People Behind the Certs – Charles McGregor

SG: Let’s get started. Why don’t we start from the beginning? Please tell us about your education/ career before entering the Salesforce ecosystem.

CM: I completed my Bachelor of Business focusing on HR and worked for several organisations specialising in Recruitment. I was then introduced to Salesforce by the organisation where I was working at that time by implementing a recruitment system built on the Platform.

From there, I became interested in Salesforce and took a job that was partly recruitment and partly improving the environment where we strived. A couple of years ago, when I was living in London, I was approached by a start-up called Talent Rover to join their team, which had built a Salesforce recruitment system and was looking to expand. It was one of the best decisions I made and launched me into the amazing ecosystem of Salesforce.

SG: That’s awesome. Now we would love to know what was the tipping point when you said, “I want to make this change,” and what was the trigger for that?

CM: I found the Salesforce platform to be customisable and only limited to your imagination (and budget). It was exciting to see where it was taking me and the opportunities stemming from this. 

I could even combine both my background in recruitment and my passion for IT; the move was one that just made sense. It also helped that I had an amazing team which made the transition into a new industry much easier.

SG: You achieved many certs along the way. Can you share three things with us?

1. Why do you value certificates?

2. What are the challenges associated with the process?

3. What are your top tips for being successful in cert exams?

CM: Yes, why not?

1. I’ve always been someone who learns hands-on. All the certifications I’ve achieved were after really understanding how things worked. My certification path has been pretty standard, and I try to concentrate my learning on certs that interest me.
2. I find book learning a bit challenging. Getting deep into the concepts by making your hands dirty really works well for me. When studying, I try to replicate the scenarios in an environment to see how it works so that I can build up a sort of “muscle memory.” If I can visualise it, I can build it. That was a memory technique I followed where I didn’t get an immediate chance to get a hands-on, which proved helpful for me when I’m building a Flow or creating a Schema.
3. Take your time. Read the questions thoroughly. The questions are tricky until you understand the real reason behind them. So make sure that you’re digesting what is there. There would be more than one correct answer for each question, for which you have to choose the most appropriate one by identifying which one best meets the scenario.

SG: What do you enjoy most about your work as a certified Salesforce professional?

CM: No two days are the same. As an Architect, I love diving into complex problems and pulling apart the different layers of requirements. 

On the whole, the ecosystem has such a wide variety of people. Everyone’s journey to Salesforce is different. That’s what makes it that much more amazing.

SG: Time for gratitude!! Finally, is there anyone (individual or company) that you would like to take this opportunity to thank for their role in helping you along your journey? If Yes, what was their role in your success?

CM: My mentor Mr. David Akai. David was my manager at Talent Rover who saw great potential in me to become better. If he didn’t take a chance on a young Australian, I probably never would have made the impact I feel I’ve made today.

I’d also express my appreciation for Talent Rover founders Mr. Brandon Metcalf & Mr. Kent Gray. They built an amazing business with equally amazing humans who made my first full-time Salesforce role such an enjoyable experience that I decided to make a career out of it!