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Earning the Salesforce Certified JavaScript Developer I Credential

At TrailheaDX 2020, the new Salesforce Certified JavaScript Developer I credential was announced. With the move to Lightning Web Components, vanilla JavaScript has become a core programming language on Salesforce, and this certification emphasizes this. I was invited to take the beta exam earlier this year but was unable to do so due to COVID-19. So when the full certification was released, I booked the exam as soon as possible to work on obtaining this new certification. It is composed of two parts; an exam and a superbadge.

Firstly, some background – I have worked extensively with JavaScript outside of Salesforce for a few years writing apps using Node.js and frameworks like React. I was therefore pretty confident in my ability to pass the exam. I am also a Salesforce Certified Instructor and am accredited to teach the Lightning Web Components training for Salesforce, and have used the framework a lot as well so was comfortable I should be able to handle the superbadge. For anyone looking to obtain this credential, I would recommend that they ensure they have spent a good amount of time working with modern vanilla JavaScript. You should have also used Lightning Web Components for more than just reviewing some of the sample apps.

Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certification Path

The Exam

The exam portion follows the same tried and tested multiple-choice format via Webassessor that we all know and love. You are given 60 questions with a 65% pass mark so need to get at least 39 questions right. This exam also includes 5 unscored questions that I assume will show up in the future on the exam. The exam cover the following areas:

  • Variables, Types, and Collections: 23%
  • Objects, Functions, and Classes: 25%
  • Browser and Events: 17%
  • Debugging and Error Handling: 7%
  • Asynchronous Programming: 13%
  • Server Side JavaScript: 8%
  • Testing: 7%

These top 3 sections between them, if answered correctly, will earn you enough marks to pass the exam. As ever, it is smart to review these sections to decide on focus areas. The exam is code heavy, with lots of JavaScript snippets designed to make you think through what the code is doing and potentially catch you out. It’s no secret that JavaScript has some behaviours that seem strange, so make sure you are comfortable with these behaviours.

Salesforce provide a great set of resources on the Trailhead pages, including some modules to help you understand the newer language features. I would also highly recommend for anyone serious about learning JavaScript the You Don’t Know JS series of books. I have read and re-read them and still always learn something new. The Mozilla Developer Network documentation on JavaScript is also second to none and worth reviewing if you have any weaker areas.

I found the exam challenging but not too onerous, the questions were trying to make you think about the code but were not trying to trick you. As ever, keep calm, read through things thoroughly and you should have no issues.

The Superbadge

The second step to becoming Salesforce JavaScript Developer I certified is to complete the Lightning Web Components Specialist Superbadge. This superbadge has 4 pre-requisite badges that cover the basics of the Lightning Web Components framework to prepare you for the superbadge. This superbadge is tough. It took me a lot longer than I expected, and chatting with others it seems that it is a common experience. You need to read the details of this superbadge really carefully. Some of the requirements are mentioned as only a single word rather than being listed more clearly/explicitly and so can easily be missed. The superbadge involves building out an application to allow you to view boats for rental and leave reviews. All areas of the Lightning Web Component framework are covered, so you will definitely learn how to cover most scenarios.

Lightning Web Components Superbadge App

From my experience, I would encourage you to read and work through the contents before looking at the challenges. The contents of the superbadge wording do not correlate to the order of the challenges and so you can spend a lot of time jumping around the page which gets frustrating and leads to you missing requirements. When checking the challenges expect to receive some errors. Pay particular attention to naming of variables, using the correct case in your code, and even the order of statements. If you can set aside a couple of days to work through this, I would highly recommend it. I was doing this bit by bit in evenings and weekends and it was difficult to remember where things were.

If you get truly stuck, you can get help from the Trailhead support team. Be aware that they do not work weekends so try and raise issues during the week for a prompt response.

Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certified!

And that is it! Once you have completed both, your certification will be sent over for you. Hopefully this guide has given you some good pointers and helped you on your journey. We look forward to seeing more people sharing their success on this on social media.


