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Is SAP Career good for top IT students ???

samjalees2000
Participant
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Hi,

My name is Sam and I have graduated from the best IT university of my country with a gold medal .Now I have stepped into the world of SAP (sd-module) and am currently working as functional consultant in sap implementation.People around me are suggesting me to go for higher education abroad.Secondly experienced people around me are saying that SAP is not my domain and value of my degree would die after some time as it is more suitable for MBAs.

Now I am confused as I know its really hard to enter the field of SAP especially functional side and on the other end thoughts of wasting my degree are coming into my mind.

And I have also heard that sap consultancy is a job which is very temporary in nature?How true is this??

Kindly can anyone solve this confusion?Thank You

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

samjalees2000
Participant
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Well,as I have mentioned I am from a computer science background.I have also worked in a software house for few months in a .net project but I cannot label myself as a expert in it.My main skills are more of analytical and coceptual which really helps me in databases and stuff.I am not great at adapting new technologies.I am better in getting one domain and mastering it.

I enjoy SAP more at system level as it invloves database concepts but consultancy requires lots of business domain knowledge.The vocublary used really troubles me as you know a word may invlove no of concepts behinds which you may only know if you have a backgorund or you have studied it.

About the oppurunities I have still got some of them because in my country there is a software house in every street :).So they require many resources but I will need to start as juniour once more.

These forums can do wonders,finding friends like you can really help my career.Thanx friend for ur participation

15 REPLIES 15

andreas_mann3
Active Contributor
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dear Sam,

hear of your heart ! and not of any well-meant advices...

you must have a great commitment to SAP to be successful

grx

Andreas

Former Member
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Hi Sam,

You seem to be stuck between wanting to study further and wanting to start a career, so ultimately it's as Andreas says, which do you feel is right for you?

However, I'd offer this.

value of my degree would die after some time

As the value of your degree drops, the value of your experience increases. Ten years after you complete your education no one is hired on the strength of their degree, but on the ten years experience they have gained since.

thoughts of wasting my degree are coming into my mind.

Presumably, the fact you have the degree was a factor in getting a job in SAP SD, so if you follow a SAP career it was not wasted.

Don't let the fact you are working in SAP SD cloud your decision, which essentially is do you want to study further or start a career. If you want a career, what does that look like, is it in SAP, is it consultancy. If you want to study, where does that take you, what do you gain.

So, I guess what I'm saying after all that is don't listen to me, listen to yourself.

Regards,

Nick

former_member184657
Active Contributor
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In my country (India) the grades you make in your studies, denotes your ability to rut. One may be a Gold medalist at college but if he/she cant handle the demands of the cut-throat competitive IT market, they will fall by the wayside.

Any employer here would prefer to hire someone who has 5-10 years of experience rather than someone who has a Master's or PhD degree with no real-time work experience.

Ive also observed that those who go in favour of higher studies find themselved in a vicious cycle of accumulating more and more degree, thus shying away from working in the real world.

So ultimately as Andreas said - It's your calling!.

There is however one question you might want to ask yourself? Why did you earn yourself a Gold Medal? To find a good job and be the best at what you can be? Well, aren't you halfway there already? You just need to continue excelling in SAP field and the opportunities are endless.

pk

samjalees2000
Participant
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Thanks for such helpful replies from all of u especially Nick.

But this is what my hearts speaks

Monday: Sam ur going on the right path ...afterall U have to make money at the end of the day...so just keep going

Tuesday:SAP is interesting at the system level but consultancy needs lots of domaIn and business knowledge which for a person with techincal background is very tough.

Wednesday:Sam u need to go for a MBA but WHAT about the four years OF computer science knowledge and especially the gold medal.

Thursday:My friends are learning so much technologies and I am getting so backwards.

Friday:Sam ur the only one to support ur parents.Do something now or u will be too late.

I know this is annoying but I need some really good list of advantages and disadvantages of a career in sap that will will make me settle my mind.

Thanx once again guyz for ur wonderful advices

Regards,

SAM

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This questions seems so funny for me:)))

First, I have finished the same "said-to-be" the best school in region and would never tell it this way. Nobody is interested in my boasting:)) And nobody around the world is able to value my degree or the quality of the university. You would have to finish like MIT to be a super-pro.

