LDN TalentPath Stories: Dana
Since its launch in 2021, TalentPath by LDN has introduced many aspiring Trailblazers to rewarding & successful careers in the Salesforce ecosystem!
As part of the ongoing success stories from the awesome TalentPath candidates who have graduated from the course - we spoke with recent graduate & LDN’s very own Talent Executive, Dana!
Dana is from the London borough of Fulham & Hammersmith and was a fantastic member of TalentPath Cohort 12!
Working long hours as a teaching assistant, Dana had a burning passion for Salesforce and became eager to start her dream career in the ecosystem.
Thanks to the industry specialist training provided by TalentPath, Dana was able to develop and strengthen her Salesforce knowledge and confidence whilst networking with other Trailblazers and Salesforce-enabled businesses to help her secure her dream role!
Due to Dana’s continued determination and infectious personality whilst on programme, it was no surprise that we invited Dana to work as part of LDN’s Talent Team to help resource candidates for future TalentPath cohorts to come!
We caught up with Dana to discuss her TalentPath journey and how she’s fitted into the LDN Team since completing the programme!
What barriers or issues did you face prior to joining TalentPath?
I had always dreamed of working within the Salesforce ecosystem but unfortunately lacked the knowledge, skills and experience employers look for when hiring!
Due to my lack of experience, I decided to pursue a short-term career as a teaching assistant but my passion for Salesforce never went away. In the meantime, I started to research courses that would enable me to achieve Salesforce certifications to help me get that one step closer to employment.
During a discussion about my dream career with a close friend, I was recommended to explore LDN and the TalentPath programme. After browsing what TalentPath had to offer, including a free certification, I knew it was the right path for me!
What were your aims for joining the Talentpath programme?
Ultimately, I wanted to start my new career in Salesforce.
It was a dream to have the potential of being employed by a Salesforce-enabled business by the end of the programme, however, completing and gaining my Salesforce Admin Certification stayed my main aim and priority throughout.
In order to achieve this, I pushed myself to study and earn as many Trailhead badges whilst on programme on top of my working schedule. It was crucial that I proactively attended workshops and networked with companies within the ecosystem during this time too.
How did your TalentPath mentor support you to achieve these goals?
Being held accountable by my mentor Alex was exactly the support I needed!
We would have regular check-ins to discuss my progress on the course as well as explore further Trailmixers that would support my learning which acted as a great incentive to continue to work hard on the programme.
Alex also provided on-hand support during in-person workshops whilst having the opportunity to interact with other learners on the programme to collaborate and encourage each other to do well!
Everyone in the workshop sessions felt they could interact and share advice, as well as ask for support from Alex with no hesitations. Thanks to Alex, it was a great atmosphere for us all.
What activities did you complete on TalentPath that were most helpful?
Live sessions provided me with subject-focused information and guidance from professionals who truly added value to my time on the course.
As mentioned previously, every workshop hosted by LDN helped me develop on the programme whilst in a positive and relaxed environment.
Each workshop activity inspired me to complete further independent studies.
Dana was one of many to attend Salesforce’s World Tour in London alongside LDN’s Salesforce Team!
What outcomes did you achieve as a direct result of the support provided?
TalentPath introduced and connected me to a whole new network of Trailblazers!
Thanks to the support from LDN and the networking opportunities provided, my self-confidence grew and made me believe my career dreams could become a reality!
I was also lucky enough to be one of the first members of the TalentPath programme to achieve my Level 4 in Online Customer Experience!
Low and behold, after the success I had whilst on programme, I was offered a permanent role working with LDN Apprenticeships Talent Team to support the candidate recruitment for the TalentPath programme as well as the Salesforce apprenticeships LDN has to offer.
Although this role was unexpected, I’ve never been happier and more excited for the future.
Here is Dana with TalentPath Mentor Alex representing LDN at one of our key stakeholder events in London!
What are you doing now?
Working full-time at LDN has built the missing structure I had in my life!
Everyone here is so encouraging and helpful, not to mention the working environment is fantastic. It has welcomed a brand new social aspect to my life and has filled me with the optimism I need to achieve my future career goals.