Paul Battisson Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certified

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Neel Meghani, CTO – Meet The Galacticos

Continuing our series in which we get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Neel Meghani, our Chief Technical Officer. I caught up with Neel via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

Neel Meghani, CTO

Hi Neel, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

I was first introduced to Salesforce around 2004. I was working on a large migration project at a national newspaper on the very new force.com platform. I then transitioned from general IT to concentrating on Salesforce, even then I saw the potential for the technology could have. I then moved into the world of finance in the City where I bumped into Phil Walton. Since working with Phil, I have experienced working with many of the various clouds in different industry sectors, from potato farms to health care!

Wow, that is a long time working with Salesforce! You were also the first official Galactico that joined Phil. How long ago was that and how did you start working together?

I first met Phil in 2010 at an asset manager where we worked together on a couple of projects. We both put our heads together and managed to overcome major challenges with a very large data migration including attachments. Since then I have been known as the man to go to where data is concerned! 

Neel and Phil at India Dreamin 2018

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I’m known by my friends, family and colleagues as the go to guy for all things fitness and nutrition. I have been a keen bodybuilder since the age of about 16. It my way of letting off steam and pushing myself. Although in recent times I have taken tips from our CEO Phil and started running. I’ve not found it easy! 

Also, I am also always hungry for technology and gadgets. I always jump feet first when something new and shiny comes out! 

Can you tell us more about your role as CTO and what it involves?

Officially I am responsible for delivery of all projects. But I’m glad to say that every day is different. With a small leadership team we cover all roles from sales all the way through to developing and delivering projects. 

So it sounds like your day is spent with a lot of time interacting with clients. What would be your top tip for working with people when remote?

Working remotely means I spend a lot of time on the phone. I find I need to have a dedicated space for work without distractions. I also recommend ensuring you have a good connection to the internet and a headset is a MUST! Also ensure you keep regular hours and take regular breaks. I have found over the years it is almost too easy when working from home to stay at your desk thinking “I’ll just get these few bits done” and then before you know it it’s 8-9pm! 

You recently passed your non-profit consultant certification. I know you have given us a write up of some tips, but do you have any study tips for exams in general?

I used a mixture of Trailhead and focus on force training guides. I especially like to do a number of practise exams along the way to see where I am lacking knowledge. Also, never assume you know the basics/fundamentals. Brush up on that knowledge also just to be sure! 

Neel with the team at Salesforce World Tour London 2019

Finally, what about tips for anyone starting out with Salesforce?

I have been asked this question many times! As Salesforce has become more popular, friends and family who have largely ignored what I do have come to me down the line as they are now using Salesforce in their place of work.

Firstly developer orgs are a brilliant! When I first realised I could have more or less the full product for FREE to learn on I was blown away. That along with Trailhead, the learning path is free and fantastic. Remember to also take advantage of the community and the user groups. There is a whole world of friendly people out there who are more than willing to help you along the way!

 

Thanks Neel for your time and insight into your life. We have quite a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space.

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Team Member Gains Conga Composer Certification

Everyday is a school day at Cloud Galacticos. We like to encourage our team to keep on learning and developing their Salesforce skills, especially as we operate in a fast moving and dynamic environment. One of our most recent team members to gain a new certification is Nkosi, who passed his Conga Composer Certification. We caught up with him to find out more…

 

What Made You Decide to Take the Exam?

I did the Conga cert because I have been using Conga products for two of our clients, which involves contracts and Batch document generation so to validate my experience it made sense to do the certification.

What Was Involved?

The exam involved knowledge of the full suite of Conga products. From a Salesforce perspective knowledge of Advanced SOQL queries is essential. You also need to understand Microsoft Word and PowerPoint merge functions well.  The exam consists of 50 questions, 60 minutes long, and open book.  But don’t let it being open book fool you, there is no time to look up anything!

What are the Benefits of the Cert?

Conga is the leading document generation software it is likely to become a default option for document generation for most business given the current Covid-19 situation for contracts etc. I think becoming Conga Certified is a great way to demonstrate your expertise to your employer, earn recognition from your peers, and gain status as a respected member of Conga’s certified admin community.

Was it a Tough Exam?

Yes, it was. With it being a fairly new certification program there is not much material to use, so it’s either you know the product, experience, or read through the entire documentation.  The other issue about the exam is once you move to the next question you can’t go back to review the last question. So you have to get it right the first time and given you have approximately one minute per question, it doesn’t give you many options.  I passed it on the second attempt. The first attempt was to get the idea what the exam entails, however the questions change on each sitting.

