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Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant Cert

by with No Comment Certification

We like to encourage our team to keep on learning and developing their Salesforce skills, especially as we operate in a fast moving and dynamic environment. One of our newest team members, and most recent to gain a new certification is Luke. He passed his Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant Certification. We caught up with him to find out more…

 

What made you decide to take the Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant Certification?

I wanted to formalise my knowledge and experience related to Sales Cloud both for myself and also for future clients. I always try to make continued learning part of my routine.

 

How did you approach the prep for the exam?

I usually follow a set format for exam preparation, but took a slightly different approach this time. Here’s a mix of the steps that I took, with some recommendations:

  • Always start with the exam guide and review it thoroughly. Make sure you know what the exam is actually assessing.
  • Find the suggested Trailmix on Trailhead for the certification and assess where you stand. Have you already completed 50% of the content? Great, what’s left? How will you tackle it? Are any of your knowledge gaps linked to the topics in the exam outline? Which are weighted the highest? This will get you started on the right track.
  • I picked up a Udemy course from Mike Wheeler which provided 11 hours of content covering the full range of topics on the exam. This was a very useful material to start my preparation. Credit to Mike Wheeler. Don’t underestimate how long it will take you to work through this volume of content.
  • Next up was the Focus on Force content which is a staple for any exam. If you’ve completed the steps above and are on your way with your preparation, then tackle one or two of the full exams to identify which areas need your focus. Prioritise, study, sit the topic exams and repeat. Credit to Martin Gessner, particularly for providing the ‘Full Screen’ option for the study guides…  It’s a game changer!

 

Was the Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant cert difficult, and any tips for people thinking of doing this exam?

This exam pressured me for time. Whilst I wasn’t shocked by the questions and content, I only just completed one full review in addition to the time taken to complete all of the questions.

In terms of tips for the exam itself, make sure you know Opportunity Management, Account Management, Campaigns, Forecasting & Project Delivery inside out.

In general, put the hours in, have a plan, tackle the highest weighted topics with study, discovery in a developer org and practical research. Don’t go into the exam with any assumptions. It’s in your hands to check it out beforehand. 

 

What does passing the Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant cert mean to you in terms of your daily work at Cloud Galacticos?

If anybody has project demand for a multi-currency, Enterprise Territory Management project with Cumulative Forecasting & Quota tracking then get in touch! Day to day I’ll pass this learning and advice onto clients and the team where required to support project work.

 

Do you have any other Salesforce certs that you plan to take in 2021?

Yes, I have lots of plans for future certifications into 2021. A mixture of formalising existing knowledge but plenty of opportunity for new knowledge and skills too. The process demands a lot of extra time, study and effort but I’m yet to complete one where I haven’t seen value or have learned lots of things that I didn’t know before I started.

 

About Cloud Galacticos

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Luke Menzfeld, Salesforce Consultant – Meet the Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Luke Menzfeld, one of our newest team members, and a Salesforce Consultant. I caught up with Luke via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

 

Luke Menzfeld, Salesforce Consultant

Hi Luke, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

I’m a self-certified super-fan of the Salesforce platform with a keen interest in technology, business and digital innovation. I was born and raised in the East Midlands before moving to the North East to attend university many years ago. My working career prior to joining Cloud Galacticos has taken me worldwide and allowed me to work in the USA, Paris and Norway in the private sector of both the automotive and oil & gas industries. 

I was first introduced to Salesforce in 2007. I worked briefly as an end user in the USA before working full time with the platform in 2017. I’m also a co-lead of the Newcastle Community Group. I’m keen to spread awareness, encouragement and learning potential to my local community and beyond!

 

Salesforce TrailheaDX Global Gathering August 2020

What’s your story behind meeting Phil and joining the Cloud Galacticos team?

I first met Phil as part of a shared North England Community Group Event that we were planning for TrailheaDX. Over subsequent meetings I also got to know Paul, and was impressed with the work and engagement coming from the Cloud Galacticos pair/team. Those initial meets sparked a conversation and it went from there.

 

What will your role be at the company, and what are you looking forward to most?

