From Journalism to Salesforce: My Unexpected Career Pivot

How a 2008 layoff transformed into 13 Salesforce certifications and an 80% student job placement rate

"Crisis doesn't create character, it reveals it." — Denis Leary

The Death of Print (And Birth of My Tech Career)

In 2008, I was writing obituaries for a local paper when the recession hit. Within six months, I watched my newsroom shrink from 47 people to 12. By month eight, I was one of them.

I spent the next 3.5 years bouncing between roles that had nothing to do with journalism: retail management, administrative work, anything that paid. During that time, I attended one user group meeting that changed everything.

That meeting was in 2012. By 2016, I was managing Salesforce for Richard Attias and Associates, growing their database from 35,000 to 75,000+ international business leaders. By 2018, I founded Clear Concise Consulting. By 2021, I had earned all 13 of my Salesforce certifications. Today, I teach Salesforce Administration at NYU Tandon School of Engineering, where 80% of my students land Salesforce roles after completing the program.

The 2008 Recession's Impact on Journalism:

• Print advertising revenue dropped 23% in a single year
• 105 newspapers closed between 2008-2009
• Journalism jobs decreased by 33,000 nationwide
• Forced career pivots became survival strategy, not choice

My Journalism Roots

I graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Journalism. Throughout college, I interned at local papers, learning how to find stories that mattered to communities. When I landed my first post-grad role as an obituary writer, I thought I had made it.

What I didn't realize: I was learning skills that would become critical in Salesforce consulting.

Journalism taught me:

• How to interview stakeholders and extract the real story
• How to translate complex information for different audiences
• How to work under tight deadlines with incomplete information
• How to verify facts before publishing

Today, these skills define my approach to Salesforce implementations. When a client says "we need better reporting," I interview them like a journalist would: What decisions are you trying to make? What happens if you don't have this information? Who else needs to see this data?

At Environmental Defense Fund (2012-2016), I managed 400+ daily donor transactions. At New York Academy of Medicine (2017-2019), I architected custom applications for 70,000+ records. At Knowledge Vortex (2022-2023), I resolved over 5,000 end-user issues for HRSA healthcare systems.

None of this happened by accident. It happened because journalism gave me a framework for understanding problems.

The Pivot I Never Expected

The recession forced soul-searching. Could my skills translate to other industries? Were there opportunities I hadn't considered?

In 2012, a friend invited me to a Salesforce user group. I went because it was free and had pizza.

My First Encounter with Salesforce:

• Met a former teacher who became a Salesforce admin
• Talked to a musician managing a nonprofit's database
• Heard from an ex-military logistics specialist running Sales Cloud
• Saw myself in their stories

From Obits to Opportunities

That user group meeting showed me something I'd missed: The Salesforce ecosystem values diverse backgrounds.

The attendees didn't all have computer science degrees. They came from teaching, retail, customer service, project management. They were using communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and relationship-building experience to create impact in tech.

I left that meeting thinking: If they can do this, why can't I?

Here's what I didn't know: It would take 3.5 years of failed attempts, wrong turns, and starting over before I found stable ground.

The Real Timeline (Not the LinkedIn Version)

2009: Laid off from journalism. Spent 6 months applying to writing jobs that no longer existed.

2009-2012: Worked retail, administrative assistant roles, anything to pay rent. Applied to Salesforce jobs I wasn't qualified for. Got rejected constantly.

December 2012: Finally landed a Salesforce Donor Administrator role at Environmental Defense Fund. Salary: $38,000. I took it.

2012-2016: Learned on the job. Made expensive mistakes. Built reports that broke production. Apologized to users. Learned how to not break production.

2016-2018: Moved through progressively more senior roles. Still felt like I was figuring it out.

2018: Founded Clear Concise Consulting. Had no clients for the first four months.

2021: Earned my final architect certification (Application Architect). Realized I finally knew what I was doing.

2024: Published my first article in Salesforce Ben, a major Salesforce publication. Topic: Data Governance and Einstein. The journalism skills came full circle.

2026: Teaching my third cohort at NYU. 160 students have completed my program. 128 of them work in Salesforce roles today.

That's the real story. Not "I discovered Salesforce and everything was easy." More like "I struggled for years and eventually figured it out."

The Lessons That Shaped Me

Looking back at those early recession days, here's what I learned:

1. Crisis can be a catalyst for positive change

Getting laid off felt like failure. In retrospect, it was the push I needed to leave an industry that was dying.

2. Transferable skills are more valuable than you realize

My journalism background didn't just "translate" to Salesforce. It became my competitive advantage. I can explain technical concepts in plain language. That's worth more than knowing every Apex method.

3. Embracing the unknown can lead to unexpected opportunities

I went to that user group meeting on a whim. I almost didn't go. That one decision changed my entire career trajectory.

4. Community matters when navigating transitions

The Salesforce ecosystem welcomed me when I had no credentials, no experience, no reason to be there except curiosity. That community supported me through every certification, every failed implementation, every moment of doubt.

What I Wish Someone Had Told Me in 2012

If you're considering a career change into Salesforce, here's what I learned the hard way:

The timeline is longer than you think. I spent 3.5 years in transitional roles before landing my first real Salesforce position. Budget for that reality.

Your background is valuable, but you need proof. Build a free Developer Org. Create sample solutions. Document everything in a portfolio. Employers want evidence you can actually use the platform.

Certifications help, but experience matters more. I got my first Salesforce role before earning a single certification. I learned on the job, then certified to validate what I already knew. Don't wait for the cert to start applying.

The ecosystem rewards authenticity. I tried to sound "technical" in early interviews. It never worked. When I started explaining Salesforce concepts the way I'd explain a news story, hiring managers responded.

You don't need to know everything. I work with people who have 20 certifications. They still Google basic formulas. The skill isn't memorizing syntax—it's knowing how to find answers and apply them.

"Your skills and passions can translate in powerful ways. Embrace the pivot—your next great adventure awaits."

To My Fellow Career Switchers

Your journey is unique. Your background isn't a liability—it's your competitive advantage.

When I interview candidates for Salesforce roles, I look for:

• Communication skills (Can you explain technical concepts to non-technical people?)
• Problem-solving ability (Can you break down complex requirements?)
• Resilience (Can you handle setbacks without quitting?)
• Curiosity (Do you want to understand how things work?)

These skills matter more than knowing every Salesforce feature.

The death of my journalism career was painful. But it led to teaching 160+ students at NYU, managing implementations for organizations like UnitedHealth Group and USCIS, and building a consulting practice that helps nonprofits maximize their impact.

Without that 2008 layoff, none of this happens.

Ready to Build Your Own Pivot?

I've spent 13 years learning what works (and what doesn't) in Salesforce implementations. I've documented every hard-won lesson in frameworks that save you from making my mistakes.

Download the Complete Project Scoping Template Library — Five production-ready templates I use for every client engagement, from discovery questions to risk assessment worksheets. Stop reinventing the wheel for every project. ($39)

These templates reflect 13 years of real client work: EDF donor systems, NYAM grant tracking, UnitedHealth Group enterprise implementations, USCIS government projects. They're the same frameworks I teach at NYU and use in my consulting practice.

Your career transition doesn't have to take 3.5 years like mine did. Learn from someone who made all the mistakes so you don't have to.

This is part one of a series on my unexpected journey from journalism to Salesforce. Next up: "The Day I Almost Quit Salesforce" — that 7:43 PM moment when I nearly walked away from it all.

Connect: LinkedIn | Clear Concise Consulting