Got Trailhead

Salesforce

One of the most asked questions I get from customers, community members, and Demand Chain co-workers alike is:  “where can I go to learn [x]?”

Normally, my responses would range from talking about certification study guides, official Salesforce classroom training, or even setting up personal one-on-one training.  These are all still very valid and worthwhile avenues, however now my first answer is always the same…

Got Trailhead?

Trailhead is poised to become the de facto primary source of training across the entire Salesforce platform.  Currently, you have a series of “Trails” that are comprised of “Modules“, which are collections of “Challenges”.  Each challenge has specific goals and learning milestones – and wait for the best part – followed up by actively verified questions or live verification of applied knowledge!

“Whoa whoa whoa – what is ‘Live verification of applied knowledge’?  That sounds fancy.”  Think back to your educational career – how did you prove to yourself that you learned/understood the content and was able to apply it?  You were tested.  Trailhead is no different.  Whether it’s just a series of questions or actually having you log into a Developer Edition to do the work – Trailhead will verify your work.  You have to successfully apply your knowledge to proceed; there is no second place.  So…

Got Trailhead?

What’s better than learning focused areas?  Putting that knowledge to the test by doing a “Project“.

• Want to set up Lightning Connect and see it in action?  There’s a project for that!
• Want to use your declarative AND programmatic skills to create a conference management application?  There’s a project for that!
• Want to use your declarative skills to create a suggestion box app?  There’s a project for that!

Don’t see a module you’re interested in and have an idea?  That’s the best part!  New modules come out frequently, Salesforce is looking for YOU to tell them what you’re looking for, and they’re not shy in asking for your help.

Are you hooked yet?  No?  Well, let me take a small slice of your afternoon and see if I can change your mind.  One of the best modules to start with (novices, experts, and everyone in-between!) is the “Salesforce Platform Basics” module.  I guarantee that you will learn at least ONE new thing about the platform by the time you’re done.  I sure did.

What did you learn?  Sound off in the comments or tweet @DemandChainSys and let us know!

It’s almost time for Dreamforce ’15!

I’m going to be working my magic, meeting as many people as I can, and speaking at a good number of sessions this year:

Tuesday

12:00pm-12:30pm – Trailhead Gladiators, Moscone West Developer Theater

Wednesday

11:30pm-12:00pm – Trailhead Gladiators, Moscone West Developer Theater

Thursday

12:00pm-1:00pm – Hands-on Training by MVP: Enhance Your Processes and Flows with Apex, Moscone West 2024

1:30pm-2:00pm – Integrations with the Force.com Platform using Custom Apex REST Services, Moscone West Developer Theater

3:00pm-3:30pm – Trailhead Gladiators, Moscone West Developer Theater

Written by Andy Boettcher, Demand Chain, Salesforce Architect and MVP

Andy has twenty years of systems, networking, software development, and business support under his belt, with a current focus on cloud platform services/enablement. At Demand Chain, Andy works as a technical leader and platform evangelist of the company. He works with prospects, customers, and employees alike to discover how to best leverage Salesforce.com personally and professionally.

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