Unlocking Success: Inspiring Salesforce Developers Share Their Stories of Giving Back
Meet 5 Salesforce Developers Who Are Making a Difference
Christie Fidura
Every day, thousands of developers around the world work with Salesforce technologies to solve complex problems and build innovative solutions for our customers and partners. That is an impressive achievement in and of itself. However, many Salesforce Developers have chosen to extend their careers beyond coding to also become community leaders, international speakers and writers, dedicated mentors and coaches, and passionate knowledge sharers. Their generous efforts to help their peers succeed go above and beyond the occasional log in to make an invaluable impact on the Salesforce Developers Community as a whole.
Get to know these stellar Salesforce Developers and their work in the Salesforce Developer community:
These outstanding developers come from all walks of life and all corners of the world. Each has blazed their own trail to build themselves an exciting career path that brings out their personal best. For most, the global Salesforce Developers Community serves as a critical hub for networking, learning, professional development, and opportunity.
Our Dev Spotlight series explores the lives of five developers who share their unique journeys to becoming a Salesforce Developer. Their stories also touch on what it means to be a part of our worldwide developer community, and the many ways that one can make a difference to fellow developers and the community at large.
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Virginia Ferrer Hamud creates art with code
For Virginia Ferrer Hamud, it all began with a love of writing lines of code and, like an artist, seeing her work come to life. She has since translated that into a thriving career path that includes deep involvement in the global Salesforce Developers community, where she’s met new friends, colleagues, partners, and mentors — who have all become “treasures” in her professional life.
Virginia discovered that in-person community groups and events provide new opportunities for professional growth, such as leadership and public speaking. She founded and continues to lead a group in her hometown of Algeciras, Spain, and even held a Salesforce Developers community event while on vacation in Argentina. Now a mentor herself, she says, “I want to give back that ongoing support that has helped me to other people.”
Farah Sherif shares the secret to developer success
When Farah Sherif’s cousin sent her links to some beginner modules on Trailhead — Salesforce’s free online learning platform — she was immediately hooked. She felt that with dedication, hard work, and a passion for learning, she could achieve anything. Farah has since completed dozens of trails, earned hundreds of badges and 15 Salesforce Certifications, and reached the Triple Star Ranger level on Trailhead. She continues to use Trailhead as her primary source for learning new skills.
Farah’s learning path led her to get involved in her local Trailblazer Community Group in Cairo, Egypt, which she now leads. In celebration of her commitment and journey as a Trailblazer, Salesforce awarded Farah with a rare Golden Hoodie. She recalls, “It was an incredible moment that I’ll be proud of forever.”
Oleh Mykytyn finds purpose as a Salesforce Developer
Before discovering Salesforce and the Trailblazer Community, Oleh Mykytyn never believed he could become an international speaker, writer, and podcast guest. Today, he’s all of those things and more, in his role as Head of Customer Engagement at Redtag and as a recognized pillar of the global Salesforce Developers Community.
Throughout his journey, Oleh learned to combine technical skills with a strong personal brand, as well as fearlessly persevere through difficult challenges. He’s taken leadership roles in his local Community Group in Lviv, Ukraine, and further supports Ukrainian developers through Slack channels and YouTube streaming. Oleh advises, “The best way to stay connected with the Salesforce Developer community is by joining a forum, social media, and, of course, events!”
Edith Valencia-Martinez builds a rewarding career path
When Edith Valencia-Martinez’s employer assigned her to Salesforce projects, she started attending her local Salesforce Developer community meetups in Bristol and London, UK, to supplement her on-the-job learning. Soon, Edith began speaking at these meetups and at different community-organized events around Europe.
Edith’s passion for inclusion in the technology space eventually led her to become a coach with Radical Apex Developers (RAD) Women, a nonprofit that teaches people who identify as female to code in Apex. She says, “By coaching with RAD Women, I improve my skills, which in turn, prove useful when coaching junior developers at work.”
Narender Singh puts himself on the map in the global community
Narender Singh describes his career path as “a roller coaster ride that has exceeded my wildest dreams.” Just out of university, his employer placed him on a Salesforce implementation team, and Narender dove into the role with gusto. Thanks to continuous learning on Trailhead, Narender achieved the Triple Star Ranger level and was named a Salesforce MVP in his second year.
Narender’s active participation in the global Salesforce Developers Community was noticed by a recruiter, which led to an amazing job offer in Berlin, Germany. Narender still considers the community to be his “virtual home,” where he lives his passion for sharing knowledge and connecting with others as a group leader, speaker, blogger, tutorial contributor, and mentor.
To meet other extraordinary developers, and expand your technical skills and network, join the Salesforce Developers Community and be a part of the conversation on all things Salesforce development.