I’m joining Cloud Galacticos as a Salesforce Consultant.  I will be engaging with clients and delivering projects to make the best of their Salesforce system solutions. I’m most looking forward to the variety of projects that consultancy offers and working with organisations who are looking to create & deliver value with Salesforce.

 

Luke playing rugby for Novocastrians RFC

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I’m a huge fan of Rugby Union and actively play for my local side Novocastrians RFC in Newcastle. This might be a career limiting statement at Cloud Galacticos but I’d argue there’s no better team sport . . ha! I also like to travel, and keep active outdoors.

 

What tips would you have on working remotely during the current Covid-19 situation?

Stay connected to your colleagues, be focused on what you need to achieve and dedicate your energy to one key task at a time. Listen to your body/mind and if you need some time out, get out for some fresh air or take an exercise break.

 

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Ben Duong, Marketing Manager – Meet The Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to me, Ben Duong, Marketing Manager at Cloud Galacticos. Read on to find out more about me and my experiences.

 

Ben Duong, Marketing Manager

Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

My background is pure marketing. I did a Business and Marketing degree, then a Chartered Institute of Marketing Postgrad. I then worked in account management at various marketing agencies in London before moving to Sheffield to go freelance.

I met Phil at university, and when he approached me about helping him with some marketing back in 2013, I thought ‘why not’? The rest, as they say, is history.

Cloud Galacticos at Salesforce London World Tour with Paul Sturgess

Cloud Galacticos at Salesforce London World Tour with Paul Sturgess

You’ve worked on a lot of marketing projects at Cloud Galacticos through the years, can you tell us about some of your favourite or memorable ones?

I’ve been working with Phil on his marketing since he started his journey as a Salesforce consultancy. It was great to see his business grow – employing more people, gaining MVP status and the respect of the Salesforce community.

Deciding to rebrand as Cloud Galacticos was a big project as it meant levelling up the business. We were now competing with more established and larger companies. I think our sponsorship at the Salesforce World Tour London is one of my highlights. It’s our biggest project of the year, and normally the most rewarding for myself and the team.

 

Looks like you’ve done a lot of travelling and have been to a few Salesforce events around the world, can you some of your highlights?

I’ve been very fortunate to have been to so many Salesforce related events around the world with my job. From Paris to New York, Amsterdam to San Francisco, it highlights that Salesforce is truly a global business, as well as community.

In terms of favourite, Dreamforce stands heads and shoulders above them all. Words can’t describe the vastness of the 4-day conference. It’s also convenient that my dad and family live in San Francisco. So best of both worlds.

Salesforce Ohana Golden Gate Bridge Walk Dreamforce 2019

Aside from working as the Marketing Manager at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

With Covid-19 affecting our lives at the moment, I’ve taken to doing regular lunch time walks and yoga to help stay focused and healthy. I also enjoy with cooking and trying to make new dishes from scratch at home. Plus, going to my weekly local pub quiz helps keep the old brain cells in check!

 

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

Before Covid-19, I was part working from home and part working from a co-working space in Sheffield called Kollider. So I’m used to being flexible with my working environment.

I’d say it helps to have a dedicated space to work from. Somewhere you feel comfortable and focused. Having regular online casual / non-work catch ups with your team helps too. Also, don’t forget to take regular breaks to get some fresh air!

 

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Salesforce Sharing and Visibility Designer Cert

by with No Comment Certification

Everyday is a school day at Cloud Galacticos. We like to encourage our team to keep on learning and developing their Salesforce skills, especially as we operate in a fast moving and dynamic environment. One of our most recent team members to gain a new certification is Val, who passed her Sharing and Visibility Designer Cert. We caught up with her to find out more…

 

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE THE EXAM?

As a fan of Trailhead, I’m a big believer in constantly challenging myself to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of Salesforce. I have enjoyed completing some Superbadges to cement knowledge gained from working with Salesforce.

A few months back, I decided to embark on a journey to become a Certified Application Architect. Subsequently passed the Certified Salesforce Platform Developer I as my first step on that road.

 

HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE PREP FOR THE EXAM?

I conducted some research into other people who had taken and passed the exam. The consensus seemed to be that the first approach is to review the exam guide. Then to conduct a self-diagnosis of the areas I knew well, and those I know fairly well (and may need to refresh). Finally, those which I was aware of but had never touched before.

