So, you’ve spent every spare moment studying Trailhead content and working toward or may have already earned a coveted Salesforce certification or two. Now what?
Whether you’re applying to a Salesforce Administrator, Salesforce Developer, or Salesforce consultant position, getting that all-important first job can be challenging at times. That’s why it’s so important to craft a great resume that can ensure hiring managers will take the time to learn about your work experience and transferable skills.
Keep reading to learn how to tailor your resume for Salesforce jobs and stand out so you get that all-important interview.
Salesforce resume writing tips
As a talent acquisition specialist, I help CRM Science to bring talented individuals into the Salesforce ecosystem who have transferable skills but limited Salesforce experience. With all the resume writing tips and tricks available online, I want to present the main components I look for in a good resume to give you ideas for breaking into the Salesforce ecosystem.
A 2019 IDC whitepaper sponsored by Salesforce projects the Salesforce platform will enable the creation of 4.2 million new jobs and generate $1.2 trillion in new business revenue worldwide by 2025. With so many Salesforce jobs available, you want to stand out among the many applicants.
Below we discuss the many ways to make your resume stand out and get your foot in the door.
Tip #1. Use resume templates and resources
If producing a resume from a Microsoft Word document or Google Docs seems daunting and overwhelming, try using a free resume builder online. They make it easy to create your resume within a couple of minutes.
There are a million resume builders and templates available out there, but here are a few of my favorites:
Take the time to look through the templates and resume samples to get inspiration for your own resume. You may find that combining elements from different samples you find online can provide the perfect way to present your information.
Here is an example of a good Salesforce ecosystem resume designed in an easy-to-read format:
Tip #2. Choose a format for your Salesforce resume
Pick a format that looks pleasing to the eye. Not only do we want to see the information on the page, but it should also look clean and sleek to reflect the future-forward nature of the technology industry.
Think about where the reader’s eye will go when scanning your resume. The largest and bolded text will catch the eye first and should include messaging you want the reader to see, such as:
Your name
Salesforce certifications
Technical skills
Distinguishing qualifications
Additionally, include plenty of whitespace rather than cramming blocks of text that can leave the reader confused.
Tip #3. Understand the position for which you are applying
After searching online for different jobs, pay attention to the job responsibilities and requirements. If it’s a market you are looking to break into, then tailor your resume to reflect that even if you don’t have experience with that exact type of work.
Highlight recent work experience unless your older job experiences are directly related to the Salesforce job you want. There's no need to include details about jobs you worked at seven or more years ago unless they were jobs in which you used Salesforce or CRM technology skills in your day-to-day work.
Tip #4. Keep it simple
As a rule of thumb, keep your resume to 1-2 pages. Hiring managers are busy and will thank you for your conciseness.
There are articles online saying companies and high-volume recruiters use candidate tracking systems to weed out irrelevant resumes, but not all companies use artificial intelligence (AI) to filter resume submissions. For that reason, it’s likely unnecessary to include long bulleted lists with keywords meant for AI bots to read if you’re applying to work for smaller companies.
Including only the most relevant information on your resume will keep real people looking at your resume interested enough to keep reading. So, there’s no need to put every task you’ve ever completed on your resume. Instead, include high-level skills that are relevant to the job you’re trying to score.
Tip #5. Highlight your transferable skills
Include a section that includes your skills that are related to the job. This can be a short bulleted list or a short paragraph that lists skills separated by commas.
Highlighting your transferable skills in an easy-to-read format helps the person reading your resume get to the point quickly so they can decide if you’re a good match for the position.
Tip #6. Include certification and achievements
Salesforce certifications can act as a golden ticket into the ecosystem. Definitely include any earned Salesforce certifications that are up to date.
You may even want to include official Salesforce certification badges on your resume if they can fit without crowding the page. If you do include certification badges, do not alter the graphics in any way. If you have to resize the graphic, hold the ‘Shift’ key while you resize to maintain image proportions (the image should not be stretched or skewed).
In addition, include any certifications or achievements you have in addition to Salesforce certifications if they are relevant to the job to which you are applying. For example, Scrum and PMI certifications are highly desirable in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Tip #7. Keep it professional
It’s essential to have a professional-sounding email address. Yes, that means it’s time to move on from SparklesUnicorn@aol.com.
Trade in any silly email addresses for something simple that includes your name. It’s also vital to double check your contact information on your resume to be sure it’s up to date.
Tip #8. Focus on your LinkedIn profile
LinkedIn is my first stop when evaluating a candidate. If it’s not on the resume, you can bet I am searching online to see if you have a LinkedIn profile.
It is always helpful to add your LinkedIn profile URL to your resume in the top section so I know I am looking at the correct person’s profile. You definitely get bonus points if the URL is clickable!
Here are some tips for building your LinkedIn profile:
Match your name. Your name on your LinkedIn profile should be the same as your name on your resume. This is so I know I’m looking at the correct profile/resume.
Upload a good profile picture. In this virtual world, I want to know I’m speaking to a real person. It also helps when I’m evaluating other candidates so I can remember who I have already spoken with.
Build your profile. If I’m interested enough to peek at your profile, it’s likely because I’m looking for more details about something I saw in your resume. LinkedIn is the place where you can keep all of the information that won’t fit on a 1-2 page resume.
Bonus Tip: You can download a PDF file of your LinkedIn profile. If you choose to download your LinkedIn profile as a .pdf, defer to Tip #4 and edit down to 1-2 pages. Downloading your LinkedIn profile as a pdf can provide a great starting point to build a strong resume.
Tip #9. Help the human resources department
Human resources professionals look at a lot of resumes. Make life easier for HR by completing these simple, yet effective, tasks.
Submit your resume as a PDF. Save your resume document as a .pdf or easily readable file format. Many HR professionals in the Salesforce ecosystem don’t use Microsoft Office or other document editors, so sending documents as .docx or other software-based formats can complicate the hiring process.
Follow a naming convention. Always include your first and last name in your resume file name. We get so many resumes daily, so when your document is named Resume2021, it’s hard for us to distinguish who that belongs to. Naming it FirstnameLastname_Resume2021 ensures your name gets attached to your file.
Tip #10. Refresh your resume often
Remember to go back to your resume document periodically to refresh it and add any relevant experience you have gained. Keeping your resume updated helps you in the long run because you always have an updated document to send when the perfect opportunity presents itself.
Further Reading
Landing a Salesforce job
With so many new Salesforce ecosystem jobs created every day, people with Salesforce skills are a hot commodity. And that’s you!
The fact that you are reading this blog shows you possess the natural curiosity talent acquisition professionals want when filling technology positions.
If you follow the guidelines outlined in this blog, keep striving to learn more about Salesforce and technology industry best practices, and continue earning Salesforce certifications and Trailhead badges, you’ll eventually get your foot in the door to launch the career of your dreams.
Learn more about careers at CRM Science and send us an application if you think you’d be a good fit for our team of Salesforce consultants.
