The Ultimate Guide to Acing Your Interviews

Inside Dreamforce 2021 – Interview with Vanessa Grant

In this vlog, I sit down with Salesforce maven, mentor, and friend, Vanessa Grant during Dreamforce 21. She shares her insights on the best Salesforce online communities, overcoming imposter syndrome, staying at the top of your game, and the Foo Fighters.

What Do You Love About America?

Asking Random people what do you love most about America

What do you love most about America and, if you could change just one thing about it, what would it be? 

These are the questions I took to the public in downtown Portland and some of the responses are surprising! 

What does all of this have to do with Salesforce recruiting and why is a Salesforce recruiter even bothering with this? 

The short answer is “why not?”. The long answer is that recruiters love to ask questions, but more importantly they love to get truthful answers to great questions. I think both are accomplished here.  

I deeply believe that the more we recognize we have in common, the more peaceful and industrious a nation we are. Still, a survey of a dozen people doesn’t bring to bear all 330M plus of us, so please, check out the video and share your thoughts in the comments below.

I Lost My Job! PART TWO

I Lost My Job! What am I going to do? Steps 4, 5 and 6

If you’ve recently lost your job, spent time grieving and taken care of your immediate mental and physical needs Video PART 1, then it’s time to get back to work. Arming yourself with a compelling, easy to read resume and inviting LinkedIn profile will be covered, but we’ll start with the most important step, how to obtain the information you’ll need for both. 

I strongly recommend clicking the video above for a more detailed and entertaining lesson on how to ready yourself for the Salesforce Job market.

STEP 4 – Understand Your Successes and Shortcomings

Most resumes look like a calendar and a bunch of job descriptions had a baby. Not good! Compelling Salesforce resumes and LinkedIn Profiles are accomplishment focused, meaning they state how ones work affected the overall business. They are rife with results and outcomes, are easy to read and highlight your specific successes and characteristics.

There are three ways to understand your successes and shortcomings. Here they are in order of credibility.

 – Guess. This is a last resort when all resources and research has failed. Not recommended, but it’s better than wheeling out your dusty old document.

– Review past performance reviews and management coaching sessions, including quarterly, or annual 360 reviews. These can be a great source of information for adjectives that convey your work style, reliability, diligence, efficiency, technical competency and so on. 

– Contact your more recent managers and team leads. The absolute best and most credible way to obtain information on what your real value was to the company and a deeper understanding of what you need to work on. Imagine you’re in an interview and you’re asked “What will your references say about you?”. When you pipe up and share “My boss and I just connected last week. I’d reached out so I could understand how I should be applying myself while off of work to become an even more valuable employee. They shared I sometimes stick to a problem before asking for help a little longer than I should. They also said I was one of most reliable and conscientious Salesforce developers they’d ever worked with and I’d be their first call if they need to build a team again.” 
Powerful stuff….if it’s true!

Be sure to press them for honest information that you can really use. Managers who simply provide lip service or tell you what they think you want to hear are useless. Hold them accountable to the truth so you can learn, grow and validate your best qualities.

Step 5 – Update your Salesforce Resume

Most people have average resumes. Get yours into A shape by starting with the tips covered in the video.

Step 6 – Update your LinkedIn Profile  

Watch the video to learn how a few basic tweaks to your profile can help you in the job hunt. 

How To Keep Your Salesforce Job – Who Makes The Firing Decisions?

Tips to protect your salesforce job.

Tips that will help you keep your salesforce job

The pandemic has severely damaged the world economy and job security has been thrown out the window

As a Salesforce recruiter, my advice to those with a job they like (or love) is to hang on to the job for as long as possible. Obviously, in the economic downturn, this is easier said than done, but I have a few tips that can help you keep the job you have, reduce your risk of being laid off and ensure stability.

Here is my advice

There are three sections to surviving the current economy.

1. Save money:

The first and foremost thing to do is to be prepared for the loss of the job. No matter how valuable you believe you are, there is always a chance your employer might let you go. So, save as much cash as possible so you are prepared if that happens.

I understand that not everyone has the luxury of saving money, but try to find ways to cut down on costs. Many are researching mortgage refinance, selling cars with high payments for an affordable vehicle you can own outright and mowing your own lawn are good places to start.

2. Tips on keeping the job

The second step when facing a recession for Salesforce professionals is to do everything you can to secure the job you have.

Always keep in touch with the senior leadership. Comment on their LinkedIn posts, wish them a happy birthday, and make sure they know who you are and what you do in the company.

The more people that talk about you positively, the chances of retaining your job increase significantly.

