Talent for Good is a rigorous Salesforce System Admin, Developer, and Business Analyst training program designed by Cloud for Good, a leading Salesforce implementation partner. This Registered Apprenticeship program prepares apprentices for a lucrative career within the Salesforce ecosystem, and provides them with the experience, mentorship, and training they need to successfully work with Salesforce customers. Talent for Good also opens doors for the historically overlooked or undervalued while creating opportunities for career starters and career changers looking for a fresh start.
One such career changer, Derek Yuan, was pursuing a career in public accounting prior to learning of Talent for Good. “I knew that was not something I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” says Yuan. “When I heard about Talent for Good, I applied immediately because the program is perfect for folks like me who have little to no experience in Salesforce.”
Cloud for Good’s Talent for Good training program gave Yuan a base of fundamental Salesforce skills designed to jumpstart his new career, allowing Yuan to complete the initial training program in September of 2022, earning him three Salesforce certifications in the process as part of the second Talent for Good cohort. Shortly thereafter, Yuan went to work with longtime Cloud for Good customer Louisiana State University Online and Continuing Education (LSU OCE).
“The program has offered me so many resources,” explains Yuan. “Talent for Good really built a foundation for me before I began my LSU journey, and now I apply what I learned to my work with LSU every day.”
As LSU OCE’s technology suite has expanded, so too has the need to grow a team of Salesforce-trained professionals capable of supporting the growing solution. Promotion of seasoned Salesforce administrators had taken place over time, but eventually the institution found that nurturing Salesforce talent from within was no longer sufficient in accommodating the growing need.
Yuan was called on to work alongside the LSU OCE team as a Talent for Good Salesforce Analyst and immediately put his new skills to the test, working on tasks like managing users, building reports, and responding to cases. This has provided Yuan with invaluable Salesforce experience and allowed LSU OCE’s more seasoned administrators the bandwidth to handle larger-scale projects.
“My work with LSU has been both challenging and satisfying. As a new Salesforce professional who is eager to learn and grow, there are certainly many learning opportunities for me every day,” says Yuan. “The broader goals for me are to have a deeper understanding of how different applications are integrated and synced with Salesforce, as well as how some of the more complex automations are running behind the scenes so that I can become a better Salesforce administrator.”
On the impact Talent for Good has had on LSU OCE, Brian Davis, the institution’s Director of Business Technology, says, “Thanks to the Talent for Good program, our institution has been able to hire a skilled Salesforce Admin who has strengthened our technical team, supported our Continuing Education line of business, and instilled a new level of confidence in our ability to drive impact with our partners.”
“I am so grateful for Talent for Good because it truly changed my life,” says Derek. “I can’t thank Cloud for Good and Talent for Good enough.”
If you or someone you know is facing hiring challenges in the Salesforce space, contact Cloud for Good today.
Story written by Blake Becker
Publish Date: 04/04/2023