Hi. I’m Zrna Aničić and I work as a Content Editor and Salesforce Admin with Focus on Force.

How did you get started with Salesforce?

I started working with Salesforce back in 2016 when I first met Martin. And I didn't have experience with Salesforce. I didn't know the platform but I had some I.T. background. I studied Information Sciences and I had years of experience in blogging.

So the initial idea was to work on that part — to work with blog posts, sending newsletters, etc. And as I was working on that part, I was also spending some time on Trailheads. Every day I would complete Trailhead modules and get familiar with the platform. And then slowly I started working with study guides and then later the exams and videos.

So yeah, I thought maybe I should just focus on that part of the product and help others. So it was a logical step for me to get certified and get the confirmation that I knew Salesforce.

With your I.T. background, how did you stay motivated to learn Salesforce's ‘click not code’ concept?

In the beginning, it was really overwhelming because Salesforce is so huge and it can take you to so many different directions from development, service, and sale. But I think that what kept me motivated was the community — how everyone was helpful, how the Trailheads are constructed to help people, to help motivate you with every badge that you get.

I think that that's what kept me motivated.

Would you say that getting certified affected your career in a positive way?

Getting the Admin certification was like a big confirmation that you know the stuff — that you understand Salesforce. That you know basic stuff — the general stuff. I would really compare it with finishing high school because there's so much more to learn but you have that first step covered.

And yeah, you can move forward from this point.

What was the most challenging aspect of the Salesforce Administrator certification?

All my knowledge was theoretical. I didn't have experience working on Salesforce projects so some parts of it were just really challenging for me. And in particular the Security & Access part, Role Hierarchy, Permission Sets, Profiles... And it can be overwhelming.

That part was the most challenging — Security & Access, definitely.

Can you give me a day in the life of a Salesforce Admin / Content Editor?

Well, I usually start my day with coffee because that's just my fuel. And then the first part of my day is just communication with my colleagues; making some time for calls. Just to make sure that we're on the same page, what the priorities are for the day or for the week, and what happened while I was asleep.

And then later, I think it's the most productive part of the day — it's my early afternoon so that's the time that I work on tasks — on study guide updates, on exams, and lately I work a lot on the videos. And the last part of the day I spend communicating with our customers.

I spend time on forums, page comments, and customer support. I check the emails and when everyone's been responded to, that's when I'm done with my working day.

How would you describe Focus on Force to someone who has never used it?

Focus on Force was a big part of my study journey. The study guides will give you all the necessary knowledge. The videos are super helpful. The reference links; all the screenshots from the Dev Org that you can recreate in your Dev Org.

The official exam has the questions written in such a way that can be really tricky and you’ll think you know the answer. And then you read it again, and ‘Oh, what they are asking is this…’ Focus on Force has the questions written in a similar way to make you really think. It's supposed to be that way because when you are prepared for questions like that, you won't get confused on the real exam. You will read it again and you will know the right thing to answer. 

Would you say that communication skills are essential to your career?

Yeah. It's really crucial for an individual and for a business to have great communication with customers because it's really important to earn their trust. And when your customers trust you, you will have a successful business.

It's also very important to have good communication with your co-workers and to be on the same page with everyone. And yeah, I think that's crucial to have a successful career and business. 

What advice would you give for people who are preparing for the Salesforce Administrator certification?

I would say just go for it! But when you decide to go for it, take a few months. Don't take 2 weeks or something — it's not enough. If you want to be really prepared for the exam, take 2 or 3 months. 

It may be possible that you will pass in a few weeks, but to really understand everything, it takes you time. So I would say just go for it! Dedicate some time everyday to this certification. Even if you don't have enough time, take 15 minutes or something and keep learning. And if you fail the exam, don't quit. Take an additional few weeks because it's not the end of the world.

When you get there the feeling will be great so it's worth it.