From there I focussed on the items in my list which needed the most attention. Then I embarked on a combined mission of completing Trailhead badges (and one Superbadge) which covered the subjects and/or reading up from help.salesforce.com. I also created online flashcards for the areas I would need to revise later, which helped a lot.

 

WAS IT A TOUGH EXAM AND ANY TIPS FOR PEOPLE THINKING OF DOING THIS EXAM?

It was harder than I expected. I was glad I’d gone into some detailed study on Apex sharing and sharing within communities. Additionally, there were more questions than expected about scalability issues. So I can’t stress enough the importance of knowing all areas inside out!

And as a member of the Ladies Be Architects group, I found some great posts and links there, which helped me to focus on study areas.

 

WHAT DOES PASSING THE CERT MEAN TO YOU IN TERMS OF YOUR DAILY WORK?

As a Senior Consultant at Cloud Galacticos, my role includes designing and implementing solutions on the Salesforce platform. So it is important to make sure the knowledge that goes into providing our customers with advice and solutions is correct and up to date. It includes studying areas of functionality that I haven’t personally touched on, but which could come up as important in my next project.

 

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER CERTS YOU PLAN TO TAKE IN THE FUTURE?

The last step towards Certified Application Architect for me is to take the Data Architecture and Management exam. So that is going to be my next focus. Wish me luck!

 

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Emma Frost, Project Manager – Meet the Galacticos 

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Emma, Project Manager at Cloud Galacticos. I caught up with Emma via email to find out more about her and her experiences.

Emma Frost, Project Manager

 

Hi Emma, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself before you joined Cloud Galacticos?

I’ve been working in the Internet industry, and on Internet projects in other industries (not for profit, higher education, public sector), for over 20 years in various different roles, all of them requiring project management skills. On joining Cloud Galacticos back in 2015 I started revising for my Salesforce Admin certification and really enjoyed learning a new platform. I think that’s what has kept me in the industry for so long, I love anything new! 

Can you tell us more about your role at Cloud Galacticos?

As project manager I’m responsible for various things including liaising with the client, keeping track of tasks / bugs and ensuring that we are on time for our deadlines. One of the advantages of working for a smaller company rather than a large corporation is that you can be more flexible and less constrained by your job title. So my role within each project varies according to the client, life stage of the project and the team (internally and externally) that I’m working with.

You’ve worked on a lot of Salesforce projects through the years, can you tell us about some of the ones that you particularly enjoyed?

I always like getting to know new people and getting to a point where you can share jokes and personal information about families etc so my favourite projects are always the longer ones with lots of regular meetings throughout the week so you can build a real rapport.

Emma with one of her paintings

Aside from Salesforce and running Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I have a young family but when not spending time with them I also run a social enterprise in York called Bikes in Need, getting donated bikes and giving them to refugees, homeless hostels etc. And when I’m not doing that I paint, I work with acrylics and paint mainly landscapes.

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

I think it’s all about communication. As long as you have frequent communication (it doesn’t have to be lengthy) then you can make sure nothing escalates. It also helps to build that rapport I was talking about, recreating the little chats you have in the workplace, but online. 

 

Thanks Emma for your time and insight into your life. We have quite a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space!

 

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Mike Gill, Technical Architect – Meet the Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Mike, one of our Technical Architects. I caught up with Mike via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

 

Mike Gill, Technical Architect

Hi Mike, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

I am what you would call a ‘career consultant’. For my entire career I’ve been working and consulting across a range of technologies and platforms; working directly for the software vendor or with partners of the software vendor. I am now in my third decade of working, which includes more than a decade with Salesforce. I sure feel old now!

 

Wow, that is a long time working with Salesforce! So how did you find Phil and Cloud Galacticos?

It’s fair to say I’ve known Phil for almost the same amount of time as I’ve been doing Salesforce. We started crossing paths regularly when I was involved in the running of the London Admin User group. We have always said ‘Hi’ and grabbed a beer when our paths crossed. He has been on my case since transitioning from Phil Walton Consultancy to Cloud Galacticos. I guess the stars aligned and it happened!

