SOWED wants you to transform from an Admin to a Developer

Phase 1: Foundation in Development Concepts (Weeks 1-4)

Milestones:

Understand core Salesforce development concepts

Learn basic programming (Apex & JavaScript)

Steps:

Review Salesforce Admin Knowledge
1. Master Salesforce Object Model, Security Model, Process Automation, and Reports/Dashboards.
2. Ensure comfort with Flows, Validation Rules, and Permissions.
Introduction to Programming Concepts (2 weeks)
1. Learn Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) principles: Classes, Objects, Inheritance, Polymorphism.
2. Study basic JavaScript (variables, functions, loops, DOM manipulation).
3. Complete Trailhead: "Get Started with Apex" & "JavaScript Basics".
Set Up Developer Tools (1 week)
1. Install VS Code with Salesforce Extensions.
2. Set up Salesforce CLI & GitHub for version control.
3. Learn Developer Console & Workbench.

Phase 2: Learn Apex & SOQL (Weeks 5-8)

Milestones:

✅ Write Apex classes and triggers

✅ Perform database operations using SOQL & SOSL

Steps:

4. Deep Dive into Apex (2 weeks)

Learn Apex Syntax, Data Types, Collections, and Exception Handling.

Practice Apex Triggers for automation beyond Flows.

Complete Trailhead: "Apex Specialist" & "Triggers and Asynchronous Apex".

Master SOQL & SOSL (1 week)

Query data efficiently using SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language).

Learn SOSL (Salesforce Object Search Language) for text-based searches.

Build Apex methods to retrieve and manipulate records.

Hands-on Mini-Project (1 week)

Build a custom Apex Trigger & Test Class to enforce business logic.

Phase 3: Lightning Web Components (LWC) & UI Development (Weeks 9-12)

Milestones:

✅ Build Lightning Web Components (LWCs)

✅ Integrate LWC with Apex controllers

Steps:

7. Learn Lightning Web Components (3 weeks)

Understand LWC vs. Aura Framework.

Study JavaScript ES6+ & Component Lifecycle.

Complete Trailhead: "LWC Basics" & "LWC Specialist".

Build a simple LWC component displaying records from an Apex controller.

Integrate LWC with Apex (1 week)

Develop LWC to fetch, display, and modify records.

Implement Event Handling & API Calls in LWC.

Phase 4: Asynchronous Processing & API Integrations (Weeks 13-16)

Milestones:

✅ Implement Batch Apex & Future Methods

✅ Perform API integrations with Salesforce

Steps:

9. Learn Asynchronous Apex (2 weeks)

Study Batch Apex, Queueable Apex, and Scheduled Jobs.

Implement @future methods for async processing.

Complete Trailhead: "Asynchronous Apex".

API Integrations (2 weeks)

Learn REST & SOAP APIs in Salesforce.

Use Postman to test API calls.

Build an integration with external services (e.g., Google Maps, OpenWeather API).

Phase 5: Advanced Topics & Real-World Projects (Weeks 17-24)

Milestones:

✅ Optimize Apex Code & Queries

✅ Build a full-stack Salesforce app

Steps:

11. Performance Optimization (2 weeks)

Avoid Governor Limits and optimize SOQL queries.

Use Custom Metadata & Settings for flexible configurations.

Security & Testing (2 weeks)

Implement CRUD, FLS, and Sharing Settings in Apex.

Write Unit Tests with 75%+ coverage.

Complete Trailhead: "Apex Testing Specialist".

Final Real-World Project (4 weeks)

Build a full Salesforce application combining Apex, LWC, APIs, and SOQL.

Deploy using Salesforce DX & GitHub.

Phase 6: Certification & Job Readiness (Weeks 25-28+)

Milestones:

✅ Earn Salesforce Developer Certification

✅ Apply for Salesforce Developer jobs

Steps:

14. Prepare for Salesforce Platform Developer I (2 weeks)

Review exam guide & take practice tests.

Earn Platform Developer I Certification.

Apply for Developer Roles & Build Portfolio (2+ weeks)

Optimize LinkedIn & Resume with Salesforce projects.

Contribute to GitHub & Salesforce Open Source projects.

Apply for Junior/Mid-level Salesforce Developer roles.

Final Outcome

After following this structured plan, you'll transition from a Salesforce Admin to a Salesforce Developer with a solid understanding of Apex, SOQL, LWC, Asynchronous Processing, and Integrations, making you job-ready.