What Does Passing the Cert Mean to you in Terms of Your Daily Work?

Most importantly, it means the clients have confidence in that I can deliver their requirements. I’m also currently working on Batch documentation requirement for a client which involves Conga Trigger, and Conga Merge, plus many other functions. 

Do You Have Any Other Certs You Plan to Take in the Future?

Yes, from the Conga University, the next one will be Contracts which I hope to take soon. While for Salesforce, I’m in the process of sitting the Salesforce Architecture exams as well as the NPSP cert.

 

Salesforce Blogging Tips

Phil Walton’s Salesforce Blogging Tips

Back in 2012, our CEO, Phil Walton started his first ever Tip of the Week blog. Recently he reached a milestone and published his weekly 400th blog. We had a few people ask on Twitter if Phil could give some Salesforce blogging tips for those wanting to start their own Salesforce related blog and how to keep going. Read below on what he has to say…

 

Phil's Salesforce tip of the week

Phil’s Salesforce tip of the week banner

I have written a Salesforce blog post every Friday for over 400 weeks now. I’ve never missed a Friday, even when it fell on Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and even the birth of my second child! I always research it and write it personally, usually ‘live’ on the Friday morning. Though as Cloud Galacticos has grown, I’ve had to be more organised and now try to prepare it earlier in the week. However, I still enjoy writing it today as I did back in 2012.

I’ve won clients, made friends, been forced to keep learning, and learned a few good lessons which I’d like to share with you. Here are my five tips on writing a Salesforce blog:

 

1. Be Consistent

It’s good to build a loyal and regular readership. I find it’s best to have a regular slot where you share your ideas / content. There are disadvantages to this. Firstly, you are forced not to miss a slot – which is tough if you are already leading a busy work schedule. While at the same time you are limited to waiting until that time slot.

However the advantages are that people know what to expect and when. If you are lucky enough people will remember your time slot. A funny example would be, last year I was onsite with a client so couldn’t publish my blog until late in the afternoon. I had a worried message on LinkedIn from someone I had never spoken to before asking me “is everything OK?” as he was expecting my Tip of the Week blog at its regular late morning slot.

 

2. Decide Who Your Audience is and What They Want to Read

As we all know, not just in the tech industry, but the Salesforce community, there are a lot of people writing blogs. So I decided rather than writing in-depth articles on a specific topic each week, I would keep everything ‘short and easy to read’. 

One reader said to me early on, “I see many blogs that I think I would like to read at a later time, but often don’t find the right time to do so. But with your emails, I can spend 15 seconds on it as soon as it arrives, scan through anything I know already or don’t need, get some high level info, or click on the blog link to read more in depth”. So my model of ‘short and easy to read’ works for me and keeps people reading weekly.

Tip of the Week 403 Screen Grab

Tip of the Week 403 Screen Grab

3. If You Don’t Enjoy It, Persist, And Then Give Up!

You should always have a reason for blogging, whether it’s to share your enjoyment of something, help others, or to make money. But either way, it can’t be a short-term goal. It is possible that you might get one million followers as soon as you start, but as this rarely happens, most people get discouraged or bored, and lose interest themselves. 

Persevere through the first steps. Keep on going while you build up even a small following. But, say, after a year or two you find that actually you don’t enjoy it, or you have changed your focus and interests, then I say, take a step back and decide if you should make a change.

 

4. Be Yourself

Life is always easier when you can speak freely, without trying to be somebody else. It’s great to have mentors, or people you admire, but maybe try and take on some of their positive traits or working habits rather than imitate them. That way you can develop your own style, sense of humour, and voice.


5. Be The Expert

The fifth and final tip is ‘Be The Expert’. Unless you are a professional entertainer, then in all probability your readers are there to be educated. Share your knowledge, experience and opinions. And unless you do actually know everything, be humble and keep learning from the Salesforce Ohana!

 

Thanks for Reading!

So there you have it, my five tips for writing a Salesforce blog. Feel free to get in touch on Twitter to let me know what you think.

 

If you’ve enjoyed reading this,  why not sign up to my Friday Tip of the Week emails here?

 

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Rhiannon McCorkindale, Lead Developer – Meet the Galacticos

Continuing our series in which we get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Rhiannon McCorkindale, one of our Lead Developers. I caught up with Rhiannon via email to find out more about her and her experiences.