 

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy spending time with the family and our dog Astro (yes, named after the Salesforce mascot!). When I am not spending time with the kids, I play competitive hockey for my local team.

Mike Gill with his Hockey Team

I know you have been involved in a number of projects for us as a Technical Architect, can you tell me more about what the role involves?

My time with Cloud Galacticos I’ve been lucky enough to work across some very different and challenging projects. One project the client was a fast moving Fintech. My role involved designing an application based around the latest cutting edge Lightning Web Component framework. 

On another project, my role leaned me more towards mentor and adviser. helping the team and the client to think like Architects, understand the technology, and make some difficult decisions in order to move forward. As an Architect you can’t have everything and no two projects are the same, therefore all you can do is make the least worst decision at the time and move forward.

 

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

For me, I think one of the most important aspects of remote working is to try and always have your camera on. It’s a bit like presenting, it’s only hard for the first 5 seconds and then it’s easy, people don’t really care what you look like, but it definitely helps you to build relationships and make a closer connection with your audience. 

Astro WFH

 

Thanks Mike for your time and insight into your life. We have quite a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space!

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Nkosi Ncube, Developer – Meet the Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Nkosi, one of our Developers. I caught up with Nkosi via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

Nkosi Ncube, Developer

Hi Nkosi, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

Coming from an Automotive Engineering background,  I have always had passion for IT and just couldn’t find the domain that excited me. I did Cisco, MCSE but was not captivated until by chance I came across Salesforce. It was via the video ‘Introduction to Salesforce App Development’ on Udacity, by Samantha Ready sometime in 2014. I then started my certification journey, building on my IT foundation laid at University. I managed to get two small projects after my 2nd certification and haven’t looked back since. Since joining Cloud Galacticos have worked on a variety of projects for different entities.

 

Nkosi at a User Group Social at Bundobust

So how did you find Phil and the Cloud Galacticos?

When I discovered Salesforce I then went on a networking drive. My plan was to meet the top influencers in the industry, and without a doubt Phil is one of them!  I met Phil and Paul at the first User Group meet I attended  in Leeds in 2015 at of course the default meeting eatery Bundobust.

 

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy playing the bass guitar at church, usually in front of one thousand people every Sunday!  I also enjoy playing golf. The family likes to travel and do road trips, the last one being Holland.  I have also got back into running. 

 

We recently featured a success story with Data Protection People that I know you were key in helping be successful. Can you tell us a bit more about your role as a Developer and what that involves?

The Data Protection People project was exciting in that it had quite a broad scope, both declarative and apex code based.  Automation of their flagship product meant development of the user interface on top of heavily automated processes. The most important thing after gathering the requirements is to plan before doing any actual development. 

If it can be done declaratively I try to use that, and use code where absolutely necessary. Also apply coding best practices in general. Finally, in relation to Salesforce, ensure test class coverage is achieved not just coverage but assertion of the expected outcomes.

 

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

Being responsive is very assuring to the customer and maintaining regular contact, preferably daily.  Also, agree on a body of work and time estimates and deliver. Regular breaks are mandatory in my view because it’s very easy to get your head down on something and not take a break. It’s not healthy in the long run, so I usually take a long walk during lunch.

 

Thanks Nkosi for your time and insight into your life. We have a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space!

 

Salesforce Managed Services

Salesforce Managed Services at Cloud Galacticos

by Services

Over the past year we have had a number of clients ask us if we can work with them in an ongoing manner to ensure they are getting the most out of their Salesforce setup. In response to this, we set up our Salesforce Managed Services at Cloud Galacticos. This enables us to work with customers of various different sizes in an ongoing manner and keeps things flexible. 

Why should you consider a Salesforce managed services package?

Not Leaving Money on the Table 

The first reason is to make sure you are not leaving money on the table. When you invest in Salesforce you get access to a huge suite of features. It is almost guaranteed however, that you are not going to utilise them all straight away. Many are not applicable to a brand new deployment and may be too much too quickly for a first roll-out. I am also a big believer in the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know”. This is especially true with a new software solution. You don’t know how users will use it, the things they will find easy and hard, and what features will help them be more productive. Having a managed services partnership can help you to add these features in an ongoing manner at the right time for you.

