Are you having a really slow start on your SFDC management or development training?
Up until summer 2014, if you wanted SFDC training, you could officially take a class, buy a 3rd party book, or use the online SFDC help and training articles. (BTW, there are other un-official free resources, such as sfdc99.com).
Honestly, I don’t personally know anyone who enjoys using the standard ‘Help & Training’ to learn about SFDC. However, lucky high rollers on Unlimited or Performance editions get exclusive access to additional interactive Help & Training content. Having been aboard one such high rolling ‘whale’, I can testify that interactive training makes a ton of difference. If you’re on any such organization and didn’t know, you’ve been missing out big time!
Classroom training suits me best. I’ve been a trainer. There’s just no substitute when you’re easily distracted – but then again, not all trainers make their classes fun.
Reading books will do the trick as well, but it’s definitely not as fun as attending a good class. I haven’t heard of any must-have SFDC books though.
Enter Trailhead. SFDC’s challenging and innovative approach to Web2.0 training. Yep, that means real social & interactive training. [I promise to add ‘fun’ as soon as they add -tangible- perks to it]. Trailhead is still in the beta stage, and hosts 7 training trails as of August 2015, up 4 since June 2015:
- Beginner admin – about 9 hours’ worth of content and 10,200 points earning potential
- CRM admin, about 1.5 hours’ worth of content, and 2,200 points of earning potential
- Beginner developer, about 15 hours’ <minimum> and up to 19400 points worth
- Intermediate admin, about 6.75 hours’ long, with up to 8500 points to earn
- Intermediate developer, about 10.75 hours’ worth of content, and 8400 points to earn
- Mobile SDK Developer, near 7 hours’ long, and 3000 points of earning potential
- Dreamforce ‘15, only 30 mins and 300 points
-Late August Update-
There are now 11 trails, after the addition of:
- Admin Lightning Experience – 3.5 hrs, 1100 points
- Developer Lightning Experience – 10.5 hrs, 5800 points
- Admin Trail, starting with the Lightning Experience – 3 hrs, 1000 points
- Sales Rep Lightning Experience, 2 hrs, 600 points
I’m figuring the ‘Lightning Experience’ will be well received by SFDC at Dreamforce ‘15
You may select to just chopper in and drop into the middle of any trail or challenge. You are not forced to follow the recommended sequence.
You are required to use a developer org and an admin login to complete some of the goals.
Each trail consists of a number of topics, each within an independent page.
Within each topic, you are challenged to complete a short test or a developer org configuration task. Your success will be rewarded with X points. If you fail; “no soup for you!” (Google up ‘Soup Nazi’ for that reference). Retries will earn you half the points of the previous attempt’s reward level.
Interestingly, the trailhead is capable of checking whether the configuration (metadata) you were challenged to complete exists within your developer org. In addition to points, you are rewarded with ‘virtual badges’ for completing challenges and reaching point thresholds.
There are links for related articles within each topic and links to SFDC forum discussions. If any such article or discussion picks your interest, you may take the long way for your trail.
So what do you do with those badges and points? Back in January, you’d get a free t-shirt for completing the existing trails. These days, points and badges will only get you bragging rights (what? I can’t write that?) – a-hem! I mean ‘community recognition’.
So what are you waiting for? Do you want any additional motivation to start your free trailhead journey?
Register for the SFDC IDEAS Community, and vote up “SWAG for Trailhead Points”!
https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000wkRxAAI
