3. “You need a ton of experience”
If you spend enough time on LinkedIn, you’ve come across those recruiter postings for entry-level, low paying job requiring 5+ years of experience. Turn the clock back to 2016, just 1 year after SAP released S/4HANA, and you were expected to have multiple years of experience in S/4HANA with a couple full-cycle implementations under your belt. I think those companies are probably still looking for someone. To start in SAP consulting, you need two things: a couple years of hands-on experience as a user of SAP, and a strange kind of passion to learn everything you can about your modules (HR, Finance, Logistics, etc.) Beyond that, companies like to search for mythical candidates that simply do not exist. Anytime you are searching for a new job, it’s always good to apply for positions you think you’re slightly underqualified for, since it’s likely you are being undervalued at your current role. Think of it as the double step up the stairs in the career ladder. SAP consulting gives you just this.
4. “You’ll be glued to your laptop 24/7”
Maybe the phrasing on this should be different because you technically are glued to your computer most days, just not any more than normal non-SAP desk jobs. What I mean by this is that SAP consulting is extremely exciting. Something like over 80% of Fortune 2000 companies use SAP in one way or another. This means you get the chance to work on super innovative projects for some of the greatest companies and see first-hand how they operate while touring some incredible facilities. You also get to interact with customers across various industries trying to understand their problems and fix them through SAP. Clearly, with the shift to more remote work as mentioned earlier, some of the time normally spent at the client might be switched to “in front of the screen” hours. But once we’re back at the client you mostly lead or participate in meetings where solutions are defined and detailed out in joint, face-to-face discussions.
5. “I need to work for one of The Big Four if I want to have a successful career”
First, let me go ahead and tell you that I may be biased here. After spending almost 7 years working for a large organization, I don’t think I’ll ever go back. This, of course, is a personal choice. I know plenty of people who love working at large companies and putting “ex-InsertLargeTechCompanyNameHere” on their LinkedIn profiles when they move somewhere else.
Let me step down from my soapbox and talk about why working for a fast-growing consulting company can be both very rewarding and a great career move. First off, you’re not just a cog in the machine. Some larger organizations can win $100 million plus projects that span 5+ years. This means you could potentially be assigned to the same client for multiple years, travelling to the same place every single week. Trust me, this isn’t fun. Smaller consulting organizations tend to have more flexible models, and assign consultants to various projects simultaneously, which results in more exposure to different clients, problems, project teams, which gives you the chance to learn and grow in a much shorter timeframe. Second, fast-growing organizations tend to have a lot more upward mobility available to employees. Teams grow fast, so within a year or two the needs for Project Managers and other higher-level roles become a necessity. Most start-up-like companies would much rather promote in-house than bring in people from outside. This opportunity can be harder to find, or simply take longer time to develop at larger consultancies. Finally, and probably most importantly, you get a lot more exposure into other company functions such as Sales, Marketing, Recruiting and Operations. Wearing multiple hats and understanding all aspects of the business become critical when considering Director, VP, or even C-Level roles. So, if you come in with a “help where I can” attitude, you’ll get the opportunity to develop skills you otherwise wouldn’t think fall under a traditional consulting role. This, as Mastercard puts it, is priceless.
cbs Corporate Business Solutions America is a fast-growing consulting company headquartered in Devon, PA. They are a subsidiary of the established, global SAP consulting firm by the same name, generating over $100M in revenue, and 20 offices across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our vision for 2025 is to continue expanding and grow revenues by 150% to $250M. If you want to join a company where you can leave your mark, and grow your SAP career, don’t hesitate to contact us for open positions.
