Preface : this post is part of the How to get a Salesforce developer job series.

So how do you get your first job as a Salesforce admin or developer if…

You have zero on the job experience in the Salesforce industry?

You’re switching from another industry into the Salesforce world?

You’re a new university graduate looking for an entry-level job?

You have Salesforce skills, just no Salesforce work experience on your resume?

This is one of the most common questions in the industry because people are starting to realize how lucrative a career in Salesforce can be. But because of this, it’s harder and harder for you to stand out among the crowd.

Here’s the formula for getting your first Salesforce job…

1. Help a non-profit as a Salesforce admin or developer

This is the most important thing you can do to stand out for many reasons:

You’ll get on-the-job experience managing a Salesforce org, which is more valuable than anything a classroom (or website, sadly) will ever teach you.

You now have tangible work experience that you can list on your resume.

It’s a small industry and you’re going to make a ton of connections.

It shows you have a good heart.

Why am I so confident in this strategy? A huge portion of people I work with got started this way!

Next steps: Visit Salesforce’s Official “Help a Non-Profit” site and register to be a volunteer!

2. Get Salesforce certified!

If you haven’t already started on this, do it now! This is the only way to definitively prove your skills on your resume and recruiters don’t want to risk wasting their time interviewing someone who says they know Salesforce, but can’t prove it.

Two certifications isn’t enough, go for three as a minimum. Everyone nowadays has Admin (ADM 201) and Developer (DEV401) certifications.

Next steps: Check out how to get five Salesforce certifications!

3. Get involved in the Salesforce community

This one is not as big as the other two, but in an industry where candidates seem indistinguishable from one another, every ingredient counts.

One of the worst fears for companies is hiring someone who has no passion for what they do. Someone who will only contribute when they’re specifically asked to, and someone who will only bother doing the bare minimum. You know what kind of person I’m talking about!

The key on your resume to showing you’re not this type of employee is to be involved in the Salesforce community. If you’re willing to contribute to a community and learn during your free time, you’re likely the type of person who is dedicated to doing good work.

Next steps: Join your local Salesforce admin or developer user group, be active in the Salesforce Success Community, and definitely go to Dreamforce!

These three steps are guaranteed to get your foot in the door for Salesforce interviews! Now you’ll still need to prove yourself during the actual interview, so don’t forget to study!

Next post: How to get job interviews for Salesforce developer positions!