The Weekend Picklist ?? Salary Survey Results, AI Specialist Cert, and Is Salesforce Still a Good Career Option?

Every weekend, we’ll be delivering our top headlines – highlights from the previous week for you to enjoy with a cup of coffee!

Is Salesforce Still a Good Career Option in 2024?

If this isn’t the first time you’ve found yourself asking this question, then you’re not alone.

By now, you’ve heard all the facts: the job market is saturated, talent outweighs demand, salaries are declining, and the platform just might be getting too complicated. But as we reflect on the first half of this year and prepare to head into 2025 (it will creep up), it’s time to evaluate once again. The key questions are:

• Is the Salesforce job market still up in the air? Yes, that’s one way to put it. We predict than an economic uptick will help bring the ecosystem back up (after all, economics is all about ebbs and flows), but it’s unlikely to get back to its glory days of 2022-23.

• Is it all doom and gloom? Absolutely not. Although things are indeed tough right now, the Salesforce world has an extremely robust technology ecosystem, with over 150,000 companies using products that need internal support, and thousands of consultancies and product companies that support Salesforce. Jobs are there, and people are needed.
• What is the best course of action for me? This depends, and we know how frustrating that answer can be. But it’s true; if you’ve been trying to get an elusive Salesforce job for a while, you likely have built up a decent amount of experience with the software, putting you ahead of complete newbies “at the back of the queue”. If you are a newbie, things are a little tricker, and you might be better off exploring an alternative software market.

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SF Ben Salesforce Salary Survey Results 2024-25

After many, many hours of research, analysis, and data sorting, the results of the first annual SF Ben Salesforce Salary Survey are in.

We know that discussions surrounding salary – across any industry – can be branded as taboo, but as we move into a more transparent era of employment, we believe it’s time for that expectation to make its way out the door. That’s why our very first Salary Survey features the insights of over 3,500 respondents across 95 countries, helping all of us paint a clearer picture of the Salesforce salary situation (we’re patting ourselves on the back for that bit of alliteration there).

If you had to ask us, just the sheer number of insights is enough to download the paper and have a look for yourself (seriously, go!), but if you need any more convincing, here are three more reasons why you should:

1. It’s really easy – just fill out a short form on our website!
2. Aside from the points we mentioned earlier, a big goal of the report is to offer insights into how Salesforce professionals can increase their salaries, whether by seeking a promotion, changing roles, gaining additional experience, or transitioning to different industries.?
3. Our design team have worked super hard to bring the data to life through engaging and easy-to-understand graphics… which you should totally see.

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Dreamforce Day 1 isn't over until you’ve partied with us!

As other happy hours wind down, the natural next stop is House of Cloud, the largest afterparty taking over The Grand, right by Moscone Center.

Join us for a night you won’t forget with DJ SF Ben spinning the decks, open bar, amazing food, and special guest appearances... it’s the perfect way to kick Dreamforce off.

Join us from 7 pm til late – see you there!

Registration is free, but required.

Register Now

Salesforce “Hard Pivots” as Marc Benioff Declares AI Agents Are the Future

Picture this: you’re getting ready for Dreamforce week, you’ve got your thumb on the pulse of the all the recent and exciting AI data, and you know what Salesforce’s AI plans are. Well, in true Salesforce fashion, it’s time to think again!

That’s right – earlier this week, Marc Benioff announced that Salesforce would be taking a “hard pivot” in their approach to AI with Agentforce – an artificial intelligence platform that allows users to build and deploy autonomous AI-powered agents on Salesforce’s existing apps.

But what does this actually mean??

• Salesforce is feeling the heat. An article from Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm, wrote that they believe Salesforce will struggle to stay competitive in the AI era. It’s evident that that probably struck a nerve with Benioff who is eager to prove that his beloved cloud giant will be a global leader in the AI space.

• Agentforce is the way forward. Salesforce have been hinting their new direction for a while with the release of new tools like Einstein Service Agent, but the Agentforce platform takes this one step further on the AI agent path.
• Benioff is operating with a “beginner’s mind”. This means approaching new challenges (like how to get ahead in the AI race), with innovation and the lack of fear to get things wrong and try them again.

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Salesforce AI Specialist Certification Guide & Tips

Got the AI Associate certification under your belt already? Well now might be the time to get the next one on the ladder: the AI Specialist!?

The Salesforce AI Specialist certification is a deep-dive style certification into generative AI and its usage within Salesforce. Candidates will be expected to configure and apply Einstein AI tools in Salesforce and convey the features and benefits of the Einstein Trust Layer.??

It’s designed for individuals who want to demonstrate their proficiency in the capabilities of AI and data as they apply to CRM. You’ll need to have a foundational understanding of the Salesforce platform, as well as its suite of shiny AI features.?

Here are some of our top tips for passing the exam:?

• Know your way around the different sections. There are five sections in this exam: Einstein Trust Layer (15%), Generative AI in CRM Applications (17%), Prompt Builder (37%), Einstein Copilot (23%), and Model Builder (8%).

• Utilize the available learning materials and resources. The official Trailhead exam guide, modules, and trails are great places to start.

• Nail down your exam strategy. Make sure you give yourself enough time to thoroughly read and understand the questions, answer them, and then review them at the end.

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Salesforce Introduce xGen-Sales and xLAM Models

In the rather eventful run-up to Dreamforce, Salesforce have introduced xGen-Sales and xLAM models – the two newest AI fuel systems for the brand new Agentforce platform.

To put it simply, xGen-Sales is a proprietary model designed to power autonomous sales talks, and xLAM is a family of Large Action Models intended to deal with difficult tasks and generate actionable inputs.

What separates them from LLMs is a mixture of ability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.?

What does this mean for Agentforce then? Well, this introduction of these two models takes Agentforce to the next level – it will elevate the platform’s ability to automate tasks, generate actionable outputs, and integrate seamlessly with other systems.?

We’re very likely to hear more about these models in San Francisco next week, so get ready!

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