Nick Liechty is a next-generation innovative Salesforce leader with a unique combination of technical expertise and enterprise experience across a variety of industries. Having architected and led dozens of clients through their journey into the Salesforce ecosystem, he is definately one of the leaders of the pack.

Below he shares some of his experiences and tips with you:

How and Why did you get started with Salesforce?
I was doing consulting on analytics when one of my clients asked me to do some Salesforce analytics for them. I have been doing nothing but Salesforce for 6 1/2 years since then.

What were your goals when starting and how did you keep motivated?

Which certifications did you start off with first and which ones do you have now?
I started with the Administrator in 2010 and got the Advanced Admin in 2011. Since then I have also completed Developer, Platform App Builder, Sales Cloud Consultant and Service Cloud Consultant.

Do you plan to do anymore certifications, if so which ones?
I plan on completing the Community Cloud Consultant and Marketing Cloud Consultant certifications next.

What were some previous positions you held and what do you aspire to do and grow towards?
I have been an Admin for orgs with nearly a thousand users, a Salesforce Consultant on dozens of projects, a Salesforce Consulting Manager, and am now working as an Administrator again. For me, variety is the spice of life, so I look forward to future roles in Administration, Consulting, and/or Management. It doesn’t really matter to me what I am doing, I just love working in the Salesforce industry!

What was the most challenging part of learning Salesforce and how did you rise above those challenges?

What is your role now and what does your day to day look like?
I now manage a team of Salesforce consultants. It is my job to get them up to speed on Salesforce as quickly as possible.

What are some of the success you have had while using Salesforce?
It has been most satisfying to me to see how Salesforce changes the lives of those who implement it: the productivity increase and efficiency gains that come from it are nothing short of amazing!

Which steps would you suggest for someone that wants to start a Salesforce career?
Work hard on getting as many certifications as you can. It always pays to be certified!

Why do you think being certified is so important?
It communicates competence to stakeholders and clients. More and more employers are requiring certifications when posting jobs so becoming certified opens doors that would be closed otherwise.

Do you have any tips for getting certified?

I also recommend studying with others. Teach someone else on a specific topic (even family or friends that aren’t into Salesforce) and you will learn that topic far deeper.