Rhiannon McCorkindale, Lead Developer

Hi Rhiannon, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

I started working with Salesforce over 12 years ago when the nonprofit I worked for implemented it to replace an onsite server and custom-built CRM. I was involved in the requirements gathering process and quickly trained up to become the Systems Administrator. Since then I have learnt Apex code and other programming languages, and recently sat one of the Architect exams.

Wow, that is a long time working with Salesforce! So how did you find Phil and the Cloud Galacticos?

I met Phil through my colleague (and fellow Galacticos) Neel when I was working as a Salesforce Developer at an Investment Management company in London. I wanted to do something different so moved into consultancy and started working for Phil.

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I moved house recently so most of my spare time has been spent decorating and learning how to garden. I also play an instrument called a tzouras (a small bouzouki). It is used to play rebetiko music, which is also known as the ‘greek blues’.

Rhi, Emma, and Val at World Tour London

Can you tell us a bit more about your role as a Lead Developer and what that involves?

At Cloud Galacticos we can sometimes wear a few different hats and it is different for each project too. I can be involved in requirements gathering, architecture and design, implementing declarative development, documenting systems and then of course coding.

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely? Or working remotely in general?

I think it is important to have a routine and a separate space for working if you can. I always make time for a break to go for a walk in the day. Communication when working remotely is key. Some meetings definitely require a face-to-face approach, although at the moment this all has to happen over zoom or other conferencing tools. We generally keep in touch using messaging systems such as slack. 

With all your experience of working with Salesforce do you have a favourite and least favourite feature?

As most of my earlier experience was really coding on the core CRM modules, I think using a Trigger Handler Framework brings a lot of benefits especially for clients who don’t have them implemented and therefore don’t have much control over the order of execution. I wouldn’t say least favourite, but there are always challenges when clients have previously used a combination of process builders, flows and code.

Paul, Neel, Rhi, and Phil at Inspire East

Finally, what about tips for anyone starting out with Salesforce?

Trailhead is really useful. It didn’t exist as a resource when I first started using Salesforce, the hands-on modules and trying things out in playgrounds means you can gain some experience in things you haven’t used before.

 

Thanks Rhiannon for your time and insight into your life. We have quite a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space.

Val Southern, Senior Consultant - Meet The Galacticos

Val Southern, Senior Consultant – Meet The Galacticos

Next in our series of Meet The Galacticos, say ‘hello’ to Val Southern, one of our Senior Consultants. I caught up with Val via email to find out more about her and her experiences.

Val Southern, Senior Consultant

Hi Val, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

Wow – big question! I’ll jump into how I came to work with Salesforce, I think. I’ve always been passionate about process improvement. My background in IT was data analysis and reporting. I worked on reporting from IBM systems in a variety of business sectors. 

Back in 2007, I was working for a manufacturing company on data analysis and process improvement.  I was told my next project would be to implement a new CRM system to compliment the current SQL-based ERP system. I’d never heard of Salesforce at the time, but quickly came to love it after facing the steep learning curve and immersing myself in declarative development. I never looked back and I thank my boss from that company for allowing me the opportunity.

Val at Salesforce World Tour London 2019

That is a long time working with Salesforce. So, how did you find Phil and Cloud Galacticos?

I’d been working in Manchester for some years with a Salesforce customer. I felt the need to get back to consulting. After following Phil for some time as a member of the Northern User Group, we got talking over a couple of beers after a group session. I knew there and then that I wanted to be a Galactico! Being a Galactico allows me to do the work I’m passionate about whilst being able to work flexibly at home.

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

My three children keep me pretty busy! I enjoy walking and hiking in the Lancashire countryside, foraging for local fruits and occasionally making wine from it. I love cooking and gardening too.

Rhi, Emma, and Val at World Tour London

We recently featured a success story with Cloud Nine Hair that I know you were key in helping be successful. Can you tell us a bit more about your role as a Senior Consultant and what that involves?

My role involves me taking all my Salesforce experience and learning over the years and applying it to helping customers start out with Salesforce or solve problems. I often refer to myself as a Salesforce all-rounder, which means I am able to interpret and visualise customer requirements into solutions and bring them to life through a combination of declarative and programmatic development to best suit their needs. My experience over many projects in many different customers in a multitude of industries. This means I can occupy most ‘hats’ required such as Project Manager, Business Analyst, Developer and Tester. Sometimes I wear all the ‘hats’ and sometimes I manage others to fulfil the needs of a project. In summary, the Senior Consultant role requires versatility!

