From a job overview perspective, there is perhaps no IT job more fascinating to me than that of Salesforce Developer. This gig is part of an ever-changing landscape of positions and specializations that never seem to stop growing.

So what does a Salesforce developer do, exactly, and how does this job fit in the realm of information technology? What areas of Salesforce development are changing more rapidly, and what should you specialize in to keep ahead of this change? Are there specific training programs or certifications that are particularly helpful in in this employment sphere? We will address all of these questions as we look at the job role of Salesforce developer.

It's a big job

What a Salesforce developer does can vary widely, but the main focus of each job does not vary. The first thing is that a good developer must be able to draw up specific customer requirements and function as the liaison between the technical group and the business. Normally, a business analyst would perform this function, but Salesforce is so highly customized, that the developer must do the analysis since he or she knows what the software is capable of doing.

The developer also knows project techniques and how to code effective solutions in the system, along with knowing the APIs of Salesforce and how they interact with other systems. Working with others is important for any position, but for Salesforce development, you will need to excel at these interactions to a higher degree, since the system is so precise and tedious.

While making CRM processes more efficient — CRM, or customer relationship management, is essentially what Salesforce is for — a Salesforce developer must also plan and conduct module testing, or unit testing, on all aspects of Salesforce. Life will never be dull because you, as a Salesforce developer, may be required to develop entirely new solutions and different modules.

Salesforce's big footprint

As you can see, a Salesforce developer must be willing and able to navigate a high volume of work. Why, then, is this relevant to the information technology industry?

Salesforce continues to be popular among developers simply because of its reach. With an estimated 180,000 business customers and 3.8 million users, there will be no shortage of companies needing developers. Salesforce is the cream of the crop of CRM. It leaves nothing on the table for features, which will only increase the need for highly skilled developers to customize solutions for the foreseeable future.

Among developers, they are as widespread in skillset as the product is in general. First, you have a digital cloud developer, who takes requirements for full cloud-based apps and creates them inside Salesforce. These are almost always pure marketing solutions.

The second developer track is CRM-based, where you create and design workflows and applications around the Customer Relationship Portal. Anything that touches this is fairly new and the new Lightning interface and its design are always going to be cutting edge with developers.

You can also go the developer/admin route that involves you developing simple interface applications, solutions, and forms. No matter which of these you pick, you will always have plenty to do and a lot of job prospects at your fingertips.

Your ideal Salesforce development background

To excel in a Salesforce development role, a programming background is all that's essential. Salesforce isn't like� every development platform, but once you know the basics, you can excel in any of the tracks available to you. While the development track has a lot of appeal, a person can get also certified in administration or cloud consulting.

I really like the marketing aspects of Salesforce, where you can solve customer problems with specific application developments and then help them achieve greater revenue by marketing that application. Lightning is the brand new update in the Salesforce arena. Existing customers are likely to request to migrate to Salesforce Lightning because Salesforce Classic has no plans to improve, whereas Lightning brings better performance and flexible features with the focus on personalization for every user group.

Your best bet, then, is to learn Lightning — the need of the hour for every industry using Salesforce Classic is to migrate to Lightning. And to meet this requirement, they need experts who can perform the task on time.

A bright future

As Salesforce development continues to grow, there are likely to be a lot of changes. I think we will see the rise of the small business and bespoke (or custom) software design shops, particularly in field service and the Internet of Things, will adopt faster than anyone else.

Salesforce has two CEOs who will deliver amazing results, and the new features and updates in Lightning experience and 'Lightning web components' will provide a new experience to Salesforce developers. Delivering integration, Einstein voice, Lightning web components, and Apple's Siri digital assistant will surely be intriguing in the world of Salesforce. Indeed, the newly minted Salesforce partnerships with Apple and Google will be a game changer.

Salesforce DX is something else to keep your eye on. This is a great moment to be involved with dev teams. I really like how Force.com and Heroku development are getting aligned. There are always large swings in the area of Salesforce development, including in the arenas of social media and mobile technologies.

Smart phones and tablets have made it possible for consumers to remain connected to social media platforms at all times. Sales teams can use this connectivity to communicate with more potential customers than ever before, while also gathering information through their online engagement, such as product reviews and shared posts.

Salesforce development touches many different technologies: Big Data processing remains competitive, as sales teams depend largely on their ability to gather, organize, and analyze large volumes of data about customer behaviors and buying habits. Cloud technology can be used to increase flexibility, promote collaboration, organize documents, and streamline processes.

One major example of cloud technology impacting the sales cycle is the rise of the cloud-based CRM systems. AI is also a buzzword here, as it can be a useful tool for managing data and automating a wide range of processes. When it comes to sales, AI can be used in conjunction with a CRM system to analyze customer data, perform lead scoring, offer opportunity and account insights, and automate contacts. Using AI to automate processes and filter through data can save countless working hours and provide sales and marketing staff with timely, accurate insights.

Stay engaged

Remember, if you choose to become a Salesforce developer, you are choosing a really wide road filled with many potentially exciting stops and attractions along the way. It will be a long and glorious trip, and I wish you a safe journey. Happy certifying!