Top 12 Salesforce Administrator Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive job market, standing out as a Salesforce Administrator requires not just experience but a showcase of the right skills on your resume. Mastering a blend of technical proficiency, business acumen, and soft skills can significantly enhance your candidacy and appeal to potential employers in the dynamic field of CRM management.

Salesforce Administrator Skills

1. Salesforce CRM
2. Apex
3. Visualforce
4. Lightning Experience
5. SOQL
6. Data Loader
7. Workflow Automation
8. Reports & Dashboards
9. Process Builder
10. Security Model
11. Custom Objects
12. Salesforce AppExchange

1. Salesforce CRM

Salesforce CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform that enables businesses to manage sales, service, marketing, and more, centralizing customer information and interactions to improve customer engagement and streamline processes for efficiency and growth. For a Salesforce Administrator, it involves configuring and managing the system to meet organizational needs, including user management, data management, security settings, and customization to optimize the CRM's functionality and performance.

Why It's Important

Salesforce CRM is crucial for Salesforce Administrators as it centralizes customer information, streamlines processes, and enables personalized customer engagement, ultimately improving efficiency and fostering stronger customer relationships.

How to Improve Salesforce CRM Skills

Improving Salesforce CRM involves enhancing user experience, optimizing performance, and ensuring data integrity. Here are concise strategies for Salesforce Administrators:

1. Streamline User Interface: Customize the Salesforce UI to match user workflows using Lightning App Builder, ensuring that users have access only to relevant fields and objects.

2. Automate Processes: Utilize Process Builder and Flow to automate repetitive tasks, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

3. Data Quality: Implement Validation Rules and Duplicate Management to maintain data integrity.

4. Custom Reports and Dashboards: Create custom reports and dashboards tailored to the specific needs of the business, providing actionable insights.

5. User Training and Support: Develop comprehensive training programs and maintain a knowledge base to empower users with the tools and knowledge to use Salesforce effectively.

6. Regularly Review and Optimize: Conduct regular system audits and gather user feedback to identify areas for improvement.

7. AppExchange Tools: Explore AppExchange for third-party applications and integrations that can extend the functionality of Salesforce to meet specific business needs.

8. Stay Updated: Keep up with the latest Salesforce releases and features by regularly visiting the Salesforce Release Notes.

Implementing these strategies will help in significantly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of Salesforce CRM within your organization.

How to Display Salesforce CRM Skills on Your Resume

2. Apex

Apex is a strongly typed, object-oriented programming language that allows Salesforce administrators and developers to execute flow and transaction control statements on the Salesforce platform server in conjunction with calls to the API.

Why It's Important

Apex is important for a Salesforce Administrator because it allows for the customization of business logic within the Salesforce platform, enabling the creation of complex, tailored solutions that standard configuration options cannot achieve.

How to Improve Apex Skills

To improve your Apex skills as a Salesforce Administrator, follow these concise steps:

1. Understand Basics: Start with Salesforce's Apex Developer Guide to grasp the fundamentals of Apex programming.
2. Trailhead: Engage in Apex-specific Trailhead modules for hands-on practice and real-world scenarios.
3. Write Code Daily: Practice coding by solving problems on platforms like Salesforce Stack Exchange to enhance problem-solving skills in Apex.
4. Code Reviews: Participate in code reviews with peers or use platforms like GitHub to understand best practices and coding standards.
5. Stay Updated: Follow the Salesforce Developers Blog and attend Salesforce webinars or developer events to stay informed about the latest features and best practices.

Consistent practice and staying engaged with the Salesforce developer community are key to improving your Apex skills.

How to Display Apex Skills on Your Resume

3. Visualforce

Visualforce is a framework within Salesforce that allows developers and administrators to create custom user interfaces with a tag-based markup language, enabling the design of dynamic, data-driven pages within the Salesforce platform.

Why It's Important

Visualforce is important for a Salesforce Administrator because it allows for the customization of user interfaces with tailored layouts and functionality, enabling the creation of specific user experiences and the integration of custom business processes within the Salesforce platform.

How to Improve Visualforce Skills

To improve Visualforce as a Salesforce Administrator, focus on the following key aspects:

1. Optimize Performance: Use AJAX and partial page updates for a responsive user experience. Utilize the rendered attribute to control the rendering of components.

2. Enhance Security: Apply Salesforce security standards by using with sharing or without sharing keywords in Apex classes. Ensure to escape any user inputs to prevent XSS (Cross-Site Scripting).