Working hard and putting out great work is always a plus for your reputation in any economy. However, exceptional performance might not be enough. Your work needs to be in the limelight to let the higher-ups know you are crucial to the organizations success.

Often, the person deciding who gets to keep their job is someone you don’t even report to. It can be your boss’s boss or someone even higher up the ladder. It is therefore essential to have a good reputation with all levels in your company, especially upper management.

3. Be prepared to switch jobs.

Lastly, be prepared to look for a job in case you lose your job. Dial in your LinkedIn profile and resume (See this video for how)  and keep your eyes open for new job opportunities.

I also have a video on my YouTube channel on the topic of how to keep your salesforce job. Click the link for more tips and suggestions on how to protect your career during the Covid crisis.

Conclusion

If you’re already working, don’t start looking for a new job until you’ve invested in your finances, internal network, resume and LinkedIn profile.

I Lost My Job – 6 Things To Do Before You Start The Job Hunt

Things to do when you lost your job
If you’ve recently lost your job, this article is for you.
 
Note to reader: As The Salesforce Recruiter, I’ve created an ongoing series to address immediate needs and concerns of those affected by the Covid pandemic within the Salesforce eco system. I recommend watching the videos and subscribing to the channel to stay up to date on new information. This is Part 1 and will cover steps 1, 2 and 3.
 

I’ve Lost My Job! What am I going to do? 

Whether you’re rolling with the punches, have a strong back up plan or are even grateful to leave your current company, job loss is stressful and ranks high on traumatic events. For some, it’s as painful as the death of a friend. Knowing you’re not alone and that the country is doing its best to unite may not be enough and it certainly doesn’t pay the bills. This article won’t pay your bills either. Only you can do that, so let’s focus first on three things that are within your control.
 

1. Give Yourself Permission to Grieve

It’s not just ok to mourn, complain, lean on your loved ones and friends, lament, be angry, feel vulnerable, feel afraid, nervous, worried and commonly, devastated. It’s absolutely normal.

If you are the type to take action quickly, do so with caution. Without processing the hurt, fear and anger, unless you’re a skilled actor, it will show to future employers. This stuff is so deep, it’s incredibly hard to mask. You’ll do yourself and those that depend on you more favors by acknowledging you will need some time. Generally at least a couple days to a week. Unless you have a big stash, don’t wait longer than that.

If your spouse is wondering why the next day you aren’t filling out job applications, show them this article. DO NOT INTERVIEW WITHOUT PROCESSING YOUR PAIN.

Misery loves company. Don’t be misery’s friend. Grieve and then stop. It’s ok to talk about things like your feelings and the impact to you and those you care for, but overly negative dialogue that’s repeated creates brain pathways that, like ruts in the road, keep you on track for the wrong destination. It doesn’t take a high Emotional Quotient to smell bitterness. That is one stanky perfume and creates even greater social distancing from the people who matter to you most.

2. Reframe Your Experience

Even though people lose jobs regardless of a pandemic, future employers will understand with great clarity the primary reason behind your recent availability. If we fall at the foot of victimhood we’ll be flatting the curve on our career, so don’t do that. Deeply understanding why you lost your Salesforce job is imperative and it’s all in how it’s framed.

This is my recommended “framing” for your difficult experience.

“I lost my job to save a life. The life of someone who matters. I lost my job to save a company. A company that may live to hire me again. I’m not a victim because I am alive. I am not a casualty because I can still work. I’ve lost my job, but not my career.” 

3. Manage Emotions By Taking Care of Your Body

How much we sleep, the kind of food we eat and how much exercise we get directly impacts our endocrine system.The endocrine system is the collection of glands that produce hormones that regulate metabolism, growth and development, tissue function, sexual function, reproduction, sleep, and mood. Treat your body like a punching bag and your mood is likely to follow suit.

Don’t make ice cream, Doritos and booze part of your daily routine.  Don’t quit exercise if you already do it. If you don’t, then start. Don’t stay up til 2 a.m., sleep until 11, or forego the sun. Protect your future and your family and your income by looking after your body, and your mood immediately.

Take care of yourself. Seriously!

While steps 1, 2 and 3 are all about self care. Steps 4, 5 and 6 are about arming ourselves with compelling job hunting assets like a pro resume, engaging LinkedIn profile and how to get the information for both that matters most.

 

Three Things To Know If Your Salesforce Recruiting Budget Gets Cut

Three things to know if your Salesforce recruiting budget gets cut. 

When the economy is being crippled, hiring declines, Salesforce headhunters disappear (not me) and you might even lose your internal recruiter. Here are three things to know if your Salesforce recruiting budget gets cut. 

