WhenZac Otero dropped out of high school, he quickly got to work. He started off at McDonald’s as a teenager, but in his 20’s, Zac transitioned to a job at a factory. There he spent everyday 200 feet underground in a man-made cave where he operated a machine for slicing deli meat. Although it was hard labor, Zac felt grateful to have a job when so many around him were unemployed. Zac was grinding every day to make ends meet, but when he had his first child, he knew he needed to make a change to support his family.

Zac looked to his wife’s cousin. Like him, his cousin hadn’t gone to college, but was successfully able to support his family of six. His cousin explained that he was a Salesforce Developer and that no degree or background in IT was required to become a Salesforce professional. In that moment, Zac decided to get to work. He dug into all the resources he could find at the time — study guides, webinars, blog posts. He even discovered the Salesforce Admins podcasts and snuck in headphones under his protective gear at work to listen to podcasts and recorded sessions. But Zac knew he couldn’t make this transition alone. So after work at the factory, he’d put on a suit and go to a local Salesforce user group meetup. He found a place to ask questions, get guidance, and make lasting connections. 

Zac soon got a major wakeup call when the factory he worked at announced it was closing. Fortunately, he had already put in nine months of Salesforce studying so he knew he had a lifeline. He turned his studying into high gear and passed the Salesforce Certified Administrator certification, and four months later he started as a Salesforce Admin full-time — a role he found through a connection he had made in theTrailblazer Community.