Technology is now ubiquitous across business. Every department, every project, every decision involves the use or implementation of technology. However, not everyone has the skills to implement the technology needed, which is when SAP experts come into our own. It is for this reason that many project leads will look outside their regular teams for IT experts that can help them improve their processes and make the day-to-day running of a business more streamlined and efficient.
However, often the specialist skills needed can be difficult to find. However they do exist. For instance, there are a number of partners, freelancers, developers and IT experts who are highly trained in SAP products and systems but just aren’t making themselves known to those that crave their abilities. We have the skills, and yet we aren’t making ourselves known to the people who need those skills.
Bruce McKinnon, Head of Services and Support, SAP ANZ, explains, “Our customers often rely on consultants to deliver predictable and high quality services, as part of implementation and managed services to support their business case. To achieve this, it’s important that customers can rely on accurate representation and portrayal of consultant’s credentials to ensure that they will receive a predictable service delivery experience.” He adds, “Certification provides customers with an independent, SAP-assured process that the consultant has achieved a stated level of capability by passing the relevant certification examination, which reduces the risk that the consultant does not possess the capability that they have portrayed.” For consultants, achieving certification in a relevant area can help secure customer contracts through an accurate, independent assessment of their credentials.
So how can we do this and ensure we are standing out in the crowd? Differentiate yourself by:
- Join or login to the SAP Credential Manager: Manage your SAP certificates and publish them to specific customers, managers or employers. This will help make people in the SAP community aware of your credentials. In addition, Credential Manager helps you understand how to stay current by keeping you across certification expiration dates and updates on exams.
- Show yourself in the SAP Consultant Registry: This is a tool that many project leads use when first embarking on their IT implementation to verify consultants’ certifications and to identify specialist skills. By simply opting in to be on the Registry, you are increasing your chances of employment and allowing customers to verify your skills.
- Linked In: Don’t forget to keep regularly updating your profile to ensure you are as searchable and visible as possible. Just add the SAP logo to your certifications listing.
- Keep learning: The greatest thing about working within the technology industry is that it is always evolving.
I recommend taking on varied projects and always look towards certifications that offer you a leading edge. “Without an SAP certification, it is sometimes difficult to be confident that an SAP consultant has the appropriate experience that they have portrayed,” Bruce said. “It may not be feasible or effective to check previous experience. For an SAP consultant, being able to provide evidence of their experience can help provide assurance to prospective customers that their credentials are accurate.” By following these easy steps specialist SAP consultants can make themselves more employable and manage their certifications more easily. The need for technology is ever-expanding and we are the experts and specialists that know how to best utilise that technology. It is time we ensure we are giving ourselves the best possible chance and make the most of the opportunities that are in front of us.
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