MEET A GRADUATE — Antionette Crawford
About the Program
William Paterson University School of Continuing Education and Professional Education worked with North Jersey Partners, a coalition of Workforce Development Boards, to offer Camp4’s Salesforce Certified Administrator Program. Those who pass the program receive a certificate of completion from William Paterson University.
We sat down with graduate Antionette Crawford to talk with her about her Camp4 experience.
What was your background before coming to Camp4?
I’ve had a number of career changes. I started out in the foodservice industry and lasted about ten years before I needed a change. Right before leaving, I was the manager of a Timothy’s Coffee store and that experience led me into accounting. I worked in accounting for another ten years or so before transitioning into project-based work where I’ve been a project accountant, project coordinator, project manager, and implementation manager. In this project-based work, I have had hands-on experience with CRMs, but I had never personally worked with Salesforce.
How did you find Camp4 and what made you want to participate in the program?
I learned about the program on the City of Newark’s Facebook page where they post regularly about career and training opportunities in my area. I make sure to check in every once in a while because if you don't, great opportunities can pass you by.
I decided to participate in the program after seeing many Salesforce commercials while watching TV in my free time and it just seemed like Salesforce was everywhere. I needed to find out what was going on with the ecosystem because everyone was talking about it.
What was your day-to-day experience of being in the Camp4 program?
The day-to-day course was two hours per day of instruction and then it required that you put in some time outside of class to study and practice a bit more. I was okay with moving around on the platform because I’d already had some experience with other CRMs, and luckily I’m very inquisitive and not afraid to push buttons when you teach me a new program. I’m always open to learning something new. There were a few times that I wanted to drop out of the program because of what was going on personally, but I stuck it out because I knew it would only help me in searching for new opportunities to have these skills on my resume.
What’s your advice for someone who is interested in the Salesforce ecosystem and finds Camp4? What advice would you give them about diving in and going through the program?
I would definitely encourage anyone who comes across it to take the training. I think it’s a very valuable asset. If you are looking for a new career there are a lot of jobs in the Salesforce ecosystem. With how the Camp4 program is structured, it wasn’t a lot to ask for how much opportunity it provides you. You have to invest time in yourself. In order to stay marketable, you have to learn new skills, right? And with the Camp4 program and team, you really have a lot of support. Even after finishing the course, we’re still communicating. The support and guidance don’t end when the course ends, which I think is awesome. They are there for you through your certification, job search, and career. I definitely think that the state should provide more funding for programs like this. With this skill set, I think you're immediately marketable.
Interested in making a career shift yourself, or offering Salesforce training for your team?
