perjantai, 29.9.2023, Avainsanat: harjoittelu, traineeship
From Haaga-Helia to Keilaniemi – Trainee’s log
Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time at Keilaniemi. In an office that’s not very big, but has space for everyone. My day consists mostly of studying Salesforce, getting to know everyone and shadowing my mentor. There’s a lot of plans ahead, like participating in projects, configuring features for the customers and presenting demos. But first, how did I get here?
I always knew that I wanted to work in the field of technology. I want to be at the epicenter of innovation and learn about new technologies. At the same time, I am quite a social person (although I consider myself an introvert) and it’s important for me to be able to express myself and interact with other people.
Therefore, I quickly realised that I was unlikely to sit at the monitor 24/7, drink coffee and code complex things. I needed an area where I could combine passion for modern technology, the desire to learn new things and the opportunity to express myself… Also, my deadlines for working practice for the university were burning.
Hearing about Salesforce for the first time
I didn’t know about Salesforce until I got into the CRM Process Management course at Haaga-Helia. The course consisted of two parts: studying the Salesforce platform and completing trails in Trailhead. I really enjoyed doing modules and practicing with hands-on tasks. During the course, we had visitors from different companies (including Biit’s Lauri Kurki) who told us how they utilize Salesforce in their business.
In December, we received an invitation to the Biit event for students to learn more about Salesforce technologies and career opportunities. We were offered pizza and drinks, discussed business problems and solutions for them and talked more about the Biit internship program, and what it offers. I knew right away that I would apply.
But before that, I still had some studies to finish. Excited by Salesforce, motivated for internship opportunity, I signed up for a business IT project course created by Haaga-Helia together with Biit. The main goal of the project is to set up the org for the client in accordance with the case.
The case consists of the backstory of the company and some requirements for implementation, otherwise the team independently plans a solution and a scope. Of course, before that, professionals from Biit hold introductory sessions, where they give a lot of knowledge about project management, Agile development, configuration methods etc.
During the project, I realised that a consultant’s path is exactly the direction in which I want to continue building my career. Here are a few reasons:
- Not just one role
Being a consultant is not just talking to a customer. This is a multifaceted role that includes both technical and business skills, and requires constant development and learning. Especially, with Salesforce platform updates thrice a year. In other words, it never gets boring.
- Tons of opportunities and directions
Each project is unique, just as each consultant has their own strengths, however the goal is the same – to make an impact. With variety of Salesforce products and industries to work with, consultants can find their projects according to their interest.
- Emerging market
Although Salesforce has existed for more than 20 years, the CRM market is constantly growing, as is the need for new specialists. Thanks to the development of the platform, I am sure that I will always have room to grow and new skills to learn.
No to plain job interviews, yes to showcasing my talent
The course, however, was not only the opportunity to learn but also to demonstrate my knowledge and potential to Biit employees. As someone who doesn’t enjoy job interviews (I always panic and do not know what to say), it was perfect chance to skip to the part where I am good at. Although, I still went through the interview but I already knew that it wasn’t the only decision-making factor and it calmed me.
So, here I am at Biit. For the first couple of weeks my schedule consisted of various onboardings, training sessions and meetings with mentors. At the same time, the schedule was not clogged by the minute, and there was plenty of time to reflect on new discoveries and impressions.
Part of the time is devoted to self-study, and since I already knew some Salesforce basics, the head of the trainee program helped me find ways to deepen my knowledge. That’s how I learned about the Trailhead superbadges, and I highly recommend them to anyone who wants to learn the Salesforce.
When I read the ex-trainees’ blog post about the first traineeship, I noticed that everyone mentioned the friendly and cozy atmosphere in Biit. Now I can also subscribe to each of their words. In theory, one trainee has one mentor who involves the trainee into their projects and answers their questions.
But in fact, literally everyone is involved in the onboarding at Biit: trainees share new knowledge, experience and feelings among each other, in addition to mentors, we have also been assigned to teams and introduced to team leads. Basically everyone else around is happy to talk to trainees, ask about our feelings and include us in office activities. Truly welcoming and kind!
Working in projects as a trainee
In addition, I managed to attend several meetings with clients and see how demos and retrospectives take place. It is quite difficult to catch all aspects of the project that you see for the first time, but mentors have time to explain the essence of certain features and background story.
It is also very fascinating to observe communication between consultants and customers, what questions are asked and how they are answered, how this or that feature is explained, etc. The internship has just begun, but I’m already looking forward to participating in some configuration.
I noticed that during these few weeks I studied harder than ever, because now I have higher goals and ambitions. It is almost magical how this professional environment inspires me to learn and achieve more. Currently, I am focused on preparing for the Admin certification exam. For this, I go through trails and superbadges every day for at least 2-3 hours. Apart from self-study, trainees participate in guided sessions, too.
In conclusion, I would definitely recommend Biit trainee program to anyone who’s interested in Salesforce or consulting. My traineeship is not enclosed in a strict set of topics. In contrary, I can express my interests and get assistance from experts. I like that Biit trusts the trainees. I can choose to work either from home or the office, my schedule is flexible enough and there is a lot of time to study. For all that, I still know that I have someone to talk to, whether it’s a professional or a personal matter. So far, I have enjoyed my traineeship and I can’t wait to see what happens in the upcoming months.
Kirjoittaja
Vasilisa is a graduating student, who's currently exploring the world of Salesforce. She also happens to be a Biit trainee, who plans her career in consulting.
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