Secondly, I understand your confusion, but you have no guarantee in any field. SAP or non-SAP. I would love to earn zillion a day, but that is not how the world works. You can be a superb cook (no university needed) and you can earn those zillions. But you must be an exceptional one. Same with SAP. Or Java. Or .NET. Or planning. Or planting. You must be the best one to earn those money.

I was going to study some MBAs, PhDs and stuff like that. But at the moment, nobody will pay me more for the extra degrees and it is not certain I will get any money in future. I decided to prove myself in practical/ cruel life. I will have time to pursue the MBA once I am 30 and have some life experience to build on.

The question is: are you ready for the real life? Or you want to go to school for half of your life and pretend nothing is out there... behind the school walls... If you think somebody will pay for the school name, you may find it difficult to find any job. Companies like people who work, not the guys, who have a gold medal.

Otto

p.s.: if you find my post offensive, I am sorry and that was not my intention. But I am like year or two older than you, can understand the feeling, recall my own about this "problem" and really want to help you. If you cannot understand the message, then you can think about me as a about a rude stranger.... I don´t mind. Just wanted to tell you the "truth".

samjalees2000
Participant
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Thanks OTTO for ur message .It is nothing to be offended of.

Mentioning the gold medal in my post was nothing of being proud or stuff but it was just the psycholgical factor playing on my mind that made me mentioned it.

The main problem is of the job domain not that I want to do masters.I am a computer science graduate but landed in sap's funcitonal side.So How valid it is interms of career?

These toughts are not deveoping from my inside but I find many peoople asking me about it?Which makes me confused

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Let´s talk about the options.

There is the SAP "career", you´re already on the path to the SAP pro career.

What are the other options? Let me put it this way:

- what technologies can you work with? Or you don´t want to be a tech guy and do some management?

- what fields/ problem domains can you understand?

- for what fields/ domains you have experience that could earn you such job?

- for what f/d did you get any education

- and last, but not least... which other jobs you can get? If you will lie yourself here, you may find yourself unemployed with ruined dreams. So be careful with the answer. What companies could utilize your skills? Where do you have friends or any other more "fair" ways how to get in?

- how many options/ potential employers did you try before accepting the SAP job? Or at least on what interviews have you been before starting the SAP stuff?

I am here to discuss the topic, close to your age, maybe close with the education, under a little pressure of the friends and family... I think I can understand you and, in fact, I think I can learn a lot from the discussion. But only if we can talk about the evidence, not about the feelings.

Otto

samjalees2000
Participant
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Well,as I have mentioned I am from a computer science background.I have also worked in a software house for few months in a .net project but I cannot label myself as a expert in it.My main skills are more of analytical and coceptual which really helps me in databases and stuff.I am not great at adapting new technologies.I am better in getting one domain and mastering it.

I enjoy SAP more at system level as it invloves database concepts but consultancy requires lots of business domain knowledge.The vocublary used really troubles me as you know a word may invlove no of concepts behinds which you may only know if you have a backgorund or you have studied it.

About the oppurunities I have still got some of them because in my country there is a software house in every street :).So they require many resources but I will need to start as juniour once more.

These forums can do wonders,finding friends like you can really help my career.Thanx friend for ur participation

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I have also worked in a software house for few months in a .net project but I cannot label myself as a expert in it

sounds like a summer job. Why did you left the job? Or got fired? What did have you learnt there? Did you decide not to work in the same/ similar field again?

My main skills are more of analytical and coceptual which really helps me in databases and stuff.

Well, this is a real fun! I though I am a super-analyst myself. But it does not work like this. Nobody cares about your analytical skills when you´re a fresher. You have to earn the right to call yoursel analyst/ architect and stuff. I understand the message you´re trying to tell, but again, believe me, the world doesn´t work like this. The older "guys" think this "analytical buzz" is a way, how to avoid a real hard work, how to "manage" the older and more experienced and a potential risk, how can an inexperienced youngster heavily damage the project (because sometimes things do not work like you think they do, in SAP your "school" analytics will mean like nothing... maninly because there is some SAP standard, some company policy and many more restrictions and stuff).

I am not great at adapting new technologies.

