Learning SAP

[ChimpMaster]

I used to work in SAP (certified ABAP) from 1998 to 2000. Left to get into a more niche field with no relationship to SAP.

Regret my move but eh life is what you make of it. Eventually went contracting in this niche in 2005 and luckily it's worked out OK for me now.

Thing is, SAP has it's own specialisms which blwo hot and cold depending on demand. So SD/MM used to be hot and so did HR modules etc many years ago, paying like £1k a day. ABAP on the other hand is much more sudbued and pays a relatively OK rate of £400/day on average (I'm not 100% up to date on this though).

So if you train up in a particular module then you run the risk of discovering that it's not the best one to be in.

Follow your stengths - if you're a Unix guy, get into SAP BASIS. If you're a coder, get into ABAP. If you're a functional analyst, choose the module of the area you know best.

[chicane]

What is it about IT that attracts cheats and bullsh1tters?

Any profession that offers significant(ish) financial rewards in exchange for little upfront effort will attract cheats and bullsh1tters. Such is human nature.

[wizard1974uk]

And if you want to know how I blagged my first SAP contract without any real experience.... I lied about my experience. But only because I felt 100% confident that I could do the role I was going for. It was a very specific role as opposed to a general one. From there I spent every day learning.

Isn't that a tad daft admitting to that in a public forum?

[chicane]

Isn't that a tad daft admitting to that in a public forum?

Yes - judging by previous topics on the subject of CUK anonimity, somebody will have:

a) found out where he lives and who he works for
b) hacked his computer.

Allegedly.

[Zorba]

.net is the future for sure. (oh sorry, I just re-read previous posts - someone has already given this good advice...)

If you must though, a good route is to join a consultancy (IBM, Atos etc), do a year or two there for the training, then go it alone. Don't go straight in unless you want to really risk it and lie about your experience - not recommended as anyone worth his salt will suss you out. It might have worked back in the golden days when there were lots of 'greenfield' implementations and the customer didn't have a clue, but you rarely find such projects nowadays and even if you do it will often be run by a consultancy who want to sub you in. Remember - all it takes is for someone to suspect you of b*llsh*t to reject you: they don't need proof. Also, the way some agents are at the moment, they wouldn't hesitate to burn your cv if you got rumbled - some of the specialist agencies are trying to increase 'quality', whatever that is. I am not an agent though so I might be wrong.

Save yourself a headache and do .net instead.

[Spacecadet]

Another way would be to look for jobs where SAP experience is preferred but not essential... eg data migration from legacy onto SAP. Push your expertise in the other skills, land the gig and then try to get the hands on SAP experience.

[oxtailsoup]

What is it about IT that attracts cheats and bullsh1tters?

Good point. However I am bloody good at my job and I had had previous experience of the 'niche technology' I was persuing, albeit not specifically SAP. But after the training I was as experienced as anybody for that particular skill as it was brand new to SAP too at the time.

After the first contract I didn't have to 'massage' my CV anymore. I had proved myself for 18 months (which how long my first contract was for).

Yes I could have gone permy for a few years to gain the experience but I was confident in my ability and knowledge and I was already a seasoned contractor. And I didn't let the client down at all, I did the job I was asked to do (and more) and then had my contract extended a few times to do other SAP techy roles. So it was hardly a bad deal for either party.

Whether this would be possible in todays market I don't know.