Becoming a Salesforce Consultant: Lex Klein on Success, AI & Networking

Could you tell us a bit about your journey into the tech industry and what led you to specialise in software consulting?

I didn’t get into tech through anything I studied. I’ve always had an aptitude and interest in tech personally, but I started out working at the front desk of a museum. They used Salesforce to track memberships, event attendance, donations and exhibitions. Through working with the system I took an interest in it. It came quite naturally, and I ended up diving deeper into their training materials.

I reached a point at the museum where there wasn’t much I was excited to progress to, but I found the tech side of things more interesting and wanted to move into that. At the start of the pandemic, I was laid off, but the consulting firm the museum had been using had seen my work and offered me a job.

 

Did you have to do training and take exams?

Yes. At the museum, I started at the front desk but gradually became more focused on Salesforce. By the time I left, I was the administrator in charge of data and systems. I had done a lot of training using online resources.

When I joined the consulting firm, they wanted me to get two certifications. I was already about 85% of the way there with my own studies, so I earned both within my first three months.

 

Can you talk about what you do day to day; what kind of tasks you're involved in?

I’m a Salesforce consultant, and because we’re a small firm, I cover a broad range of roles. My work starts after the sales process, covering discovery, requirements gathering and solution design. Depending on the scale of the project, I either configure the solution within Salesforce myself or delegate to others, reviewing their work.

If development is needed, I write solution requirements for a developer and then do QA on their work. I also deploy changes, facilitate user acceptance testing, train clients and create documentation. It’s quite varied.

 

How has working with different businesses influenced your approach to consultancy?

The more clients I work with, the broader my understanding of the challenges businesses face. When I worked at the museum, I had a limited view of what Salesforce and databases could do. Seeing different use cases and structures has given me a better understanding of overarching frameworks and methodologies that can be applied across industries.

Having worked as an end user and an administrator, and now a consultant, I can better understand clients’ needs. Someone who moved straight into a senior tech role without that hands-on experience might not have the same perspective.

 

What are the biggest challenges in your industry right now, and how do you see things changing?

The pace of change in tech is incredibly fast, and that’s only increasing. One major challenge is technical debt; building flexible systems while ensuring they remain maintainable. Even with the best planning, maintenance is inevitable, and if things aren’t built with foresight, they can become more expensive to fix down the line.

AI is the biggest force shaping the industry right now. While we have an idea of what it might do, the timeline’s uncertain. Many companies are demonstrating AI capabilities in perfect conditions, but we don’t yet know how quickly they’ll become widely applicable.

At the moment, AI is mainly used for checking code, but in the near future, AI will probably generate the code while humans review it. Many jobs will likely become obsolete, it’s just a question of when. It could be two years or ten years. The role of tech professionals may shift to becoming custodians AI in a way, ensuring it produces good work rather than writing the code themselves.

 

Are there any emerging technologies or methodologies professionals should pay attention to?

It’s AI. AI is the biggest one. While generative and predictive AI are important, the most significant growth is in agentic AI, autonomous AI that carries out tasks. That’s where we’re seeing the most rapid development.

 

What skills or traits are essential for success in software consultancy?

The first one is attention to detail. Small mistakes in code or configuration can cause major issues. Consultants also need to focus on how end users interact with systems to ensure everything makes sense. Another is curiosity – wanting to know how things work, and always probing beyond the immediate problem often leads to better solutions. Also, communication, which is possibly the most important skill in consulting. A consultant’s role is to translate business needs into technical solutions, making sure clients get what they actually need, not just what they ask for.

 

How important is networking in your industry, and what are effective ways to connect with people?

Networking is valuable, but I don’t love the formal, transactional style of networking events. Who you know plays a big part in getting roles and clients, but I prefer to approach it in a more genuine way, like building real connections rather than just collecting LinkedIn contacts.

I’ve found success by making a few high-quality connections rather than aggressively networking. Attending conferences and meeting people organically has definitely helped with hiring and finding clients. I let the business side come second to building authentic relationships.

 

What are the biggest opportunities for growth in software consulting?

The key to growth is adaptability. The role of a consultant will likely evolve into working alongside AI, fine-tuning and guiding it rather than doing the hands-on building. Developing strong soft skills will be essential.

 

How do you see the role of software consultants evolving in the next 5-10 years?

Given the rate of change in tech, it’s hard to predict. Even though I’m good at what I do, I don’t feel like I have job security because things may shift in ways no one expects.

I believe the role will become more about interpreting business needs, refining AI-generated solutions and focusing on strategy rather than execution. Consultants will likely act as AI "whisperers" rather than direct implementers.

 

What’s one piece of advice you wish you had received when starting your career in tech?

You deserve to work for good bosses. You won’t love every day at work, but you should always be treated with respect. No one should have to endure fear or being talked down to at work.

 

What advice would you give to those aspiring to leadership roles in software consultancy?

Surround yourself with good people; those who inspire you, those you enjoy working with, good learners, good teachers. The right environment makes all the difference.

 

If you're interested in learning more about the types of roles available in the software industry, get in touch today and speak to one of our expert Career Consultants.