Lucky me: my job as a product marketer at Salesforce requires me to talk to customers constantly. I love hearing stories about career evolution — and in an emerging discipline like analytics, everyone seems to have taken an interesting path to become a data expert. However, recently I've noticed an emerging trend of advanced Salesforce Admins learning about and specializing in analytics.

Salesforce Admins, as a group, have always exemplified an inclination towards continuous learning simply because Customer Relationship Management (CRM software) evolves so rapidly.

Why Admins get started in analytics

From the conversations I’ve had, many Admins get asked if they can help their companies take the next step towards a data-driven culture through Einstein Analytics once they’re finished building out reports and dashboards. Unlike standard reports and dashboards, though, Einstein Analytics makes it easier to show trends over time and to slice and dice your way to deeper insights.

So, what starts as a side-project eventually becomes a central part of these Admins’ roles, oftentimes leading to a full-time analytics position. In fact, the Einstein Analytics user base is growing fast; our dedicated Trailblazer Community group has grown 80% in the past year.

Giving your Salesforce career the edge it needs

Thanks to the highly strategic nature of analytics, working with Einstein can provide a springboard to the next step in your career journey. Here are a few of our favorite tips for getting started:

1. Remember what you already know. Fortunately, bridging the gap from reports and dashboards to Einstein Analytics is easy. The same Salesforce development team works on both products, so the UX should feel familiar.

2. Trailhead is your ally. There are over 20 Trailhead modules dedicated to Einstein Analytics. And to make it even easier for advanced Admins, we created several new Trailmixes to help learn analytics.

3. Help is just a post away. The Einstein Analytics Trailblazer Community is ready to guide you on your journey! If you hit an obstacle, try asking the thousands of folks who are a few steps further down the road. The community is generous with their time and very responsive.

Learn, grow, and win

To help you get started on the path to becoming an analytics pro, we're excited to announce the Analytics Edge sweepstakes! Now you can “get the edge” and automatically enter to win great prizes (including one of three VIP trips to Dreamforce) when you complete five modules on Trailhead to learn more about Einstein Analytics.

Even if you’ve already completed all the analytics modules on Trailhead, you can still enter the sweepstakes by sharing a tweet about the competition using the hashtag #SForceAnalyticsEdge and a link to the Analytics Edge sweepstakes landing page.

As you expand your skills, you may want to explore the dozens of additional resources that are organized in the Einstein Analytics Learning Map. The map provides a one-stop shop for a comprehensive list of resources that will guide you through learning the most advanced analytics skills. You’ll find videos, Trailhead modules, and product documentation all organized by common themes so you can build out your skills in a structured fashion.