You can do this.
While 7-year-old you might have been dreaming of becoming an astronaut, famous athlete or prime minister: you’ve grown up into a world where NASA, Adidas and governments around the globe are all running their missions through SAP-powered businesses. Cool, huh?
In fact:
“…77% of the world’s transaction revenue touches an SAP system…”
Bought a Coke? Been to Woolies? Caught a train? Paid your electricity bill? Turned on a tap? Sent a letter through Australia Post? Or been to an Officeworks, Harvey Norman, Spotlight, Super Retail Group or virtually any other big department store?
Then you’re already living in an SAP-enabled digital economy, with SAP systems and technology supporting everything from banks, to manufacturers, hydro, mining, insurers, to retailers, governments, child care operators, resources to transport providers. Literally, there’s a meme that goes around every Christmas about how even Santa runs SAP.
So it’s a winning industry to be in these days.
But it gets better…. SAP estimates that with more companies coming into the global SAP-ecosystem even before 2024, there will be:
“600,000 new employees needed in the SAP ecosystem, of which 280,000 are net-new roles (!).”
This means it’s never been a better time to transition into the exciting world of SAP, and build yourself a career that can transcend borders, skate across industries and connect you to a worldwide network of growing possibilities.
And, there is even better news:
You probably already have some of the skills needed to get started, and there are accessible resources to help bridge the gaps.
Most SAP Consulting careers are essentially a type of business analysis, and belong to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations career code:
- ANZSCO 261111
- ICT Business and Systems Analysts
You can read the standard definition and general duties of this role type through the ABS site.
Because the interesting thing, is that many of the skills that make up this category are common to many other vocations. So much so, that when the Australian National Skills Commission mapped clusters of skills common across different vocations, the cluster map for ICT Business and Systems Analysts, showed that some of the skills we use in SAP consulting… are also used in vocations across operations, teaching, HR, finance, documentation, customer service, communication and other digital industries. Check it out here.
There isn’t a magic sauce that turns someone into an SAP Consultant. Literally, most people working in the industry fell into it by complete accident: they were doing their everyday job, their employer implemented SAP, they learnt how to use it, then realised they could help other people use it. They came from HR, from finance, supply chain, sales, customer service, engineering, asset management, operations, project co-ordination and office work. Some had just been tinkering around with how to make things more efficient, sustainable or easier to use. They probably started right where you are at the moment.
Now, they are making businesses run better, with less waste, more economically and sustainably. They are speeding up customer service times, getting rid of painful old manual processes, they are getting welfare payments to people faster, services to customers sooner and products to buyers more efficiently. They are meeting people from all sorts of companies, industries, countries and cultures. They are working in dynamic teams. They are solving problems, they are innovating.
But not with magic sauce: The formula really is just determination, an analytical mind, a love of learning, the desire to make things work better and the understanding that we can use technology and team work to make it happen.
Check out the SAP-career enabling resources here and let’s build that SAP dream of yours in this world of opportunity.
Welcome to the journey.
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Insights from this article:
- SAP is a growing industry, with 77% of global transactions touching an SAP system
- There is an existing talent shortage AND increasing global demand for consultants
- Many vocations use the same or similar skills as an SAP consultant
- There are resources available to help you bridge the gap