Welcome to the first of our series: Community Spotlight! Each month we are highlighting Community Superheroes who are giving back to the community by sharing their story in our Community Spotlight Series.
Meet Sean McEvoy
- BA, Marketing, The State University of New York at Buffalo
- Works at Aleron Group as a Business Applications Specialist
- Five years of industry experience
Sean’s journey began in 2018 when he joined Aleron as a Quality Assurance (QA) professional. At the time, the company lacked knowledge of how to use Dynamics 365 and was incurring significant consulting fees. Sean leveraged his business and marketing background to understand the organization’s needs and rebuilt a net new CRM system from scratch—based on the team’s specifications. This achievement caught the attention of the Aleron leadership team, and within eight months, Sean was then given the duties of Dynamics 365 Administrator in the IT department, and promoted to Enterprise Application Analyst.
As the Dynamics 365 administrator, Sean’s passion for automation and ability to leverage technology to simplify people’s lives was on display. Using Power Platform, he created and automated processes to increase efficiency for the sales teams, resulting in significant time savings and increased productivity.
Sean is an excellent example of how an individual with a business background in marketing can succeed in the technology field. Despite not having a coding or IT background or formal education, he demonstrated his ability to become a true citizen developer through self-study. A testament to the power of self-learning and the many resources available to individuals looking to break into a new field, Sean leveraged online learning platforms, community resources, and trial and error to develop the skills he needed to transition to a new field. In today’s technology-driven world, it is crucial to be adaptable and willing to embrace change to stay relevant. Sean’s success story highlights the importance of having a growth mindset and being open to learning new skills.
How did they do it?
In addition to Sean’s own dedication and hard work, he was able to transition to his current role through various resources and learning opportunities to gain new skills and knowledge.
- Microsoft Learn– On Microsoft Learn, you can find free Microsoft modules and learning paths for Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, Windows development and learn about certifications and exams
- LinkedIn Learning: This online learning platform offers a wide range of courses—including those focused on the Power Platform—that allowed Sean to develop his skills in a structured manner. To further advance his skills and provide him with a recognized credential to demonstrate his expertise in the field, Sean is currently working on the Power Platform Functional Consultant Associate course and badge.
- YouTube: Sean took advantage of the wealth of knowledge available on YouTube and subscribed to creators like Microsoft MVP Vlad Catrinescu/Vlad Talks Tech. By following the tutorials and tips provided by these experts, he expanded his knowledge of the Power Platform and learned how to use it to improve business processes.
- Community articles and resources: Using these invaluable sources of information to break into a new field, through trial and error, Sean was able to experiment with the technology and learn from his mistakes, developing a deep understanding of how to use the Power Platform effectively.
Here are some of Sean’s suggested resources so that you can get started on learning Power Platform for your organization!