 

1. Apply even more scrutiny to available applicants.

There are more available Salesforce Candidates in the market. As recent as February, 2020, there were more jobs than candidates, so this is a good thing. However, in a down economy we must apply even more scrutiny to available applicants. Many employers are reducing their teams and are letting go of Salesforce employees with the least amount of value, to them. That’s an important distinction as these same candidates could be of high value elsewhere. Many firms are using the current economy as a reason to cut employees they’ve been wanting to let go for some time.

This doesn’t mean at all that there aren’t truly excellent Salesforce professionals who are currently or soon to be on the market. That’s not the case at all. So, check on the reasons why they were let go. Did the entire division experience as RIF? Were the they “last on and first gone”? And be very thorough in your reference checks. 

2. Be careful of outsourcing the work to anyone else but you. 

If you lose your internal recruiter or you have no budget to work with a Salesforce headhunter or Staffing agency, be careful of outsourcing the work to anyone else but you. Your administrative assistant or EA may be swell, but it’s your career that is built or broken by the team you build. Speaking from 20 years of recruiting, this stuff isn’t learned overnight and in the Salesforce space, it’s 5x as hard. I’m here to help during these challenging times and will be happy to point anyone in the right direction. 

3. You must hire contractors quickly. 

There is already a reduction in direct-hire, full time opportunities. This is my third recession as a recruiter and we always see an increase in contract placement. Back in 2008, some of the largest firms doubled their contract placement divisions to the tune of billions of dollars. If you’re not used to hiring contractors, know this; You Must Hire Quickly! You can have a great hiring process, but applying slow, direct hire methodologies to a contractor will leave you high and dry and wondering where all the good ones have gone. 

Of course, there’s more to it than just this. To learn more and stay up to date, subscribe for videos here.

Stay safe!

Retain Your Best Employees During Covid-19 Crisis

retaining top performers

Are your top performers safe?

Here are five steps you can take to protect your top performing Salesforce pros.

The Coronavirus pandemic is inducing stress for almost everyone. Fear of losing ones clients, job, business, getting sick or losing a loved one can be overwhelming. While under stress, no matter how much we care, it’s easy to overlook the needs of our most critical employees.

Protecting the health of your workforce, is paramount. Protecting the livelihood of your employees and your business comes next. We’ve all heard “In case of loss of cabin pressure, place the oxygen mask on yourself first and your child second.” So too must businesses look after the life of the business first and the employee second. Success is dependent on a variety of factors, including debt, cash and industry. Now, it’s not all bad news. Many of us are at an advantage by operating remote Salesforce work forces. Even so, not all work forces and employees are equal and not everyone will be safe from losing great employees.  Let’s protect them as many as we can, starting with your most critical employees! After all, if you’ve invested in a great Salesforce recruiter to help develop your team, you’ll want to protect your the team, now more than ever.
 

1. Identify Your Salesforce Top Performers

  • Who on your team accomplishes more, complains less, has the best ideas and the drive to execute? Chances are, you already know.
  • It’s not only work output or revenue production of your Salesforce Developers, Salesforce Administrators and Account Executives that matter. Some employees are the glue of the office. They’re the reasons top performers stay and ignore other job offers.

2. Communicate Directly

  • Blanket emails to all staff isn’t enough. One on ones with each employee is just good management. It’s doubly important for your most valued staff.
  • Seek to understand how the pandemic is impacting their lives. Give them a chance to vent and be heard.
  • Top performers have AMAZING ideas. Asking for their input on how to manage clients and other staff should be a no-brainer.

3. Have a Plan if an Employee Gets Sick

  • Do you have a redundancy plan should one or more of your staff become ill?
  • Who covers for whom?
  • Is there access to all files, plans, and project status?
  • Are team updates more frequent and have you increased documentation requirements?

4. Get Creative and Negotiate Compensation

  • Will offering furlough to employees save the company?
  • Can we allow full time employees to moonlight to make up for loss of income?
  • Can we keep more top employees by reducing hours?
  • Who do you value who is expensive that would be willing to temporarily accept less income?

5. Identify Low Performers

  • Identify your low performers and attitude mismatches. Low performers wreak havoc on your leadership career and cause numerous challenges. This could be the time to realign your staff to your goals and values. Again, you likely already know who they are.
  • This does not automatically mean the newest or least expensive employee. You may have hired a 5 out of 5 rock star who is still new and less productive. If they have the right drive, a great attitude and match your company’s values, hang on to them as long as you can.
  • Let the low performers go. Save the business and live to hire another day.
  • Act swiftly. The speed of your decisions may well determine if your team dies, survives or thrives in the new economy.
For additional strategies to protect your team, schedule a pro-bono strategy call with The Salesforce Recruiter.