Career opportunities as a SAP consultant: you can achieve that

SAP consultants are very sought-after specialists on the job market.

Both career starters after graduation and career changers with a suitable academic background will quickly find one Job with an above-average salary. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean a swift, straightforward career path. The perfect combination of specialist knowledge about SAP applications, the industries involved and sound project experience are decisive factors for career opportunities.

In the following we have listed some tips that will enable you to develop and develop a career as a SAP consultant what should be considered.

Specializing in topics and industries: The Advantages and disadvantages

SAP consultants are specialists in their field and the following formula applies that the greater the expert knowledge of industries and IT Projects, the sooner a successful career can develop from them. However, the sectors of the economy differ in terms of salary, among other things, and therefore offer different opportunities.

• The chemical and pharmaceutical industries usually offer the highest salaries.
• The automotive, finance and luxury goods industries are also paying very well. In addition, there is a greater demand for SAP consultants with specialist knowledge such as SAP HCM PY (Human Capital Management Payroll), SAP BO (Business Objects) or SAP PP-PI (Production Planning Process Industry) and they offer better conditions for a job are offered.

Following this matrix, every SAP consultant who is at the beginning of his professional career can put together an appropriate search grid when choosing a future job.

There is also a great need for SAP consultants who are familiar with the technical requirements in logistics and accounting or who specialize in business intelligence or Netweaver. These consultants help companies examine their data for substances that are critical to the business. In addition to technical expertise, SAP consultants need process and industry knowledge. Particularly in demand is those who are familiar with the manufacturing industry.

When choosing a company and SAP technology, the disadvantages of pronounced specializations must be considered. In times of rapid technological change, knowledge can become outdated or even obsolete. Therefore, the business perspectives of individual industries must be considered in order to arrive at a balanced assessment.

There will be strong demand for IT services in the future, that much is certain, and that SAP will play an essential role in this , is out of the question. But what about industries like insurance, banking or retail that are under great pressure from digitization? If you want to focus on a single industry, you have to accept a kink in your career if, contrary to expectations, it is completely turned inside out by unexpected developments.

For this reason, long-term successful SAP consultants are required to gain broader industry knowledge and SAP Acquiring knowledge so as not to fall into the “specialist trap”.

External SAP consultant or in-house IT manager?

Working as a SAP expert, who supports companies worldwide in the application and further development of their digital processes, offers career advancement opportunities, which are reflected primarily in monetary terms.

From consultant to project manager to senior advisor or to partner.

Project experience is reflected in an agile demeanor, professionalism and high added value. Fluent multilingualism, high level of commitment, structured process thinking, industry knowledge and SAP special knowledge, such as S / 4HANA, HANA BI topics and SAP EWM are very well remunerated and thus offer corresponding opportunities.

Coordinating and in-house SAP -Professionals, on the other hand, move on a narrow job market with correspondingly lower wage increases.

ABAP’s developers and SAP basic administrators also often earn a little less in-house than SAP module experts. In return, the travel activity is manageable and everyday life is more structured.

The advantages and disadvantages at a glance

• External: High salary level with high flexible commissions, often new projects, high travel activity.
• In-house: Medium salary level with low flexible bonuses, work on a project, hardly any travel activity.

Ultimately, each employee has to decide for himself where his priorities are. Would he like to pursue a career with the corresponding monetary, albeit variable, advantages, an intensive workload and high travel activity? Does he accept the disadvantage of restricting his private life?

Or is he aiming for a position as an in-house consultant, where he works on one or two projects, is rarely on the move, a fixed one, but not receives such a high salary, but can better reconcile private life and work?

The decision depends on the personal life situation: For the young professional living as a single, the external option is very attractive, whereas a fresh one is very attractive baked family man with small children is more likely to opt for the in-house option.

From consultant to team leader: New tasks require new knowledge

If a management position is sought – for example as a project manager or as the IT manager of a company, you should be aware that Although these positions require technical expertise and strategic thinking, everyday professional life is also determined by topics such as personnel management, team building and hiring processes.

Not every proven IT expert is also a good boss. As a project manager, it is often found after a certain time that the human relationship conflicts that arise from the new constellation can be stressful. These factors should be considered and require careful preparation.

The location decides

In metropolitan areas, there are better career opportunities with higher wages. In addition, there are more companies located here, so a change of employer increases the likelihood of a career jump.

On the other hand, the cost of living in the named location is higher than in the flat country. Ultimately, the overall package should be weighed here, which can be very individual.