Become A Salesforce Developer? Ahh, Salesforce. (Founded by former Oracle executive Marc Benioff, Salesforce quickly grew into one of the largest companies in the world, making its IPO in 2004. Salesforce's continued growth makes it the first cloud computing company to reach US$1 billion in annual revenue by the fiscal year 2009 and the world's largest enterprise software firm by 2022. - Wikipedia).
According to many metrics, the leading Customer Relationship Management tool. Why? They were the first to the party, coalescing the disparate components of CRM into a single accessible product. A product that has grown exponentially in offerings and potential since its inception. Salesforce's key features include the Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud. Since its initial development, Salesforce has become the standard for the Sales Process. And along the way, created an exploding market for a Salesforce Developer. Now, is Salesforce Development something that you want to pursue? Let's explore the world of Salesforce Developers.
During the life of Salesforce, additional products have become big sellers: the Commerce Cloud, the Financial Services Cloud, and the Health Cloud. And internal to each cloud offering, there have been further developments like CPQ & Billing.
What does a Salesforce developer do? As you might imagine, Salesforce is not a monolithic software program; it can be configured in many ways to better do its job for different business entities. It can also be endlessly customized to fit users' particular needs.
Configuration involves fine-tuning CRM functionality with the user interface, bypassing coding needs. This is usually handled by a Salesforce Administrator employed by the individual users.
Customization comes into play when the stock offerings from Salesforce aren't quite enough to give the client what they need. Salesforce Customization takes the config process to the next level.
Essential Functions Of Salesforce Development
Development usually consists of two distinct components: Front-end development and back-end, or "server-side" development.
Back-end Development
Salesforce App developers use a programming language called Apex (Oracle APEX [also known as APEX or Oracle Application Express], an enterprise low-code development platform from Oracle Corporation that is used to develop and deploy web applications on Oracle databases. APEX provides a web-based integrated development environment (IDE) that uses wizards, drag-and-drop layout, and property editors to build applications and pages.
APEX intends to simplify the process of creating web applications that serve as a front end to a database server, among other things. - Wikipedia) an object-oriented language with substantial similarities to JavaScript. The code for Apex is stored in the format of classes and triggers. Salesforce uses its own data management language called SOQL.
Front-end Development
For front-end developers, Salesforce offers Visualforce or Lightning frameworks. Visualforce uses tag-based markup language plus a controller set. Salesforce Lightning, a more modern framework, comprises Aura Components (Salesforce proprietary programming model) and Lightning Web Components, a JavaScript-based alternative to Aura.
Salesforce Platform (formerly known as Force.com) is a platform as a service (PaaS) that allows developers to create add-on applications that integrate into the main Salesforce.com application. These third-party applications are hosted on Salesforce.com's infrastructure.
Force.com applications are built using declarative tools, backed by Lightning and Apex, a proprietary Java-like programming language for Force.com, and Visualforce, a framework including an XML syntax typically used to generate HTML. The Force.com platform typically receives three complete releases a year. As the platform is provided as a service to its developers, every development instance also receives all these updates.
In 2015, a new framework for building user interfaces - Lightning Components - was introduced in beta. Lightning components are made using the open-source Aura Framework but with support for Apex as the server-side language instead of Aura's JavaScript dependency. This has been described as an alternative to, not necessarily a replacement for, Visualforce pages.
As of 2014, the Force.com platform has 1.5 million registered developers.
Lightning Base Components is the component library built on top of Lightning Web Components." - Wikipedia.
What Does A Software Developer Do?
Developers design, build, program, deploy and maintain software. There are many different tools to do this, but the designer's imagination may be foremost. Developers also design and build networks where computers talk to each other. They get input from users and create entirely new components requested by customers.
Software developers use programming knowledge to build software. Software that helps computers and computer systems do what humans want them to do. It's not just coding; it's not just well-known programs that help writing or communication. It's also the underlying code that makes just about every modern machine function.
Key Skills Required To Be An Efficient Salesforce Developer
Like any profession, some skills are more critical to a Salesforce developer than others.
Analytical Skill
First and most importantly, a developer needs to be able to assess the nature and use of the goal, and only then can the appropriate software design start.
Logic Skill
Logic is key to program design and development in all its definitions. One step follows another. Not only is it to see the stages needed, but to anticipate what lies ahead.
Communication skill
Vital. Articulate what the design should do and how the goal can be reached. This needs to be communicated to the client and the development team.
Computer skill
This should go without comment, but you get the idea. A deep and complete understanding of all the skills involved in computer operation is a must.
Interpersonal skill
A developer is, by definition, a team leader or player. No matter which role they are functioning in, a developer needs the team to work towards the same goal, and this will be a problem if team play is not encouraged.
Problem-solving skill
Recognizing and overcoming problems comes with the job title. Developing software is a science, and the nature of science is to identify and overcome issues and obstacles.
How To Become A Salesforce Developer?
There are some stated ways to start on the certification path. But there are also alternatives, so don't rule out any options that aren't listed here.
- Get Salesforce Certifications - Having a solid knowledge of Salesforce and holding various Salesforce Certifications in Admin. This will show you have the knowledge of theory, and you can apply that knowledge to solve issues with Salesforce applications.
- Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator
- Salesforce Certified Administrator
- Get Platform Developer Certification - The PD 1 certification emphasizes knowledge of Apex, APIs, and Visualforce. There are two types of certifications, PD 1 and PD 2.
- Use Salesforce - Knowing the theory is essential, but using the knowledge is even more critical. You'll be tested on your ability, but being able to do the tasks will make you valuable.
- Join the StackExchange - Rub elbows with existing experts and gain knowledge from that association. The StackExchange has the answers to many of the questions you'll ask when it comes to becoming a Salesforce Certified Developer.
- Join a local Developer Group - In-person meetings with established Developers are a great way to learn on-the-ground tips and establish yourself as a Developer Community member.
- Mentor? - Another easy way to get more familiar with Salesforce Development and find answers to questions is to find someone to mentor you. Experienced Developers have a wealth of experience, and many are willing to share their expertise.
The Career Path Of A Salesforce Developer
Let's set up some parameters here. You get your certifications, experience, and knowledge. You like the work and intend to make a lifelong career. Then what?
You may start as a Development Administrator, then move to Senior Software Engineer, and then a Delivery Manager. But there are different paths for different goals.
- SALESFORCE DEVELOPER -> Development Administrator -> Senior Software Engineer -> Project Manager -> Delivery Manager
- SALESFORCE DEVELOPER -> Development Administrator -> Senior Software Engineer -> Chief Technology Officer
- SALESFORCE DEVELOPER -> Development Administrator -> Senior Software Engineer -> Software Development Manager -> Director Of Software Development.
It's A Smart Move To Become A Salesforce Developer
Like any career choice, there are upsides and downsides to your choice. You'll be successful if you have the aptitude and skill set and are willing to work hard and continue to learn your craft.
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