3. Use Lightning Design System (SLDS): Incorporate SLDS for a consistent look and feel with Lightning Experience. SLDS Documentation.

4. Mobile Responsiveness: Design with mobile in mind by using responsive design practices. Test your Visualforce pages in the Salesforce1 app or mobile browsers.

5. Code Efficiency: Utilize custom controllers and controller extensions efficiently. Keep your Apex code bulkified and avoid SOQL queries inside loops.

6. Testing and Debugging: Implement comprehensive test classes for your controllers and extensions. Use the Developer Console and debug logs to troubleshoot issues. Developer Console Guide.

7. Documentation and Best Practices: Follow Salesforce’s best practices for development and keep your documentation up to date for future maintenance and development. Visualforce Developer Guide.

By focusing on these areas, you'll improve the performance, security, and user experience of your Visualforce pages, aligning them more closely with Salesforce's modern development standards.

How to Display Visualforce Skills on Your Resume

4. Lightning Experience

Lightning Experience is Salesforce's modern, user-friendly interface designed to enhance productivity and provide a more intuitive user experience compared to its predecessor, Salesforce Classic. It offers customizable dashboards, a streamlined navigation menu, and improved reporting features, enabling administrators and users to work more efficiently within the Salesforce platform.

Why It's Important

Lightning Experience is important for a Salesforce Administrator because it provides a more intuitive, efficient, and customizable user interface, enhancing productivity, data analysis, and overall CRM management capabilities.

How to Improve Lightning Experience Skills

Improving the Lightning Experience in Salesforce for administrators involves optimizing the user interface, managing permissions efficiently, and leveraging Salesforce's customization capabilities. Here are concise steps to enhance the Lightning Experience:

1. Optimize Page Layouts and Record Types: Customize pages to match user roles and processes. Use the Lightning App Builder for drag-and-drop customization.

2. Utilize Lightning Components: Incorporate or develop reusable Lightning components to add functionality and improve user workflows.

3. Implement Lightning Flows: Design and use Lightning Flows to automate complex business processes.

4. Manage Permissions Effectively: Use Permission Sets and Profiles to fine-tune access control, ensuring users have the right access to features and data.

5. Train and Support Users: Provide resources and training for users to adapt to the Lightning Experience. Salesforce's Trailhead offers modules for both admins and users.

6. Monitor and Gather Feedback: Use the Lightning Usage App to monitor adoption and gather user feedback to continually refine the experience.

7. Leverage Lightning Console Apps: Create console apps for a more productive workspace for users who manage multiple records in a single window.

8. Maintain Data Quality: Implement validation rules and duplicate management to ensure data integrity.

By following these steps and continuously seeking feedback from users, Salesforce administrators can significantly improve the Lightning Experience, leading to increased productivity and user satisfaction.

How to Display Lightning Experience Skills on Your Resume

5. SOQL

SOQL stands for Salesforce Object Query Language. It is a query language used by Salesforce administrators and developers to search and access data stored in Salesforce's database. SOQL allows for creating precise queries to locate specific records, fields, and relationships within Salesforce objects, enabling efficient data retrieval and reporting.

Why It's Important

SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) is crucial for Salesforce Administrators as it allows them to efficiently query and manage large volumes of data within Salesforce, enabling them to retrieve specific information across multiple objects and relationships to support reporting, data analysis, and dashboard creation, thereby enhancing organizational decision-making and operational efficiency.

How to Improve SOQL Skills

To improve SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) for Salesforce Administrators, focus on the following concise strategies:

1. Use Selective Fields: Only query fields that are necessary for your requirement. Avoid using SELECT * to prevent unnecessary data processing and limits breaches.

2. Efficient Filtering: Apply filters using the WHERE clause effectively. Leverage indexed fields for faster query performance.

3. Limit Records: Use the LIMIT clause to restrict the number of records retrieved, reducing the load on resources.

4. Sort Smarter: Use the ORDER BY clause judiciously. Sorting can be resource-intensive, especially on large datasets.

5. Relationship Queries: Utilize relationship queries with the __r notation to fetch data from related objects in a single query, minimizing the number of queries needed.

