We interviewed Raksha to hear her stories and advice - both about the platform and anything else!

1) What positives do you see that have come out of the COVID pandemic?

Because of the pandemic, I had to look for a new job and wanted to get back into IT after a 15-year gap. A friend showed me Salesforce – he threw me into the deep end and left me to swim in this big ocean. I have to say a big thank you to Trailhead and the Trailblazer Community for helping and mentoring me to move forward.

2) What was your biggest challenge when training into Salesforce and how did you overcome it? 

My biggest challenge was what to do and how to do it. Likening it to swimming in an ocean, I was diverted many times to do something new. To overcome it, I had to tell myself to keep my mind focused on what I want to achieve, have discipline studying as if I was going to work, and find myself a mentor to guide me when I was struggling. That’s why I am always happy to help new starters.  

3) What advice would you give to other individuals starting out in Salesforce? 

I have a lot of key points for people to follow, for example:

• Make sure you save all your usernames and passwords to all your Trailhead Playgrounds or Developer Playgrounds
• Join a few communities and be active
• Take one step at a time, don’t jump from one thing to another and be consistent trying to reach the goals you’ve set
• Use the 3Ds to achieve your goals - Decide, Dedicate, Delight
• Be a mentee to someone and a mentor to many so you learn faster
• Update your LinkedIn, Twitter & Trailblazer Profile and try and get visibility to as much of the ecosystem as possible

4) Are there any good Salesforce resources (websites, groups, meetups etc) that you would recommend? 

Salesforce Trailhead, Trailblazer Community Groups, Apex Hours, Salesforce YouTube channels, Admin Focus on Force Q&A, 1000Projects.org and SalesforceBen. You can also join my SalesforceWP groups (Woman Power / Work Power) and connect with me on my socials for more tips.

5) How do you use Salesforce in your job today? 

I use Salesforce’s many clouds daily to fulfil client requirements while working for Fluido, a prestigious Salesforce partner. I also use PLC & Trailhead for learning purposes to update my skills as per requirements and provide demos and solutions to stakeholders and community members.

6) Any advice you can give for people starting out in Salesforce? 

The advice I always give is “Slow and steady wins the race” and “Be consistent”. Be yourself and be helpful but first focus on your key skills improvements. Empower the community - that’s why I am also known as M.A.D. (Make A Difference).

7) What have you learned through attending Salesforce community events? 

In very simple terms what I am today -  “Application Architect Certified” – this is all thanks to community events, Trailhead and through Trailblazers support. I learned to be confident and a great mentor to other like-minded individuals. My tip is: always be ready to ask questions.

 8) What do you think makes a great Salesforce Professional? 

You have to believe in yourself and be passionate about what you’re doing. Always be ready to learn and implement, accept challenges and complete them. You also need to be a problem solver, a good communicator and use your creativity.

9) Any predictions in relation to the further evolution of Salesforce as a platform? 

Salesforce evolves every single day, and the way the lightning cloud components and Flows are improving make it simpler for non-coders. It helps to better the performance of the platform and to generate revenue for business and individual growth.

10) What tech content do you consume/follow/listen to? 

LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube are my daily go-tos.