u/Ok-Cryptographer4920

What is wrong with the Salesforce practice? When I joined this firm back in 2022, we had so many projects that almost no one was on the bench. I remember we actually had to request resources from other practices to complete our projects.

Cut to 2026, and it’s been almost a month since I’ve been on a project. At first, I thought maybe it was just me. But now I see people (Senior Associates and Managers) sending emails to the entire practice, literally begging for project opportunities.

Did we hire too many people, or are we simply getting fewer projects?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been overthinking this for a while, so I figured I’d ask people who have actually been through it.

I’m currently a Salesforce Developer with about 4 years of experience at a Big 4 company. The work is okay, but lately I’ve been questioning whether I should continue doubling down on Salesforce or pivot into a Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) role.

The thing is, I’m not someone who’s looking for the safest career. My goal is to maximize my career and earning potential over the next 10–15 years. I’m willing to put in the work if the payoff is worth it.

What attracts me to Salesforce is that I’m already in the ecosystem, and I know there are opportunities in consulting, architecture, freelancing, and maybe even starting my own consultancy someday.

But FDE roles also seem really interesting. They seem to involve solving harder engineering problems, working directly with customers, and keeping the door open to startups and AI companies. It feels like a broader career path, but also a much harder switch.
So I’m genuinely confused.

If you were in my shoes, would you:
Stick with Salesforce and become really, really good at it?
Or invest the next year or two in making the switch to FDE?

I’d especially love to hear from people who have worked as:
Salesforce Developers
Forward Deployed Engineers
Solutions Engineers
Or anyone who made a similar career switch.

A few questions I have:
Which path has better long-term growth?
Which has the higher earning ceiling?
Which one gives you more optionality later in your career?
If you had to start over today, which would you choose?

I know there’s no “right” answer, but I’m hoping to hear real experiences instead of generic career advice.

Thanks.