MEET A GRADUATE — TOM KAUFMAN
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 with 21 students enrolled in the first cohort, including Tom Kaufman. Those who pass the program receive a certificate of completion from William Paterson University.
We sat down with Tom, Wholesales Sales Representative USA and Canada for OverEZ Chicken Coop, to hear more about his Camp4 experience.
What is your professional background?
I've done sales all my life. I started selling computer systems, and I did a lot of system consulting and configurations. It was all cutting-edge at the time. People had no idea what a computer was. They wanted to know if they really needed a monitor and if a keyboard was necessary. We created really great solutions for a wide variety of companies—Macy’s, Sony, Ford, Bloomingdale’s. It was a really fun and interesting time to be selling computer systems.
From there I became a consultant for different types of higher-end computer systems with imaging systems for printers and imagesetters and large print facilities. Then, I became the color specialist at Minolta Konica. Over subsequent years I held a variety of sales manager roles. Selling is my passion.
What was your knowledge or familiarity with Salesforce then before joining Camp4?
Before the pandemic, I worked at GAF, where they introduced Salesforce. So, I started learning it as a user at that point. After I got laid off, along with 450 other employees, I started interviewing for different positions and Salesforce was everywhere. I mean, everywhere I went, they wanted Salesforce.
So I started taking Trailhead, and not long after an old consulting friend of mine called me and told me about Camp4. It was perfect luck.
What was your favorite part of the program?
The fireside chats were so refreshing—to be talking to a highly skilled professional who already has their pulse on the marketplace. The speakers helped us to understand the marketplace and where we could fit in; it gave me a real boost.
What advice do you have for those who may be hesitant to start a program like Camp4?
It's worth doing it only for the sake that you'll be one step ahead of everyone else who's at your level, trying to get that same job as you. You may feel a little shy about the fact that you haven't been to school recently, or that you’ve been looking for a job and haven't found one. This course is going to make a big difference in your life because by the end you’re going to have this credential for the rest of your life—and this is definitely one you do not want to miss out on. Focus on how are these skills that you're learning going to translate to the interviews that you're going to be getting, because you will be getting more interviews knowing Salesforce. So I would say that no matter what the cost is, you need to get on board.
What’s it like being part of the Camp4 network?
We're helping each other. They've given me encouragement, and I know several of my Camp4 classmates have gotten jobs pretty quickly by the mere fact that they now have this. In fact, one of the advisors connected me to the owner of a company who was in need of seasoned salespeople with Salesforce knowledge and experience, and I was hired to start just a week after completing Camp4.
Interested in making a career shift yourself, or offering Salesforce training for your team?
