Four Steps to Blazing Your Admin Path Through Dreamforce

There are so many reasons to attend Dreamforce:

• Be inspired by your Salesforce community
• Volunteer and give back during Dreamforce
• Attend as many of the 2,700 events as you can
• Get your party on at Dreamfest

But, if you ask me, one of the most crucial benefits of attending Dreamforce is to connect, network, and blaze your path as a Salesforce Admin. Whether you are self-taught or formally educated and certified, whether you work at an organization with a budget of millions of dollars or you work at an organization who is benefiting from the Salesforce Pro Bono program; whether your end users are Computer Science grads or you’re developing for a less technical crowd – Dreamforce is your opportunity to grow your career.

With so many events and activities happening during Dreamforce, it’s hard to know how to prioritize to maximize your networking and career opportunities. Here you go!

Certification is 50% off at Dreamforce

Check out all the resources available to turbocharge your career and get Salesforce certified at Dreamforce! Why go for your Salesforce certification? Well, check out Stacie’s story, where she says “I wanted to get into a field that had job security and a future, but one in which I wouldn’t become stagnant.” If this sounds like you, a Salesforce certified administrator position will certainly meet the criteria: lots of job opportunities and constant evolution. In fact, the Salesforce ecosystem is on track to create 3.3 million jobs by 2022 – it’s worth considering for your career development.

To this extent, Dreamforce offers the lowest price of the year to get certified. At 50% the normal certification price, you can take the Salesforce Certified Administrator exam for just $99. Learn all about the training and certification events before and during Dreamforce and be prepared to take advantage of these opportunities.

2. Give back at Dreamforce

Get involved in one of the key tenets of Salesforce culture – giving back, making the world a better place, and taking action. There are so many opportunities to volunteer at Dreamforce. What better way to strike up a conversation with a CIO than working side by side to make our community a better place? The volunteering events are meaningful, casual ways to introduce yourself, make a connection or two, and learn from others in the Salesforce world. Don’t be shy to hand out a business card in between stuffing bags to distribute to those in need.

Networking at Dreamforce is fun!

3. Be generous – you’re awesome and people want to know you!

In the same vein as step 2 above, my third suggestion to blazing your Admin path at Dreamforce is to make connections wherever you go! Standing in line to enter a session? Filling your lunch plate with a serving of salad? Dancing with Codey and Astro during Dreamfest? These are all opportunities to introduce yourself to the person next to you. But what if you’re not sure what to do or say next. Check out these 12 “Dos and Don’ts” for networking at Dreamforce. Ultimately, my point is: don’t waste precious opportunities to talk with people. Who knows who you may meet. And if you’re both waiting for the same session, like the same food, or share amazing dance moves – you already have something in common.

4. Oh, the places you’ll (need to be sure to) go.

Block time in your Dreamforce schedule to visit key locations where other Admins and MVPs in the Salesforce community are likely to congregate, such as the Admin Zone and Power of Us Hub booth. I encourage you introverts to muster your courage, introduce yourself to the people in those locations, and ask them a little bit about their journey in Salesforce. You’ll be surprised to find how many leaders in our community blazed their own unique path to success with Salesforce.

And, finally, when Dreamforce 2018 has wrapped up and you find yourself standing in a session line at Dreamforce 2019, be nice to that nervous person next to you who cautiously introduces themselves – you were once a Dreamforce novice too.

Don’t miss out – register for Dreamforce now, before tickets are sold out!

About the Author
Stephanie Weinberg is a Manager in the Salesforce.org Customer Success Group. She has over 10 years of expertise in leading content teams and delivering success products to higher ed and nonprofit institutions. Stephanie focuses on understanding our customers’ global, cross-departmental operational needs in the service industry.