6. Query Plan Tool: Use the Salesforce Query Plan tool to analyze and optimize your SOQL queries based on cost.

For more in-depth guidance and best practices:

• Salesforce SOQL Documentation: SOQL and SOSL Reference
• Salesforce Developer Blog for tips and best practices: Salesforce Developers Blog

Applying these strategies will help improve the performance and efficiency of your SOQL queries in Salesforce.

How to Display SOQL Skills on Your Resume

6. Data Loader

Data Loader is a client application for the bulk import or export of data that can be used to insert, update, delete, or export Salesforce records. It is designed to manage large volumes of data and can process up to five million records in a single operation, supporting CSV files and database connections for Salesforce Administrators.

Why It's Important

Data Loader is crucial for a Salesforce Administrator because it allows for the efficient import, export, and deletion of large volumes of data, facilitating data management and migration tasks within Salesforce environments.

How to Improve Data Loader Skills

To improve Salesforce Data Loader, focus on the following short and concise steps:

1. Optimize Data Quality: Prior to import, cleanse and deduplicate your data. Utilize tools like DemandTools for data quality maintenance.
2. Chunk Large Datasets: Break large datasets into smaller chunks to avoid timeouts and improve performance. Salesforce recommends batches of 5,000 to 10,000 records.
3. Use Bulk API: For large data volumes, enable Bulk API in Data Loader settings for faster processing. Salesforce Bulk API Guide.
4. Monitor and Optimize API Usage: Keep an eye on your API limits and optimize usage. Salesforce API Limits provides guidelines on managing API calls.
5. Parallel Processing: For the Bulk API, enable parallel processing to speed up data loads, but be mindful of the possibility of record locking. Parallel Processing Guide.
6. Use External IDs for Upsert Operations: Utilize external IDs for efficiency and to prevent duplicates. Salesforce External ID Documentation.
7. Automate with Scripts: For repetitive tasks, automate Data Loader operations through the command line. Data Loader CLI Guide.

By focusing on data quality, optimizing data loads, and leveraging Salesforce's Bulk API and automation features, you can significantly improve the performance and efficiency of Data Loader operations as a Salesforce Administrator.

How to Display Data Loader Skills on Your Resume

7. Workflow Automation

Workflow Automation in the context of a Salesforce Administrator involves creating rules and processes that automatically execute actions or tasks (e.g., sending emails, updating fields, creating records) based on specific criteria or triggers within the Salesforce platform, thereby streamlining and optimizing business processes without manual intervention.

Why It's Important

Workflow Automation is crucial for a Salesforce Administrator because it streamlines repetitive tasks, improves data accuracy, enhances efficiency, and allows for more focused efforts on strategic initiatives, ultimately driving better business outcomes.

How to Improve Workflow Automation Skills

Improving workflow automation as a Salesforce Administrator involves several steps to streamline processes, enhance efficiency, and ensure data accuracy within Salesforce. Here's a concise guide:

1. Understand Business Processes: Deeply understand the business processes that need automation. This ensures you're automating the right tasks. Salesforce's Process Automation Guide provides insights on identifying automation opportunities.

2. Use Salesforce Flow: Leverage Salesforce Flow to build complex automation. It's more powerful and flexible than Workflow Rules and Process Builder. Begin with Salesforce Flow Basics.

3. Optimize Existing Automation: Review and optimize existing automation rules for efficiency and relevance. Merge or deactivate redundant Workflow Rules and Process Builders. Salesforce's Best Practices for optimization can guide you.

4. Test Automation: Before deployment, thoroughly test your automation in a sandbox environment to ensure they work as intended and don't interfere with other processes. Salesforce offers a Testing Guide to help.

5. Stay Updated: Keep yourself updated with Salesforce releases and new features. Salesforce releases Release Notes that can introduce new automation capabilities.

6. Use External Integration Tools: For processes that require integration with external systems, consider tools like Zapier or MuleSoft. Salesforce provides an Integration Guide to help you understand your options.

7. Seek Feedback: Regularly seek feedback from end-users to understand the effectiveness of your automations and areas for improvement.

By following these steps and leveraging Salesforce's robust documentation and community resources, you'll be able to significantly improve workflow automation within your organization.

How to Display Workflow Automation Skills on Your Resume

8. Reports & Dashboards

Reports & Dashboards in Salesforce are tools that allow administrators to create, manage, and display data summaries, metrics, and trends visually. Reports provide detailed data insights, while Dashboards offer a graphical representation of report summaries, enabling efficient tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs) and business metrics.

