{"id":5960,"date":"2023-10-19T01:50:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-19T01:50:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/?p=5960"},"modified":"2023-11-23T16:30:04","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T16:30:04","slug":"the-power-of-learning-teresas-salesforce-journey-as-a-non-it-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/eu\/blog\/the-power-of-learning-teresas-salesforce-journey-as-a-non-it-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Learning: Teresa’s Salesforce Journey as a Non-IT Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Teresa is a highly motivated Trailblazer who started her career in the Salesforce Ecosystem without any previous knowledge of the IT industry. Get inspired by how she kicked off her tech career supported by one of our Workforce Development Partners Saranen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Teresa, could you please introduce yourself?
<\/strong>My name is Teresa, I\u2019m Indonesian living in Finland and I am currently a Salesforce administrator at Kemira<\/a>. I have a bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in Business, and I had no experience in IT before I joined the Salesforce Ecosystem. I found my job at Kemira through the Saranen Recruitment Training program. The program combines Salesforce training led by professionals and a 6-month apprenticeship at a company to gain practical experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you learn about Salesforce?
<\/strong>One day, I came across a Saranen Salesforce program. I heard about Salesforce a few years ago, when one of my professors mentioned this company as one of large IT companies during a lecture. However, it had not caught my attention yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I finished my studies, the job hunt was very difficult. I studied business, however, due to family circumstances I went back to my home country. Then, I returned to Finland just before COVID-19 started. It was a very challenging time to find a job. During that time, I was thinking about changing my career direction a bit more to the IT industry, as the sector was experiencing high growth. I started watching videos for beginners about creating very simple web pages and took an online course while searching for jobs. I felt lost as most jobs would require some experience or relevant degree even for an entry-level position. I was also still trying to apply for open positions related to my education but with no luck. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started researching some information on the internet and created my\u00a0Trailhead<\/a>\u00a0account for the first time just out of curiosity. I tried several basic modules and I wanted to do more and more modules. It was a very fun experience and every time I completed a module, I had the feeling that I had accomplished something. Afterwards, I found the courage to apply for the Saranen training program. I passed the first screening interview, got invited to an interview at my partner company and a few days later, I received a call saying that I got accepted to the program. This is how my Salesforce journey began!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you find the course?
<\/strong>During my internship period, there were days when Saranen organized online classes with Salesforce professionals to teach and train us. It was during the pandemic, therefore, we had no in-person classes. We were able to ask questions in case we were facing any challenges. In parallel, my supervisor at work also created a list of Trailhead modules which helped me to acquire the knowledge required within the company. Therefore, I could focus on what I need to learn to hit the ground running.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After work, I studied extra Trailhead modules. I even installed the Trailhead GO<\/a> app on my mobile phone, so I could still read some material even when lying down on my sofa. My other additional resources were Focus on Force and Salesforce Ben. And of course, the Salesforce help page. I used additional resources because I felt I needed to grasp the foundation quickly. Usually, the most important topics would come up repetitively from different sources. This helped me to get the bigger picture of what concept would be the most important. Also, Salesforce has many clouds, and it was good to focus on the one that my partner company was using. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How well did the course meet your expectations in terms of salary and job opportunities and learning new skills?
<\/strong>I would say it was one of the best decisions I have made. The Salesforce Saranen program was high quality and our lecturers were wonderful. My company was supporting me by letting me make mistakes. When I experienced \u2018oops\u2019 moments, everyone was ready to help me. Moreover, I always learn new skills, both technical and soft skills.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Salesforce is like my superpower. It multiplies my ability to do things.<\/p>\nTERESA LISTYOWARDOJO<\/cite><\/blockquote>\nSALESFORCE ADMIN AT KEMIRA<\/span>\n