being the #AskTheTrailblazer host

Being the host of #AskTheTrailblazer has been incredibly rewarding. Especially seeing so many Trailblazers do well and do good. It is limitless.

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve also seen many Trailblazers transition from careers that no longer fulfill their needs. Better known as the Great Resignation, in the U.S., we saw 6.3 million job separations in November 2021, and 4 million of those people made the decision to leave their employer and pivot into a role more in line with their talents and passion.

Trailhead has been an essential resource for these Trailblazers as they learn new skills and find new ways to leverage their transferable expertise.

Trailblazer impact

An excellent example of a Trailblazer living out this growth mindset is Shayla Mark. Early last year, we hosted Shayla on #AskTheTrailblazer and learned about her Salesforce journey.

Shayla made the transition from teaching to tech by earning Salesforce credentials and in-demand skills while utilising the global network of the Trailblazer Community. She also gave back by sharing her best practices around certification prep and navigating the Salesforce ecosystem.

Shayla’s commitment to leveraging Trailhead, the Trailblazer Community, and platforms such as #AskTheTrailblazer provides not only a significant opportunity of representation for others with a similar background and experience but also exposure for her. Through each of these touchpoints, Shayla was able to land her dream role at Salesforce.

Trailblazer Community impact

#AskTheTrailblazer began during #BlackHistoryMonth 2021 and quickly evolved to become a monthly program, primarily hosted on LinkedIn, that elevates the stories and experiences of underrepresented Salesforce professionals and spotlights them as experts in the industry.

I love to see people invest in themselves and their professional growth. Sharing these stories across social channels allows us to see and celebrate that growth. If you hadn’t noticed, I like connecting with people, learning from them, and exchanging ideas. LinkedIn allows us to do this across industries, locations, and experience. What better place to host a program focused on skills, expertise, career exposure, and connection.

And there was certainly more where that came from. #AskTheTrailblazer has become a source of advice from Trailblazer to Trailblazer as well as a melting pot of motivation for those looking for that extra push to hit their goals.

With more than 1,500 community responses, you’ll be sure to find something that inspires you to get certified and land your dream job.

Discover the full series so far

All 11 of the #AskTheTrailblazer episodes with golden nuggets of advice are below.

Click the top left corner for the full playlist of #AskTheTrailblazer videos.

My favourite videos from this playlist that are most helpful to anyone new to the Salesforce ecosystem include:

1. Where to begin on your Salesforce Journey? with Stephen Guzman
2. What comes first? The certification or work experience? with Janelle Fields
3. Is it possible to become a Salesforce Admin without significant technology experience? with Christi Harris

Get involved!

I am so honored to be your host for this series. Connecting with Trailblazers has been incredible. And remember—whenever you get stuck, #AskTheTrailblazer.

Do you have more certification or career tips for Trailblazers? Submit a guest speaker request to be featured on an episode.

Looking for even more career resources? Check out:

• Trailblazer Mentorship
• Salesforce Pathfinder
• Beginners Trailhead Quest
• The Trailblazer Blog – Careers