From end-user to consultancy

Making the shift from an end user to a consulting firm can be a great career move for many professionals looking to stay involved within the Salesforce ecosystem. 

Consultancy life is different to an end user experience, but the rewards can be great since the pros of working for a Salesforce consultancy are numerous. 

As a Salesforce consultancy company, we have great quantities of people who made this switch successfully.

What is it like making the switch?

Today we sat down with our Head of Delivery in theUK, Jessica Leung, a Project Manager in London, Katie Issott, and Cecilia Santos, one of our Salesforce Consultants in Madrid, who will share  their own experiences and advice in order to help you succeed in making a shift from end-user to consultancy. 

Can you briefly describe your occupation before EMPAUA?

Jess: "Prior to EMPAUA, I was at an organisation that provides cloud communications software and services, where I filled the role of a Marketing Executive. 3-4 years in this role, the organisation implemented Salesforce where I fell into the role of Salesforce Admin." 

Cecilia: "Before joining EMPAUA, I have worked at end user companies, in other words, internal clients. Most of the time, we worked with external consultant agencies to run projects."

Katie: "I worked in a large company in the IT department, I was on the grad-scheme  there. The company rolled out salesforce and it became the new front office system."

What made you choose consultancy as your sub-new career? And what made you choose EMPAUA?

Jess: "I really enjoyed my time as a Salesforce Admin. and wanted to learn more."

"I felt that I could only learn so much about Salesforce at my previous organisation and decided to look to consultancy as the next step in my Salesforce journey as it would give me the exposure and opportunity to upskill on Salesforce."

"One of the key points for me as well, was being surrounded by so many brilliant minds and supportive individuals who I could turn to for technical mentorship."

"Why EMPAUA specifically? The culture just sounded exactly what I was looking for, and not to mention, everyone I met during my interview process was so lovely!"

"They just felt like people I wanted to have as colleagues. I was especially drawn to the transparency and trust, as well as the flexibility that EMPAUA promoted." 

Cecilia: "I wanted to try a more dynamic way of working with no hierarchies. Being in consultancy is a great opportunity to work with different clients and types of projects."

"I like a lot the culture and way of working at EMPAUA. Teams change from project to project, and I like to have colleagues in different locations."

Katie: "EMPAUA has a really great working culture and it’s the people here which make it so special. I really love the flexible-working culture that we have here at EMPAUA."

"I wanted to find something that would challenge me more, which is why I considered joining a consultancy."

Do you have any tips for people who want to make a shift from end-user to consultancy like yours?

Jess: "If you are looking to gain exposure to different orgs, industries, and upskill quickly, then consultancy is the perfect environment for that. I learned so much within my first 6 months at EMPAUA."

"Consultancy is different to being at an end-user - the pace is a lot quicker, being self-managed is extremely helpful, and you’ll start being more aware of time (at least I do!) ." 

"It can take a little time to adjust to, but don’t be afraid to ask for help - there are so many of us that have been THERE. I'm so happy I made the leap." 

Cecilia: "I would say Do it!"

"Working in such a dynamic environment and learning from different types of business is something that makes a workday very interesting."

"At EMPAUA you can work in a very independent way but at the same time being very well accompanied by great colleagues that support you."

Katie: "Be prepared to learn loads and take on new challenges. Be confident in your role." 

The future of Salesforce is looking brighter now more than ever.

The Salesforce ecosystem is growing at a breakneck pace with no signs of slowing down. If making a career change from an end-user to a consultancy is at the forefront of your mind, we hope you found our talents’ words  valuable and helpful to you. 

A huge thanks to Jessica Leung, Cecilia Santos, Katie Issott for taking part in the interview and taking your time to share your precious experiences.

If you want to have a conversation about working for a consultancy, send us a message on our Linkedin or check out our latest roles here. 

‍