For Cloud Nine – we used a combination of my filling all roles and my managing others. This helped them a lot because they have one Galactico who knows their implementation inside-out, as well as quickly responding to new or changing requirements.

What tips do you have on working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

It might sounds odd but being a human being is important! Effective and regular communication is key in this environment. Being able to meet regularly with video-calling is a huge help. It also keeps travel costs to a minimum for the customer, whilst allowing valuable time to be spent on working instead of commuting.

For my own sanity, having a dedicated working space is important and helps me switch from work to home life, just like going to and from an office. Additionally, I have a standing desk which allows me to switch between standing or sitting so I don’t become too sedentary. A regular routine of exercising works well too. A good walk at lunchtime helps to refocus halfway through my day.

 

Thanks Val for your time and insight into your life. We have a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space!

Phil's Salesforce Tip of the Week

Salesforce Learning Resources – Phil’s Tip of the Week #400

Welcome to Tip of the Week number 400! This week’s tip is a special super edition covering the best Salesforce learning resources. When I started writing this weekly tip in 2012, I was unsure it would hit 40 let alone 400 tips. So before we dive in, a big thank you to everyone who reads this weekly and has contributed over the years.

This week’s tip is all about the best Salesforce learning and study resources to help you, whether it is preparing for an exam or just learning more about a feature. I’ve collated the best resources I have come across and crowdsourced a few more. I have tried to break it down into sections to make it easier to read. Think I have missed something? Let me know!

General Study Methods

  1. Formulas for Successfully Learning Salesforce – London’s Calling 2019 talk from Don Robbins and Dan Appleman
  2. Learning Technology in the Information Age Pluralsight course by Dan Appleman
  3. Learning to Learn for Certification Success – Dreamforce 2018 talk by Paul Battisson, Cloud Galacticos COO 
  4. Associated Learning How to Be a Better Learner Blog from Paul
  5. Keeping Up With Technology Pluralsight course by Dan Appleman

General Salesforce Learning Resources

  1. No list of Salesforce Learning Resources would be complete without mentioning Trailhead.
  2. Salesforce 101 – An Introduction to Salesforce Udemy course by Francis Pindar
  3. Salesforce Partner Community If you work for a partner you should get logged in here. You can find a number of great groups for certification fast paths as well as partner online training.
  4. Power of Us Hub – working with Non-Profits or Education organisations? Have a look at the training options in the Power of Us Hub – all free!
  5. Trailhead Academy Classes – these are paid for in person or virtual classes from Salesforce Experts. Well worth attending if you want to really learn a topic rapidly and pick the brains of someone with a lot of experience.
  6. Focus on Force is a fantastic website that has a ton of training material and resources.
  7. The Official Certification Guides – if you are looking to get certified this is the place to start. The official guides give a great breakdown of what topics each exam will cover and the points for each section.
  8. Salesforce Help – An often overlooked place to get the detail on how something works
  9. Salesforce Certification Days – A day of exam preparation from an expert which often include discount codes for the exam itself
  10. Salesforce Support official YouTube channel that has a lot of great videos
  11. Salesforce Architects Medium Blog – a fairly new blog we featured in a recent tip of the week. A superb resource to read more about all things architecture.
  12. Salesforce Engineering Medium Blog – Not necessarily talking about Salesforce technology but by the team that keeps the platform moving
  13. Salesforce Tip/Cheat Sheets – a great set of cheat sheets for all sorts of things
  14. SFDC Stop – a great blog that contains lots of Salesforce information
  15. Salesforce.org Blog – The official blog for the Salesforce.org team

Clicks

  1. There are many people who still find reading a book a great way of learning. We have a full list of book recommendations for administrators here
  2. Salesforce Certified Administrator (aka 201) 2020 from Francis Pindar on Udemy
  3. Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Practice Tests
  4. SFDC Fanboy Blogs on Marketing Cloud Email Specialist 
  5. Official Salesforce Admins Podcast – Salesforce Admin learning and discussion straight into your ears
  6. Official Salesforce Admins Blog
  7. WizardCast Podcast – This podcast has been going for a while and has great back catalogue of content for you to learn from 

