For most Salesforce Trailblazers looking for a new job, your first instinct will be to shout about your hard skills – that’s all the technical stuff like Lightning, Apex, or your Salesforce certifications. Obviously, this is massively important, but it can often be easy to neglect the importance of soft skills. Maybe you’re looking for functional roles like, Salesforce Administrator jobs or Business Analyst roles. Or maybe you’re more interested in technical roles like Salesforce Developer jobs, Salesforce Architect jobs or other technical Salesforce Consultant jobs. Whatever it may be - soft skills are vital.
Why do people neglect soft skills?
The tricky thing with soft skills is that they’re often harder to quantify, but what differentiates good Salesforce talent from GREAT Salesforce talent is the ability to articulate how your contribution impacts a business’ bottom line. Good communication, strong leadership, and positive work ethic are hugely valuable – especially in the Salesforce ecosystem and those that can communicate their impact on the bigger picture will win every time.
With this in mind, we decided to take a look at some of the most popular soft skills for hiring managers – and more importantly, look at how you can show these off in an interview.
Skill #1 - Communication
This might seem like an obvious one, but good communication is often something that people take for granted. If you can clearly listen to your colleagues’ needs and respond in a way that’s clear and respectful, this goes a long way.
Tip for interview:
Try to relax, be calm, and make your point clearly. Also, try and avoid using jargon for the sake of it – talking about complex things in a simple way is much more impressive. Why not practice answers with a friend to minimise the risk of stumbling over your words? If you’re a naturally good communicator, this should be easy!
Skill #2 - Teamwork
Above all, collaboration is key. Salesforce professionals who don’t want to share ideas are much less appealing to hiring managers. Showing a sense of empathy and understanding is massively important – when problems crop up it’s important to work as one unit to get things fixed quickly. Also, look into Trailblazer – the support network the platform has in place to support career development.
Tip for interview:
Offer examples – maybe you’ve worked in a team and helped someone else to succeed? Did you help out on a project that you didn’t own? Showing how your collaboration has benefited a wider team is a great way to highlight your value.
Skill #3 – A sense of calm
Whether it’s Salesforce Developer jobs or Salesforce Admin jobs, you’re going to face some stressful times – this is where a combination of technical expertise and personable approach come in handy. But it’s how you deal with these situations that’s impressive. If you can remain calm under pressure and find effective ways to solve problems, this is highly valuable.
Tip for interview:
Try not to get flustered when answering questions. If you stumble or can’t answer a question, that’s fine – there’s no such thing as a perfect interview! If you end up giving an incorrect answer, just keep a cool head. Handling this situation effectively could demonstrate great problem-solving ability.
Skill #4 - Awareness of business objectives
Many Salesforce Developers have outstanding technical knowledge but a lack of appreciation as to how Salesforce impacts the strategic operations of a business. Salesforce professionals who can demonstrate a real understanding into the impact their work has on an organisation’s processes will really stand out from the crowd. If you are in a leadership role, you’ll often advise stakeholders on strategic decisions based on your Salesforce knowledge (or you’ll pass it on to your lead developer) - this ability to articulate a problem and a solution is highly valuable – particularly when it comes to Salesforce Admin jobs.
Tip for interview:
For many Salesforce Admins, you might find you’re the only person in the business who really understands the complexities of Salesforce, so it’s vital you’re able to communicate technical issues in a way that’s easy for those without your expertise to understand – do this in an interview! If you can master this, get ready to set your sights on something great.
Skill #5 – An open-mind
With any Salesforce project, there’s always going to be a few stumbling blocks. Patience is important, but if you can demonstrate a willingness to solve the problem with a fresh approach, that’s a massive plus. It could be that you start a project, run into an issue, and things need to go in a new direction. While this can be frustrating, the worst thing you could do is continue down the same route. But if you’re able to adapt your approach and re-align your thinking, this is a highly respected skill.
Having an open mind when it comes to Salesforce is crucial – one project could demand a drastically different approach from another, so if you’re not afraid to be creative, this will really help you to excel.
Tip for interview:
Be open to suggestions and new ways of working throughout your interview, show an interest in different instances or approaches - this is a great way to show that you’re willing to open your mind and adopt a really innovative way of thinking. And don’t be afraid to ask insightful questions – curiosity demonstrates interest!
Within Salesforce, it’s so easy to focus on developing hard skills like learning about Apex or taking on new certifications. But if you really put the time in to showcase your soft skills, this can make all the difference.
At Computer Futures, we don’t just place professionals into Salesforce jobs, we help to prepare you for interview and make sure you’re given the tools you need to excel and land the best Salesforce Admin jobs and Salesforce Developer jobs. To partner with us, fill out the form below.