Staying Updated 

Additionally, Salesforce have 3 releases a year during which an entirely new set of free features get rolled out to your environment. In the 10+ years I have been working with Salesforce I have met customers who weren’t aware of this. Many had gone years without reviewing the features they had available to them, again effectively leaving money on the table! A managed services partner works with you consistently to discuss the updates Salesforce are releasing. They also suggest how to best utilise them to make sure you are taking advantage of the updates.

Access to a Skilled Team 

Cloud Galacticos Team at the London World Tour

Expertise is another key benefit. For many organisations it is too costly to recruit a full time Salesforce team member who has the knowledge to be able to support them effectively. A managed services partnership takes care of this and allows you to have access to a team of skilled and knowledgeable professionals who can support you as needed and guide you to improving your Salesforce instance over the long term. 

Long Term Vision 

Finally, another big reason we love engaging with clients on a managed services basis is that it truly moves us to being long term collaborative partners. Often if organisations engage with a partner on a per project basis short term aims can overtake long term vision and strategy which is where a managed services partnership can truly help to ensure that going forward the long term vision is maintained and improved upon.

If you would like to hear more about our managed services packages please contact us.

About Cloud Galacticos

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Earning the Salesforce Certified JavaScript Developer I Credential

by with No Comment CertificationSalesforce study resources

At TrailheaDX 2020, the new Salesforce Certified JavaScript Developer I credential was announced. With the move to Lightning Web Components, vanilla JavaScript has become a core programming language on Salesforce, and this certification emphasizes this. I was invited to take the beta exam earlier this year but was unable to do so due to COVID-19. So when the full certification was released, I booked the exam as soon as possible to work on obtaining this new certification. It is composed of two parts; an exam and a superbadge.

Firstly, some background – I have worked extensively with JavaScript outside of Salesforce for a few years writing apps using Node.js and frameworks like React. I was therefore pretty confident in my ability to pass the exam. I am also a Salesforce Certified Instructor and am accredited to teach the Lightning Web Components training for Salesforce, and have used the framework a lot as well so was comfortable I should be able to handle the superbadge. For anyone looking to obtain this credential, I would recommend that they ensure they have spent a good amount of time working with modern vanilla JavaScript. You should have also used Lightning Web Components for more than just reviewing some of the sample apps.

Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certification Path

The Exam

The exam portion follows the same tried and tested multiple-choice format via Webassessor that we all know and love. You are given 60 questions with a 65% pass mark so need to get at least 39 questions right. This exam also includes 5 unscored questions that I assume will show up in the future on the exam. The exam cover the following areas:

  • Variables, Types, and Collections: 23%
  • Objects, Functions, and Classes: 25%
  • Browser and Events: 17%
  • Debugging and Error Handling: 7%
  • Asynchronous Programming: 13%
  • Server Side JavaScript: 8%
  • Testing: 7%

These top 3 sections between them, if answered correctly, will earn you enough marks to pass the exam. As ever, it is smart to review these sections to decide on focus areas. The exam is code heavy, with lots of JavaScript snippets designed to make you think through what the code is doing and potentially catch you out. It’s no secret that JavaScript has some behaviours that seem strange, so make sure you are comfortable with these behaviours.

Salesforce provide a great set of resources on the Trailhead pages, including some modules to help you understand the newer language features. I would also highly recommend for anyone serious about learning JavaScript the You Don’t Know JS series of books. I have read and re-read them and still always learn something new. The Mozilla Developer Network documentation on JavaScript is also second to none and worth reviewing if you have any weaker areas.

I found the exam challenging but not too onerous, the questions were trying to make you think about the code but were not trying to trick you. As ever, keep calm, read through things thoroughly and you should have no issues.

The Superbadge

The second step to becoming Salesforce JavaScript Developer I certified is to complete the Lightning Web Components Specialist Superbadge. This superbadge has 4 pre-requisite badges that cover the basics of the Lightning Web Components framework to prepare you for the superbadge. This superbadge is tough. It took me a lot longer than I expected, and chatting with others it seems that it is a common experience. You need to read the details of this superbadge really carefully. Some of the requirements are mentioned as only a single word rather than being listed more clearly/explicitly and so can easily be missed. The superbadge involves building out an application to allow you to view boats for rental and leave reviews. All areas of the Lightning Web Component framework are covered, so you will definitely learn how to cover most scenarios.