Code

  1. Salesforce Developer Podcast – the official podcast for Salesforce Developers
  2. Salesforce Developer Blog – the official Salesforce Developer blog
  3. Salesforce Developer TV – a lot of people don’t know about this great Salesforce Learning resource, a curated set of videos on a range of topics
  4. Salesforce Developers YouTube Channel – more content that the last resource including webinars and events
  5. London Salesforce Developer Group YouTube Channel  – the London Developer Group uploads their recordings to YouTube, a great set of resources from the community.
  6. Good Day Sir Podcast – Another podcast, sometime less Salesforce focussed but some great content and a wonderful community
  7. Salesforce Way Podcast – Xi interviews a range of clever people learning about Salesforce topics 
  8. Heroku Codeish Podcast – For when you want to get even more technical, the Heroku podcast is there
  9. We have a full list of developer focussed books to recommend
  10. Keir Bowden’s Blog – blogs from Mr Salesforce himself, Bob Buzzard aka Keir Bowden
  11. Salesforce Play by Plays on Pluralsight from Don Robins and Others
  12. Jitendra Zaa’s Blog – regular great content on a range of topics
  13. SFDC 99 – a great resource to learn how to program in Apex

Taking an Exam

After using all these resources you will be ready to take a certification exam. You have 2 options, both are via Webassessor. You can either attend an exam at a test centre around the globe, or you can take a proctored session online. For an online exam, you need to create an account and install Sentinel onto your laptop alongside some identity setup. Therefore, I recommend doing it well before your exam slot! Currently, you can use your laptop’s in-built camera, but usually you need an external camera so the invigilator can see your face, hands, and around your laptop. My exam was once stopped because I was wearing a watch, so remove anything they may find could be a cheating risk. 

When can I retake exams? Book the retake after 1 day, book 2nd retake after 14, after that have to wait until next release cycle, (then it is classed as a take not retake?) You can read the official guidance here. If English is not your first language, you can request an extra 30 minutes by sending an email to: certification@salesforce.com.

Thank you!

Thank you for reading, and for being part of my Salesforce journey over the past 16 years. I look forward to writing many more weekly Salesforce tips, and would love to hear from any of you that would like to add guest tips (just drop me a line at phil@cloudgalacticos.co.uk).

One final message…don’t feel the pressure to learn EVERYTHING now! When I started using Salesforce in 2004 it was a pretty simple job to be the expert, but now there are so many features, extensions, apps, clouds, and often numerous ways to achieve the same outcome. So choose one thing and learn it, don’t just tick off boxes for the sake of a milestone. It is great to be self-motivated, but it is a marathon not a sprint! Stay safe and happy.

Enjoyed this tip? If you want to receive Phil’s weekly tip you can sign up here.

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Best Practices and Thoughts on Virtual Events

Over the past few months we have seen a number of events cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a number of events go virtual. Last week  Salesforce announced all its events including Dreamforce will now be re-imagined and virtual. Because of this, I thought I would share some best practices and thoughts on virtual events to help you make the most of them.

North England Salesforce User Group Virtual Event

Virtual vs In-Person Events

Firstly, let’s talk about the differences between virtual and in-person events. The biggest (and most obvious) difference is that it is generally a lot harder to network and meet new people. I have made numerous new friends and acquaintances over the years at conferences through just casual interactions. Queuing for lunch, waiting for a session to start or just sat next to someone at a session. You get to meet and interact with a lot of new people, which will obviously be much harder for a virtual event.

However, I would encourage you to use the remote nature of the event to your advantage when it comes to interaction with the speakers. It is not uncommon at an event to find it hard to ask a speaker a question or further information after the talk if there are a number of people all doing so at once. I cannot think of an instance where I have seen a speaker at a remote event not provide some form of contact details, so reach out to them if you have a question, comment, whatever. You are almost guaranteed to get a reply and it is a great way of making a new connection.

More Speaker, More Content, More Spaces

Virtual events however tend to have a much broader range of speakers and can accommodate a greater number of attendees. As an example, the talk I gave at the recent Xforce Summit had over 1,000 people attend. I don’t think I have been to a conference where any of the sessions for speakers outside a keynote had that many attendees possible. With no constraints on room sizes or availability, you are more able to attend any session you want. I have lost count of the number of times at Dreamforce I have been unable to attend a session because it was oversubscribed.

