Meet Oleh Mykytyn
Salesforce Developer Oleh Mykytyn began his Salesforce journey in 2015 when his brother, Nazar, also a Salesforce Developer, recommended trying Salesforce via the Trailhead learning platform. Trailhead is the front door to the Salesforce ecosystem, where anyone can learn today’s most in-demand and relevant skills for free, earn resume-worthy credentials, and connect to global opportunities. When Oleh heard that he could get a Trailblazer hoodie for completing five Trailhead badges, he made that his goal.
Well, Oleh got that hoodie, and he’s been a Salesforce Developer ever since. After that initial achievement, Oleh went on to complete badge after badge, building his Salesforce skills to the point where he’s currently clocking in at 148 badges and four superbadges! His favorites include Apex Specialist and Advanced Apex Specialist.
But Oleh has also taken his learned skills into the workplace, and today he’s the Head of Customer Engagements at Redtag. In this role, he speaks at international conferences worldwide, writes articles, and makes guest appearances on podcasts. Oleh is now recognized as a pillar of the Trailblazer community, a global and diverse network of 18 million learners gaining skills and supporting one another. In the past, Oleh didn’t believe he could accomplish such things, but now, he’s confident that he can achieve career success with hard work, passion, and a step-by-step process.
Oleh presents at Salesforce community conference Czech Dreamin’
What it means to be a Salesforce Developer
“Being a Salesforce Developer means being ready for challenges,” says Oleh. “You have to always think big and use critical thinking. A developer is a powerful ‘particle’ that drives the world’s evolution and brings unbelievable things to our lives to make them simpler and more enjoyable. Our value is to develop Salesforce experiences and make all our customers happy.”
Being a Salesforce Developer means being ready for challenges.
A number of people supported Oleh along the way, such as his girlfriend, parents, brother, and teammates, and they helped him get to where he is now in his career. He recalls, “I remember failing an exam or having challenges on a project, and they always said, ‘Next time, you will get it.’ And that always happened!”
Oleh is always excited to see how Salesforce never stops growing and innovating, bringing new and better experiences to developers and end users. “It inspires me to see how Salesforce values and listens to the community,” he says. Oleh was once invited to lunch with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and he was taken aback at how attentive Marc was to every word, as well as how he considered every bit of Oleh’s feedback.
Oleh and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff
A few surprises on the Salesforce journey
At the beginning of Oleh’s Salesforce journey, he discovered Jim Rohn, an American author and motivational speaker, who helped Oleh change his mindset. He’ll remember one particular quote from Rohn for the rest of his life: “Don’t wish it was easier; wish you were better.”
In this spirit, Oleh has always learned by doing and constantly researching what’s needed. Learning to ask the right questions comes with experience and practice. One such way that Oleh seeks to improve his personal brand is by earning Salesforce Certifications.
Oleh after passing his first Salesforce certification exam
Currently, Oleh has earned 11 certifications and aims to pass one or two more certifications yearly. This allows him to continue to challenge himself while gaining valuable new skills. Funnily enough, Oleh failed his first certification, “App Builder,” two times and briefly considered that IT development was not for him. But then he realized that he’d underestimated the exam and needed to do more preparation beforehand.
So first, Oleh analyzed the section he’d failed with the lowest coverage percentages. Then, he used mock questions in such a way that he could fully execute the tasks on his playground, which gave him a better understanding of the functionality and helped him remember it better than just reading about it.
He says, “I signed up for the exam again, but didn’t tell anyone (so nobody would know if I failed a third time). But this time, I passed, and it was one of the best days of my life. After that, I passed one certification after the other, and now I definitely know that failure is the key to success.”
Lessons learned from the Trailblazer Community
Oleh became deeply involved in the Salesforce Developers Trailblazer Community and learned plenty of lessons along the way. He says, “I learned that one’s personal brand is sometimes crucial, and in combination with technical skills, this is — BOOM! I genuinely believe that the strongest developers are people who have very well-developed interpersonal skills.” Oleh explains that he owes a lot of his success to good communication, empathy, trust-building, and a desire to be a good person in the world. In addition, these skills have helped him form deep connections with the people around him.
I learned that personal brand is sometimes crucial, and in combination with technical skills, this is — BOOM!
Interpersonal skills and a can-do attitude are also a high priority for Oleh’s team. They believe that those who are willing, passionate, and good at building connections always find a way to gain the necessary tech skills. “Less fear and more contributions,” he says. “All is possible in this life, and life’s too short to refuse your dreams because of fear.”
Advice for other developers: Developer forums are your best friends
“The Trailblazer Community is your family,” Oleh explains. “Learn as much as you can and give back to it when you’re ready.” In 2016, a good friend from the Netherlands told him about the existence of Trailblazer Community Groups, and he immediately knew he’d like to bring this to developers in Lviv.
The Trailblazer Community is your family.
Oleh recalls, “When the Lviv group began, I took the initiative to lead the group, and then I started learning about all the events for Salesforce Developers.” This prompted Oleh to attend Salesforce-led events like Dreamforce and community-led Dreamin’ events, and he even founded Lviv’s Salesforce Saturday, an in-person meeting of the Trailblazer Community who earn badges together. Now, Oleh unites and supports the Ukrainian developer community by creating Slack channels and YouTube streaming to other cities before virtual events.
The Salesforce Developers Lviv Group
“As a team at Redtag, we’re always passionate about developing talent and inviting new Trailblazers,” says Oleh. “This helps to grow our Trailblazer Community family. The best way to stay connected with the Salesforce Developer community is by joining a forum, social media, and, of course, events!”
The Trailblazer Community has also made a huge contribution to Oleh’s career. He’s found a lot of answers on various forums, tons of valuable content in blog posts, and many conversations with community members who share recommendations or ideas. He says, “I’m grateful to have you all. Because of you, I am who I am.”
The Trailblazer Community supporting Oleh’s home country of Ukraine at Dreamforce 2022.
Oleh encourages everyone to see if there are any local Trailblazer Community Groups or a Salesforce Saturday in their area and join them immediately (find a group near you). If none exist, then he suggests taking the initiative to create one! “I always recommend in-person events as they are more engaging and inspiring.”
To meet developers like Oleh and expand your technical skills, join the Salesforce Developers Community and be a part of the conversation on all things Salesforce development.
About the author
Christie Fidura is the Director of Global Trailblazer Engagement. In this role, she seeks to engage and elevate the community and work directly with them to understand their challenges, concerns, wins, and inspirations. You can find Christie in the Trailblazer Community at https://trailblazer.me/id/christiefidura. A certified community manager and multiple-award winning marketer, Christie believes in technology, community, and equality.