Lightning Web Components Superbadge App

From my experience, I would encourage you to read and work through the contents before looking at the challenges. The contents of the superbadge wording do not correlate to the order of the challenges and so you can spend a lot of time jumping around the page which gets frustrating and leads to you missing requirements. When checking the challenges expect to receive some errors. Pay particular attention to naming of variables, using the correct case in your code, and even the order of statements. If you can set aside a couple of days to work through this, I would highly recommend it. I was doing this bit by bit in evenings and weekends and it was difficult to remember where things were.

If you get truly stuck, you can get help from the Trailhead support team. Be aware that they do not work weekends so try and raise issues during the week for a prompt response.

Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certified!

And that is it! Once you have completed both, your certification will be sent over for you. Hopefully this guide has given you some good pointers and helped you on your journey. We look forward to seeing more people sharing their success on this on social media.


Paul Battisson Salesforce JavaScript Developer I Certified

ABOUT CLOUD GALACTICOS

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield, and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Neel Meghani, CTO – Meet The Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing our series in which we get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Neel Meghani, our Chief Technical Officer. I caught up with Neel via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

Neel Meghani, CTO

Hi Neel, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

I was first introduced to Salesforce around 2004. I was working on a large migration project at a national newspaper on the very new force.com platform. I then transitioned from general IT to concentrating on Salesforce, even then I saw the potential for the technology could have. I then moved into the world of finance in the City where I bumped into Phil Walton. Since working with Phil, I have experienced working with many of the various clouds in different industry sectors, from potato farms to health care!

Wow, that is a long time working with Salesforce! You were also the first official Galactico that joined Phil. How long ago was that and how did you start working together?

I first met Phil in 2010 at an asset manager where we worked together on a couple of projects. We both put our heads together and managed to overcome major challenges with a very large data migration including attachments. Since then I have been known as the man to go to where data is concerned! 

Neel and Phil at India Dreamin 2018

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I’m known by my friends, family and colleagues as the go to guy for all things fitness and nutrition. I have been a keen bodybuilder since the age of about 16. It my way of letting off steam and pushing myself. Although in recent times I have taken tips from our CEO Phil and started running. I’ve not found it easy! 

Also, I am also always hungry for technology and gadgets. I always jump feet first when something new and shiny comes out! 

Can you tell us more about your role as CTO and what it involves?

Officially I am responsible for delivery of all projects. But I’m glad to say that every day is different. With a small leadership team we cover all roles from sales all the way through to developing and delivering projects. 

So it sounds like your day is spent with a lot of time interacting with clients. What would be your top tip for working with people when remote?

Working remotely means I spend a lot of time on the phone. I find I need to have a dedicated space for work without distractions. I also recommend ensuring you have a good connection to the internet and a headset is a MUST! Also ensure you keep regular hours and take regular breaks. I have found over the years it is almost too easy when working from home to stay at your desk thinking “I’ll just get these few bits done” and then before you know it it’s 8-9pm! 

You recently passed your non-profit consultant certification. I know you have given us a write up of some tips, but do you have any study tips for exams in general?

I used a mixture of Trailhead and focus on force training guides. I especially like to do a number of practise exams along the way to see where I am lacking knowledge. Also, never assume you know the basics/fundamentals. Brush up on that knowledge also just to be sure! 

Neel with the team at Salesforce World Tour London 2019

Finally, what about tips for anyone starting out with Salesforce?

I have been asked this question many times! As Salesforce has become more popular, friends and family who have largely ignored what I do have come to me down the line as they are now using Salesforce in their place of work.

Firstly developer orgs are a brilliant! When I first realised I could have more or less the full product for FREE to learn on I was blown away. That along with Trailhead, the learning path is free and fantastic. Remember to also take advantage of the community and the user groups. There is a whole world of friendly people out there who are more than willing to help you along the way!

 

Thanks Neel for your time and insight into your life. We have quite a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space.