Getting started with building a career as a SAP consultant, however, can be tricky. There are a few requirements to meet and a number of things you need to do to get to that dream position you have always wanted. This article will help you get started with some of the basics in no time at all.
Why SAP?
As mentioned before, SAP is a particularly popular system used by thousands of companies across the globe. The demand for a SAP technical consultant remains high for a number of reasons. For starters, new companies are using SAP and a large number of specialists are needed to help with the implementation.
Of course, existing systems need to be maintained, which is why companies are either relying on SAP contractors and Enterprise SAP Consulting companies or choosing to have their own in-house team of SAP experts to do the necessary tasks.
These reasons are further backed by the fact that SAP specialists are among the highest-paid technical consultants on the market today. Depending on your skill level, certification and other factors, you may be looking at an hourly rate that’s well worth the efforts of becoming a certified SAP specialist.
Do I Need Certifications?
A lot of career experts believe that you can get into SAP without going through the usual training and certification channels. There is truth to this statement, especially since companies are looking for an experience more than certifications these days. That said, you will have to be willing to put in the hours and work your way to the position you want as a technical consultant before you can start enjoying the rewards.
On the other hand, SAP certifications are more straightforward. Completing a training for a particular subject, such as SAP ABAP, will take some time. It is also worth noting that today’s best SAP certification programs are indeed quite expensive. However, these are the investments you make to secure a bright career in the future.
So, do you need certifications to start a career in SAP? Not necessarily. Taking the time to be a certified SAP consultant, however, will push your career forward much faster than you can imagine.
Getting Into The Specifics
Just like other fields in IT, building a career as a SAP consultant requires you to stay up to date with the latest changes. This means taking future training courses and investing more time to understand the changes implemented across the system. SAP itself is very standardized, but it is still a system that’s being perfected continually.
It is also important to start focusing on specific parts of the ERP system. SAP is very broad, but that doesn’t mean you have to master everything about the system to be a good consultant and develop a strong career. In fact, getting into the specifics and fine-tuning your expertise on a particular part of the system can get you further than ever.
SAP FICO, for example, focuses more on the financial and operational sides of the ERP system, as the name suggests. SAP FICO itself consists of two modules, the financial side of the system and the controlling side. These are the modules you can focus more on in order to be a senior consultant and be recognized as an expert in the department.
A Look At The Big Picture
Almost every SAP consultant I know started their career in programming. SAP ABAP does involve a lot of programming and coding, especially when you’re just getting started with working as a junior consultant or a programmer. This is where you can learn so much about different industries and the system itself.
As you bank more hours working on projects and gaining a lot more experience, you need to shift your view towards the bigger picture. Yes, programming skills and analytical thinking matter, but it is also important to understand the flows of different industries. To be an effective consultant, you need to be able to translate business processes into system flows that work for the client.
Other skills can help you with your career, too. Project management and leadership skills are among the many you need to master in order to succeed in this field. A lot of senior consultants are going back to school, pursuing a master’s degree in various fields, to be two or three steps better in those particular fields.
Get Started!
Regardless of the path you choose and how you envision your career as a SAP consultant will be, the most important thing of all is to get started. Pick a route to take and work your way towards getting to where you want to be. Take training, improve your skills and bank more experiences. It gets easier as you move further into the world of SAP and business management.
A career in SAP is lucrative. The rewarding projects, the wealth of experiences you can pick up and career potential to pursue further are too good to miss. Now that you know how to get started with building your own career in this field, there is nothing left to do but to take that first step. You’ll be the SAP expert you want to be before you know it.