Finally, the biggest difference for most people is cost. Attending any conference can cost you for a ticket, travel, potentially lodging as well. All of these items add up and I know are a consideration for us when we look at events to sponsor and attend. Virtual events are likely to be cheaper (if not free like the Xforce Summit) for a ticket and also do not incur any of the associated expenses.

Allocate Time and Avoid Distractions

One of the primary benefits of events is that you have time away form your day work to focus on learning. It can be very tempting to work on other items in the background whilst dialled in to be productive. This type of multitasking does not work and should be avoided. If attending a virtual event, try to keep this in mind and focus on the session exclusively when possible. Just as if you were in a room during a talk you wouldn’t be doing something else, apply the same thought here.

One difference here though is you can take much better notes virtually than often is possible in person. Know how to take a quick screenshot for later and open up any additional reading material. This makes it easy for you to implement what you have learned afterwards.

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Paul Battisson, COO – Meet the Galacticos

This is the start of a new series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team. We thought we start off with our COO, Paul Battisson, who is fast approaching his third year with us. I caught up with Paul via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

Paul Battisson, COO

Paul, thanks for volunteering to be the first participant in this series. Can you give us a bit of background about you and your history with Salesforce® ?

Sure, my name is Paul and I have been working with Salesforce now for the past 11 years. I started off in Salesforce® as a developer at FinancialForce where I got to learn about the platform from some of the best developers around. Andy Fawcett (now VP Platform Product Management at Salesforce) was my manager and showed me a lot. I also had the pleasure to work with other superstars like Carolina Ruiz, Stephen Willcock and Agustina Garcia which helped me pick a lot up fast. I then moved on to a consulting role as a senior developer focused on financial services. Since then I have held a number of different roles for different partners across product management, architecture, innovation and delivery management. I’ve been lucky enough to work on a variety of roles and get to see most of the platform.

You’re also a Salesforce® MVP and lead the Leeds Developer Group in the UK?

That’s correct. I am fortunate enough to have been awarded as an MVP for the past 7 years. I have been running the Leeds Developer Group for about 8 years now. It was through the group that I first met our the Cloud Galacticos CEO Phil Walton. I also run a site called CloudBites.tv where I share videos about Salesforce topics and am midway through writing some books on Apex.

Paul discussing the Blockchain at a Leeds Developer Group

Paul discussing the Blockchain at a Leeds Developer Group

So with all that going on I’m not sure you have time for anything else, but in the time you do have outside of work what do you enjoy doing?

Haha, yes it is a bit full on. At the moment a lot of time is spent on writing, blogging etc. but I do really enjoy that. I also love reading although I am a bit of a nerd and it is a variety of non-fiction topics. My PS4 is my go-to relaxation device, as well as cooking. I try to exercise a bit as well but I can’t say I am consistent in that as I am with playing the PlayStation!

A nice mix of things there. Can you share a little more about your role as COO and what you enjoy most about it?

I describe myself as “everything other than delivery – most of the time”. We are still a growing organisation so I do spend my time moving across a few things. Primarily my role is a combination of sales, marketing, strategy and back office stuff. I also help clients on a number of projects as an architect as well. I like a good mixture of things and my role definitely gives me that. In one day I can be discussing a new marketing campaign, talking to potential clients, discussing an integration between systems and then reviewing our HR policies. It can be a bit manic but I love it.

A nice variety there. To me you are the ‘travelling Galactico’, and I know your role and work involves a bit of travel. Where has been your favourite place to visit with work?

I am definitely on the road more than the rest of the team, but that’s because I get to meet new customers and telling them how wonderful we all are! I visit Leeds, Manchester and London a lot. Manchester has a special place for me, it is a big city but a nice community feel to it. To me it also feels open and spacious more than many others. I have also been lucky enough to head to Malaga, San Francisco and New Delhi with the Galacticos team and would recommend them all. I have been to San Francisco many times and can always find something new and interesting to enjoy. It is such a crazy place so definitely worth going if you can.

I know you have visited San Francisco for Dreamforce, what has been your favourite Salesforce event?

