How to get job-ready in customer service with Salesforce

Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, is the approach companies use to manage their interactions with current and potential customers. CRM has become an important digital skill in the modern economy because of the popularity of software providers like Salesforce that have established themselves as an integral part of many businesses. CRM is more than just a sales tool for these companies — it’s the life force of the business.

In 2019, Salesforce was named the best worldwide CRM provider for the sixth year in a row based on a market share compiled by the International Data Corporation. Some notable facts include the following:

• Salesforce has approximately 150,000 separate businesses as customers.
• Within these businesses, estimates say there are around 3.75 million individual subscribers to Salesforce.
• Roles requiring Salesforce administration abilities are expected to grow by 32% in the next 10 years.

To help students learn the critical skills necessary for these jobs, LSU Online & Continuing Education has partnered with Pathstream to offer the Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate. In this fully online program — developed in collaboration with Trailhead, Salesforce’s official learning platform — students learn the skills and tools they need to be successful in entry-level jobs in this field.

Using Pathstream’s custom online learning platform, students get hands-on practice using Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, and spreadsheets. Students complete projects that are based on real-world scenarios and can use those projects to build a portfolio to showcase their skills to future employers.

This program lays the groundwork for people with no experience in Salesforce to learn the skills necessary to prepare for the Salesforce System Administrator certification exam. It covers the same material that is used in the traditional Salesforce 5-day course, but it allows students to learn at their own pace. The LSU program uses the Salesforce Trailhead modules and combines them with oversight from a certified Salesforce Instructor.

What is the potential career outlook for this program?

This course gives students an opportunity to start a career path as a Salesforce System Administrator. A salary survey by Mason Frank in 2020 revealed that the average salary range for a certified junior System Administrator was $87K-$107K. There is continued demand for System Administrators as Salesforce.com continues to be the industry standard for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software applications.

Additionally, this program prepares students for careers in CRM and Salesforce administration — specifically jobs with titles such as “Salesforce Administrator” and “Sales Representative”. After taking this certificate, students will be able to:

• Pursue an entry-level job or internship
• Apply their new Salesforce skill-set to their current jobs
• Pursue a promotion

There is no application process, so individuals can start the program the same day they enroll.

The Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate is unique because it is:

• Interactive and lab-based - As a student, that means you will actually practice using the Salesforce platform in real-life scenarios, not just watch videos about it. Throughout the program, you will complete labs and projects that mirror the challenges you’ll face on the job, preparing you for your new career.
• Accelerated and focused - This program teaches you what you need to know to succeed on the job because we know students need these skills fast. It’s a focused experience that includes the most critical information needed for success. The program can be taken at your own pace, is fully online, and is built for working professionals.
• Focused on what happens next - Sometimes, the hardest part of gaining new skills can be putting them to use. For that reason, this program doesn’t end after you have completed your coursework — resources focused on helping you get the new job or promotion you’re seeking are built into the experience to make sure that you are able to actually translate your new skills into a better career.
• Personalized to ensure your success - You’ll work with an instructor to answer the questions you have and get individual feedback on your projects. Although the course content is all online with no lectures to attend, you’ll always have personalized support if you need it.
• Broken down into three courses - You can choose to take the full certificate or choose a course that will give you the specific skill set you’re looking for. For whichever path you choose, you’ll earn a digital badge co-branded with LSU Online & Continuing Education, and Salesforce Trailhead — a badge you can showcase to future employers.

Who teaches the certificate courses?

LSU Online & Continuing Education is proud to allow students to earn a valuable professional development certification like the Salesforce Administrator Career certificate. LSU offers courses with experienced professionals that have worked in the industry for years. Courses were designed by tried-and-true professionals with years of experience, so students can gain the information that they need in order to succeed in their position.

Jeff Susich is an instructor for the LSU Online & Continuing Education Salesforce Administrator Career Certificate program. Susich is an 8x Salesforce certified consultant, instructor, and trainer. He has been in sales and marketing, engineering, operations, and customer care for startups and Fortune 500 firms. He is a Salesforce registered partner, authorized training reseller, and a certified instructor.

“I have trained literally thousands of people embarking down the Salesforce System Admin path, and I believe this still to be one of the best ways for people to reboot, or start, their career path on the technology road,” said Susich. “The Salesforce world is a unique community. People help each other and share learning in local user groups, online groups, and other forums. It’s a career path unique in the software industry. It’s not easy, but if it was, it would not have the career worth that it does.”