Tlangelani Mukoki is a Support Consultant for Salesforce Practice at CloudSmiths, a Dynamic Technologies group company. His multifaceted role includes ensuring the user experience remains smooth and efficient, improving the platform by adding enhancements, providing sufficient data privacy and security and advising on how best to set up and augment his clients’ platforms to create an effective work experience.
Mukoki enjoys his work and finds the CloudSmiths and Salesforce partnership to be beneficial and exciting. He says, “The CloudSmiths team includes various Salesforce specialists from consultants to architects; we are the client’s go-to for all things Salesforce. We offer services from support all the way up to architecture, Marketing Cloud, and Service Cloud. Whatever your Salesforce needs, we’ve got you covered!” He adds, “What I enjoy about working for CloudSmiths is that you’re encouraged to do your best – and you’re given the support to achieve this. When I’m building or working on an enhancement, I like to ensure that it will exceed the client’s expectations.”
There are challenges as well as rewards when it comes to working for a successful company such as CloudSmiths. “I find preparing for a new certification or learning a new skill that I have little to no experience in to be nerve-wracking at times. On the other hand, obtaining that certification or mastering that skill becomes one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” admits Mukoki. “Presenting to client is another challenge for me. Sometimes you just can’t tell if they’re happy with the new enhancement or technology you are suggesting, but if the presentation ends with them being delighted with what you’ve shown them, it makes you feel as if you have a Superman logo on your chest.”
It wasn’t the easiest journey for Mukoki who initially struggled to achieve his first Salesforce Administrator Certification. Experiencing some self-doubt, his mentors and colleagues provided support and guidance, but it was his own work ethic and determination to succeed that saw him achieve his certification. Within a year, he had earned three more, proving that self-belief and a little help from your friends can go a long way to helping you reach your dreams.
Mukoki knows that perseverance is vital to success. He says, “I have a motto that I try to live by: ‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’ We tend to be in our own heads a lot of the time, maybe thinking about the worst-case scenario whenever we want to try something different, and then we regret it once the opportunity has passed. I don’t want to live my life that way. I want to know I tried.” Support from friends and colleagues is as important as access to those opportunities is. These are things that CloudSmiths offers in abundance.
CloudSmiths presents employees with opportunities to upskill themselves by obtaining certifications and then offering them work in fields that are relevant to those certifications to give them real world experience. The company actively encourages growth; it’s impossible to stagnate in the company as there’s always an opportunity to improve yourself as an individual and a professional.
CloudSmiths welcomes people from all lifestyles and backgrounds. It’s a supportive environment without bias or judgement. Mukoki says, “There’s always something that accommodates everyone and their interests outside work. You can be a sports fan, you can watch the cricket games, they have hiking events and organise padel games. If you like social spaces, the Venus Fly Trap is there for that type of event. It’s a culture that makes everyone feel comfortable being themselves. For me, this means I look forward to working for CloudSmiths every day.”