Yes I have been lucky enough to attend and speak at Dreamforce a number of times. It probably is my favourite event overall because of how long it is. You have enough time to attend a number of sessions, meet people from all over and generally have fun. I do have a soft spot for the community events that have sprung up as well – in particular London’s Calling and DreamOle. They are smaller in scale but have always have great talks and are much easier to get to!

Paul Speaking at Dreamforce 2018

Paul Speaking at Dreamforce 2018

Obviously at the moment everyone is working remotely but you have been working remotely for a while. Have you got any tips for everyone?

My biggest tip would be to have a dedicated space. I’ve got an office where I can work away and focus without disruption. It can be tough to switch off if you always have the laptop around and also hard to resist looking at another email. Having a dedicated space means you can focus when needed and close the work away at the end of the day.

Paul's office setup

Paul working from his home office

And finally, what tips would you have for someone starting in the Salesforce eco-system?

Join your local Trailblazer Community groups! They are full of knowledgeable and friendly people who want to be your friends. You will also get to hear a much broader set of talks, topics and ideas than you would otherwise and really ramp up your knowledge. Plus most provide some free food and drink!

Thanks Paul for your time and an insight into your life. We’ll be chatting with some of the other team members at Cloud Galacticos in due course. Watch this space!

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Two Team Members Become Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultants

At Cloud Galacticos, we like to encourage our team members to keep on learning and developing their skills. Especially as we operate in a fast moving and dynamic environment. Here’s our CEO, Phil Walton, and CTO, Neel Meghani talking about their recent success on passing the Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultant test.

PLEDGE ONE PERCENT

Phil says, “Cloud Galacticos have been working with nonprofit organisations for a long time now. I am not even sure the Nonprofit Success Pack (or Starter Pack as it used to be) was even around back then! As well as working with a number of nonprofits on long term projects, we also volunteer with a nonprofit each year as a part of our belief in Pledge 1%. We thought it was about time we got the certification to go with our experience. So Neel and I took on the challenge!

SALESFORCE NONPROFIT CLOUD CONSULTANT CERTIFICATION

Phil continues, “The Nonprofit Cloud Consultant cert is pretty new, only announced in Beta in 2018. The questions are based around the use of the Nonprofit Cloud and Nonprofit Success Pack. It also covers general Salesforce knowledge and Consultancy skills (‘What would you do if…?’). The general breakdown is:

Nonprofit Domain Expertise 18% of the exam

NPSP Settings and Administration 20% of the exam

Nonprofit Cloud Implementation Strategies & Best Practices 21% of the exam

Nonprofit Cloud Solution Design 24% of the exam

Nonprofit Cloud Data Management 11% of the exam

Nonprofit Cloud Analytics 6% of the exam

SALESFORCE TRAILHEAD

Phil concludes, “I have been using NPSP for years, but there are always areas you only discover when you have to study a subject. I mainly used Trailhead. This Trail was useful particularly in getting me up to speed with Engagement Plans. But also there were Modules covering GAU Allocation, and which Account model to use.”

Neel adds, “My main resource for studying for the NPSP exam was the Nonprofit Cloud Consultants Training & Certification Guide. This in addition to Trailhead gave me the confidence to sit the exam. One area of I felt was important was the Domain knowledge which some of was new to me. Also ensure you brush up on standard Salesforce subjects like Sandboxes, Lightening Flow, Process Builder etc.”

SALESFORCE KNOWLEDGE

Neel concludes, “Being the best in Salesforce means a mixture of skills. Communication, logic, business acumen, and a blend of Salesforce experience and Salesforce knowledge.  Also, certifications alone are not enough, but they do show a level of knowledge. Finally, show the desire to put time aside to learn these skills.”

 

Useful Links

Link to individual articles and trails relating to each subject area https://partners.salesforce.com/s/education/general/Nonprofit_Training 

Trailmix: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/trails/fundraise-with-nonprofit-success-pack-npsp 

Trailmix – includes Engagement plans & campaigns: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/trails/engage-constituents-with-nonprofit-cloud 

Link to the exam guide: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Nonprofit-Cloud-Consultant-Exam-Guide

 

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including London, Manchester, Leeds, Oxford, and Bristol.

If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call on 020 7101 0795, or click here.