Why It's Important

Reports and Dashboards are crucial for a Salesforce Administrator because they provide actionable insights through real-time data visualization, enabling informed decision-making, performance tracking, and strategic planning to optimize business processes and improve customer relationships.

How to Improve Reports & Dashboards Skills

Improving Reports and Dashboards in Salesforce involves streamlining data accuracy, enhancing visual representation, and ensuring the information caters to the audience's needs. Here are concise steps for a Salesforce Administrator:

1. Understand Business Requirements: Clearly define what stakeholders need from reports and dashboards. Tailor them to show relevant metrics and KPIs.

2. Data Quality: Ensure data hygiene by regularly cleaning up records and removing duplicates. This improves report accuracy.

3. Custom Reports: Create custom reports that focus on specific business needs, using filters and formulas to drill down on insights.

4. Dynamic Dashboards: Utilize dynamic dashboards to allow users to see data that's relevant to them, based on their Salesforce role.

5. Scheduled Reports: Set up scheduled reports to automatically send out insights at regular intervals, keeping stakeholders informed.

6. Leverage Dashboard Components: Use a variety of dashboard components (charts, gauges, tables) for better data visualization, making the information easier to digest.

7. Training: Provide training to users on how to interpret dashboard data, ensuring they extract maximum value from it.

8. Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback system for users to suggest improvements to reports and dashboards, making them more effective over time.

9. Security: Ensure report and dashboard folders are properly secured, sharing sensitive data only with authorized users.

10. Regular Review: Periodically review and optimize your reports and dashboards to adapt to changing business needs and remove clutter.

By following these steps, Salesforce Administrators can significantly enhance the utility and efficiency of their Salesforce Reports and Dashboards, making them invaluable tools for data-driven decision-making.

How to Display Reports & Dashboards Skills on Your Resume

9. Process Builder

Process Builder is a Salesforce automation tool that allows administrators to create complex workflows to automate business processes through a user-friendly graphical interface, without the need for coding.

Why It's Important

Process Builder is important for Salesforce Administrators because it enables them to automate complex business processes without code, improving efficiency and ensuring consistent execution of tasks across the organization.

How to Improve Process Builder Skills

To improve Process Builder in Salesforce, follow these concise strategies:

• Optimize Order of Operations: Prioritize actions by their execution necessity, reducing processing time. Salesforce Documentation
• Use Criteria Conditions Wisely: Utilize formula fields or custom settings to simplify and reduce the number of criteria. Salesforce Help
• Minimize Number of Processes: Consolidate related processes when possible to streamline workflow execution. Trailhead on Process Builder
• Leverage Bulkification: Design processes with bulk operations in mind to ensure efficient handling of large data volumes. Salesforce Developer Documentation
• Test Thoroughly: Employ Salesforce’s sandbox environments for testing to identify and address inefficiencies before deployment. Salesforce Testing
• Monitor and Analyze: Utilize the Process Builder’s performance analysis tools and Salesforce’s debug logs to identify bottlenecks. Salesforce Monitoring

By implementing these strategies, Salesforce Administrators can enhance the performance and effectiveness of Process Builder workflows.

How to Display Process Builder Skills on Your Resume

10. Security Model

A Security Model in the context of a Salesforce Administrator refers to the set of mechanisms and principles that govern how data and resources are protected, accessed, and shared within the Salesforce platform. It encompasses user authentication, role-based access control, sharing rules, and field-level security to ensure that sensitive data is only accessible to authorized users in an organization.

Why It's Important

A Security Model is crucial for a Salesforce Administrator because it ensures that only authorized users can access specific data and functionalities within the Salesforce environment, protecting sensitive information and maintaining data integrity and compliance.

How to Improve Security Model Skills

To improve the Security Model as a Salesforce Administrator, focus on the following steps:

1. Understand the Salesforce Security Model: Gain a solid understanding of the Salesforce security model, including Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD), Role Hierarchies, Sharing Rules, and Profiles vs. Permission Sets. Salesforce Security Guide

2. Conduct Regular Audits: Regularly audit user access and permissions to ensure they align with the principle of least privilege. Use Salesforce's Health Check tool to assess your org's security settings against Salesforce's standards. Salesforce Health Check

3. Implement Strong Password Policies: Enforce strong password policies and encourage the use of multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an additional layer of security. Salesforce MFA

4. Use Field-Level Security: Control access to specific fields to ensure users only have access to data essential for their role. Field-Level Security

5. Educate Users: Regularly educate users about security best practices, including recognizing phishing attempts and securing their login credentials.