Fun again. My older/ more experienced colleagues likes me (I hope) , because I am a quick learner and ready to find a new solution for their old problem. But I can understand we are all different and your approach is different and helpful in other way.

The important thing: SAP is very conservative, things change very slow. ABAP is changing slowly, some parts of the functional side as well, so you will have enough time to learn your job and can do the job with not too many changes for years. (little sipmplified, but I hope someone can support this message).

end 1 of 2

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About the oppurunities I have still got some of them because in my country there is a software house in every street :).So they require many resources but I will need to start as juniour once more.

One reason of mine: how many Java devs do you know? How many web devs? How many .NET developers? I know plenty and cannot decide which of them are skilled, which of them are lazy or just parasiting on the project. And I don´t want to be a head in the crowd. SAP is a team work, of course, but one has to be strong, hard-working, independent, and many more characteristics I would not mention when talking about some PHP-"professional". I don´t underestimate their work, but I would not do that. In SAP you get a name, a project history, very targeted experience etc. In Java (by the way, I am at least an average Java dev, but mostly for fun), what do you know except some keywords and some IDE? Maybe one project history (like when you work for years for the same bank or something). Very little about how things work (functional, there is no standard outside SAP), how things should be done (nothing like best practises in SAP, full source codes to learn from, to debug them etc.).... I will cut it here, because it smells like commercial:)))))))

These forums can do wonders,finding friends like you can really help my career.

You will see some more wonders if you will decide to stay in the SAP world and will use this site in your bright future.

Thanx friend for ur participation

Not a friend... yet. Could become one if you would 1) decide to stay in SAP 2) will know more about you 3) if I will see you contribute here. I don´t contribute here because of money or fame, but to motivate other people to do the same.

Hope it is clear. Regards Otto. end 2 of 2.

Former Member
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hiii sam

Thnks for asking that question as i am going through the same phase but i have decided to get into sap and stay there THANKS SO MUCH OTTO for your valuable thoughts

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@Achin, I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts with staying in the SAP field. Would you post a quick reply on your thought process with some of the pros and cons you thought of?

@Sam, This is a great topic! There are many students who have a technical background and are unsure of pursuing a career in SAP.

I have gone to school learning more of the business (functional) side of things rather than the technical. I cannot completely relate to your situation but will still give you my opinion.

I would highly recommend an SAP career to anyone willing to work hard! SAP is huge and there are a lot of qualified people out there to fulfill jobs. If you work hard and put the time into it, you will be rewarded. From my personal experience, I wish I knew the technical side of things much better. I think starting out technical allows you the option to move to the functional side or stay technical in a career.

If you do choose to continue your education, you would not be wasting your degree at all. After all, if your degree gets you a job you like/want, then I would consider it a great success. Like Otto said,

If you think somebody will pay for the school name, you may find it difficult to find any job

It may be hard finding a job completely on the schoolu2019s name. I would suggest gaining that u201Creal worldu201D experience first and then you will be able to make your decision whether you will continue on with your education.

Regards,

Kevin Coolman

samjalees2000
Participant
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Thanx Kevin for ur valuable response.

Achin,I know Otto 's comments are reallly helpful.It also helped me a great deal in settling my mind.

One thing that I realized that software houses don't provide as such growth oppurtunites.You may be learning new technologies every day but there is no end(fruit)for it.You may be putting alots of effort sitting in front of pc but you may realiza that your personality starts to ruin and scoially damgaed which is important if u want to grow to a manager level.

On the other hand I find techincal side to be more long term and reliable.Techincal stuff will alwayz be needed as system uopgrades will be needed while functional side's need is reduced once the system becomes mature.

Secondly,a person with database concepts and a bit programming can make a huge difference at the funcitonal side compared to person having no technical knowledge.You can transfer requirement to the techincal side with ease.

At the other I willalwayz like to remain at the system level as building a system for a company is better than using it

Regards,

Sameer Jalees

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Is SAP career good for top IT students?:

/people/otto.gold/blog/2010/07/28/is-sap-career-good-for-top-it-students

Magician11
Newcomer
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Confusion why confused ..sap is one of the leading company in world of erp system ...only draw back is upgrades....they keep changing the system. ..and you should be a dedicated student all your life .  Ready to ggrassp the ocean size knowledge available online...they claim that only one person can do job of all6 to 7 modules