Blog
30/03/2016
My Experiences as an Alumni Teacher of Salesforce Development at ELIS in Rome
5 minute read
Two weeks ago, I had Salesforce development training for a group of enthusiastic students at ELIS in Rome, Italy. It’s already the third time that I get to share my knowledge with students who are eager to learn more and hear about my experiences after graduating from the same 5-month program. And what would be a better time to travel to sunny Rome to meet old friends and teachers than March when Finland is still snowy and cold, and there the Spring has already gotten a good start.
I joined Fluido 3 years ago to do an internship in Salesforce development as a part of the vocational master course at ELIS and have worked in the company as a developer ever since. I was in Fluido’s first wave from the school and joined the company only ten days after my interview! Later on, two other students from ELIS joined Fluido to become my colleagues.
I am the first alumni teacher at the ELIS school for Cloud applications and Salesforce development training. Before ELIS, I had already been teaching physics and mathematics at other schools, but this experience has been different as I am teaching the skills that I’ve learned and developed at work.
The most rewarding part of teaching the students as an alumnus is to see them develop during the week and learn skills that will be useful for them in the future. When teaching these students, I remembered myself three years ago and how everything was new to me, that’s why it feels bizarre but at the same time very nice to be the expert in the room. I’m glad that also the students enjoy the course and find it useful. The students always remind me of the same excitement I had at the beginning of my career, and those moments are, of course, good to remember to keep ideas fresh and motivation up. The atmosphere at the course is excellent, and you always end up having great memories after that week. The best thing is when the students ask me what’s waiting for them next, what kind of roles they can be in the future and what to expect from working life. And of course, living abroad and Finland is topics that are also often discussed.
What is sometimes a bit challenging for me is to keep things simple. When I speak with my colleagues, the language we use is very technical and specific, and this needs to be avoided with the students who are only starting to learn different terminology. This is also a very important skill when talking to customers because the terminology might be new to them. The other crucial part of my work is training the customers and sharing knowledge with my colleagues; therefore, these skills are essential to know and develop!
I am in touch with some students even after the Salesforce development training course; they might ask for any technical or career-related advice from me. And what’s great is that a couple of my students get to join Fluido! I have also helped them find accommodation and settle in a foreign country. For me being a teacher and a tutor is a great way to create relationships and grow my professional network. And I’m always happy to go back!
Enrico Varriale
Lead Architect
Fluido
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