6. Stay Updated: Keep your Salesforce org updated with the latest security patches and releases from Salesforce. Monitor Salesforce's security alerts and recommendations. Salesforce Trust

By following these steps and utilizing Salesforce's robust security features, you can significantly enhance the security model of your Salesforce org.

How to Display Security Model Skills on Your Resume

11. Custom Objects

Custom Objects in Salesforce are user-defined objects that enable Salesforce Administrators to store specific information unique to their organization, allowing for the creation and management of data that is not covered by Salesforce's standard objects.

Why It's Important

Custom objects in Salesforce are crucial for administrators as they allow for the storage, management, and customization of specific data unique to an organization's processes, extending the CRM's capabilities to meet precise business requirements.

How to Improve Custom Objects Skills

To improve Custom Objects in Salesforce as an Administrator, follow these concise steps:

1. Define Clear Objectives: Determine the specific business processes or data management needs that the custom object will address. Ensure it aligns with overall business goals.

2. Optimize Field Usage: Use appropriate field types for data accuracy and efficiency. Reduce unnecessary fields to improve performance and user experience. Salesforce Field Types Guide

3. Implement Validation Rules: Create validation rules to enforce data integrity and prevent errors during data entry. Validation Rules

4. Set Up Page Layouts and Record Types: Customize page layouts and record types to streamline user navigation and enhance data visibility for different user roles. Page Layouts, Record Types

5. Use Relationships Wisely: Establish clear relationships (lookup, master-detail) between custom objects and other objects to ensure data consistency and leverage Salesforce's relational database model. Object Relationships

6. Ensure Security Settings: Configure the appropriate security settings, including field-level security, sharing settings, and role hierarchies, to protect sensitive data. Security Implementation Guide

7. Automate Processes: Utilize workflow rules, process builder, or Flow to automate business processes, reducing manual work and ensuring data consistency. Process Automation

8. Regularly Review and Optimize: Continuously monitor and review the custom object's performance and relevance to business needs, making adjustments as necessary.

9. Train Users: Educate end-users on how to effectively use the custom objects and any related processes or automation to ensure adoption and correct usage.

10. Leverage Salesforce Community: Engage with the Salesforce community through forums, user groups, or events for insights, tips, and best practices. Salesforce Trailblazer Community

Following these steps will help ensure that your custom objects are well-designed, efficient, and aligned with your business objectives, enhancing overall system performance and user satisfaction.

How to Display Custom Objects Skills on Your Resume

12. Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange is an online marketplace where Salesforce Administrators can discover, download, and install pre-built software solutions, apps, and components to extend the functionality of Salesforce within their organization.

Why It's Important

Salesforce AppExchange is crucial for a Salesforce Administrator because it provides a marketplace to find pre-built solutions and apps that can extend the functionality of Salesforce, streamline operations, and enhance productivity without requiring custom development.

How to Improve Salesforce AppExchange Skills

To improve Salesforce AppExchange as a Salesforce Administrator, focus on:

1. Identify Needs: Clearly understand the specific needs of your organization or users. Align these with the functionalities offered by apps on the AppExchange.

2. Research and Reviews: Spend time researching potential apps. Read reviews and ratings on the AppExchange to gauge user satisfaction and performance. AppExchange

3. Trial Runs: Use trial versions of apps when available. This hands-on experience helps assess compatibility and usefulness before making a full commitment.

4. Security and Compliance: Check the security and compliance features of the app to ensure it meets your organization's standards. Salesforce provides resources for this at Salesforce Trust.

5. Integration Capabilities: Ensure the app integrates well with your existing Salesforce environment and other tools your organization uses. Salesforce offers an Integration Guide for assistance.

6. Feedback and Customization: After installation, collect feedback from users and explore customization options within the app to better suit your needs. Engage with the Salesforce community or the app's support for tips and best practices.

7. Continuous Learning: Stay informed about new apps and updates on the AppExchange. Salesforce often updates its Blog with the latest news and tips.

8. Training and Support: Utilize the training and support options provided by the app developers and Salesforce. This can significantly enhance the app's utility and user satisfaction.

By following these steps, you can significantly improve your experience and success with Salesforce AppExchange apps.

How to Display Salesforce AppExchange Skills on Your Resume