Find out how a former hairdresser skilled up to join the Salesforce team at Centrica and reached Trailhead Ranger status in just two months.
From DIY to DevOps, Yvonne Nicol loves learning new skills. When she joined the Salesforce team at Centrica, Yvonne needed to fast-track her knowledge. We talked to Yvonne about how she used Trailhead to not only learn new skills and make new connections but also inspire other Trailblazers at the energy services and solutions company.
What attracted you to a role in technology?
I always thought you had to be technical to work in technology, so I never considered it as a career path when I was younger. I worked as a hairdresser for about 10 years before joining Centrica’s customer services team where I progressed from adviser to manager. My interest in technology began when I was involved in setting up a new call centre. Since then, I’ve helped to deliver desktop and data centre cloud migrations; I also became the service owner for the Centrica Identity and Access Management system. I’ve recently taken on a new challenge as a Salesforce DevOps Engineer at Centrica, which supplies energy and services to more than nine million residential and business customers through brands such as British Gas.
Tell us about your Salesforce journey
I like to know everything and do everything! In previous roles, I’ve not always been involved in the end-to-end process. With Salesforce, I can not only help to define a business challenge but also find a solution. Centrica has been using Salesforce for more than 10 years, but I didn’t know much about the company or the platform. So, I turned to Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform, to get up to speed. I set a goal to earn the 50,000 points and 100 badges needed to become a Trailhead Ranger in three months – I nailed it in just two!
What do you love about Trailhead?
Trailhead is a fun and free way to learn about Salesforce products and gain valuable personal and management skills. You can search for almost any word and Trailhead will suggest different trails, modules, projects, and virtual classes. And not just about technology - I’ve even completed a trail on healthy eating! It’s an amazing source of knowledge. I’ve clocked up 114 badges, but I am not done yet. I’ve completed the Salesforce Administrator suite of trails and am now focusing on the Salesforce Developer trails. I also love the Trailblazer Community – it enables you to make new connections and tap into new insights.
Why is a continuous approach to learning important?
Upskilling has always been a passion of mine; it helps you adapt to change more easily. Digitalisation and the pandemic are both driving a lot of change. By continuing to learn new skills, I’ve been able to work in multiple roles and teams during my 23 years at Centrica. I really identify with the Salesforce character Hootie McOwlface – I like to think he’s Scottish like me due to his name. Hootie also represents career progression and skills development. Everyone can soar to new heights with the right expertise. My enthusiasm for learning even helped when I was renovating my house. I used various online sources to gain new DIY skills and I can now hang doors and lay paving slabs!
How are you helping others to learn new skills?
Centrica believes in growing and inspiring its people. As part of an internal initiative to encourage colleagues in different departments to expand their skills, we ran a special challenge on Trailhead, which is integrated with CentricaForce, our Salesforce microsite. As well as recommending trailmixes focused on the capabilities of the Salesforce platform, we also encouraged people to develop other business skills, such as mentoring and cultivating equality at work. The challenge was a great success - in just six weeks, the participants earned around 350,000 points and two colleagues became Rangers!
Why is it important to encourage more women to learn about IT?
Diversity is vital not just in the workplace but in every area of our lives. Different cultures, traits, and opinions bring different qualities and perspectives to teams. Centrica has created a women’s network to help women develop their skills and drive change in the workplace. Young girls need strong female role models not just in IT but in other traditionally male-dominated positions, such as senior management and engineering. I really want to get out into schools to spread the word about how great it can be working in IT and that it’s not all about writing code and cabling devices. When I was at school, I never dreamed that I would be a software developer!
As a DevOps Engineer, how will you help Centrica maximise its use of Salesforce?
One of the reasons I joined the Salesforce Platform team is because of the increasingly important role Salesforce is playing in Centrica’s strategy. As a newly-created team, we will be responsible for building a community of Salesforce users across Centrica to ensure that the platform is being used to its full potential.
We have created a Salesforce Centre of Excellence where we share knowledge and ideas and support each other. As part of my role, I am involved in specific Salesforce initiatives at Centrica, such as enabling single sign-on authentication for my colleagues.
What advice would you give to your younger self if you met her today?
To listen to the advice that people give you! As a young person, it can be easy to ignore guidance from others – especially older relatives. I always remember my dad telling myself and my brothers to ‘look at the scenery’ in a campervan around France. We didn’t listen to him, but oh how I wish I was travelling in France in a campervan right now looking at the scenery! I want to help younger people make the right choices for their future by talking about my experiences.
What advice do you have for other Trailblazers?
It’s important to set a goal so you have something to aim for. Talking to other people and attending events can be a great source of ideas. Gaining hands-on experience can be really valuable when you’re embarking on a new career.
If you’re trying to drive change within your organisation, make sure you influence the right people and encourage the right behaviours. Being open about how a change will impact and benefit your colleagues will help give confidence and gain their trust.
