Roughly 4300 miles and 5 time zones away from home, Anu’s life suddenly turned into something very different. “In 2012, my husband got a job in Norway, so we moved here from India and started settling into our new life”, the 36-year-old recounts. “And my life has changed a lot”, she emphasizes. “I had no friends when I came here, I didn’t know any Norwegian.” But she soon realized that she would need to learn the language to get a job and truly connect with people. “Learning Norwegian was important for me to fit in, so I went to a local school to learn the basics.” Her perseverance paid off quickly - within one year, she was fluent enough to apply for jobs and secure a new position.
“It made me see how important it is to stay updated”
In fact, it was one post from SAP Developer Advocat Thomas Jung that caught her eye. He was promoting SAP’s digital skills initiative, where people from underrepresented groups in tech can benefit from free digital learning and apply for a free certification exam voucher for an official SAP Certification. Since Anu started working with SAP solutions back in 2008 while she was getting her master's degree in software engineering, she already had SAP experience and thought this was the right path to follow.
“When I was getting ready for certification, I found out about many new topics that I didn't deal with in my regular work. It made me see how important it is to stay updated, especially in a time when technology is growing really fast”, Anu recounts. “When we work on projects, we usually concentrate on one particular area. But it's always good to have an idea about what's going on around us.” Knowing about Anu’s perseverance, it comes as no surprise that she made use of every second she had to study for her exam – on the train or while the kids were asleep. And after 4 weeks of diving deep into the world of ABAP programming, she passed the exam on her first try. “It was the first thing I told my husband that day – I was really proud.” So proud even, that she immediately uploaded her certification badge to LinkedIn, where her manager saw her credentials and reacted himself.
Certification resulted in increased confidence in skills
“Since obtaining the certification, I have seen positive changes in my professional journey”, Anu says. She believes that both her employer and customers have gained increased confidence in her abilities. “The knowledge and skills acquired through the program have proven invaluable in my day-to-day tasks. The certification has not only enhanced my proficiency in ABAP programming but has also opened doors to new opportunities within my current role.”
It’s Anu’s understanding to always learn new things. “I want to teach my kids these values through my actions”, she explains. And again, it doesn’t come as a surprise that she already has a next goal in mind: “I want to complete the certification in ABAP cloud programming, and I have already started my preparations for the exam.”
Start your own success story
Did you feel inspired by Anu’s story? Then kick-start your own success story with SAP today. Benefit from tailored and self-paced learning opportunities that meet you when and where you learn best on SAP Learning site. Get certified to demonstrate your expertise and boost your career. We are looking forward to many more great success stories!
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