Hi,
I had to specially register here to answer your query. The question you asked is coming into minds of thousands and lakhs of people. Let me give you some advise and then you can ask if some doubts are there.
NOTE: This is only my experience and my suggestion. The situation may differ from person to person. You should talk to lot of real SAP consultants to know the inside situation. If somebody begs to differ from my article, keep ur thoughts to urself because in nut shell, SAP sucks big time. People who have entered SAP long time ago and worked their asses off are now in good positions. for new entrants, it will be a nightmare. Read on to know the real situaton.
A little about me:
I am a SAP consultant, certified from A list SAP institute, paid 3.5 Lac Rupees, Got certified in MM module with 96% marks. My overall experience was close to 10 years(BTECH) and i left job just to enter in SAP field. I did get placed in a Gurgaon firm, even did implementation project but left the job after approximately one year. BECAUSE it was not the kind of career i was dreaming about.
Please, DO NOT GO FOR SAP, everyone out there who are already working, just dont do it.
Firstly, Here is the reason people wants to switch to SAP, i am sure you fall in one of it:
1) You are not satisfied with your current job, you think working as SAP consultant will be super cool
2) Your working hours are not good or in other words, you are in manufacturing industry and are fed up with Blue collar job and wants a change
3) Salary rise
4) Thinking about great career and abroad chances
5) Thinking that SAP is the only platform where you can easily switch even after 5 or 10 years of experience in any other industry
Here is the reality:
1) SAP projects have dried up. Almost nill implementation projects are going on. All big industries have already implemented SAP. I have solid contacts with N number of SAP consultants who are struggling extremely hard. Search google, and you will find so many SAP consultants willing to teach you online for 2 months just for the fees of 25 Thousand or in some cases 15000 Rs. Now imagine, that guy is working in an MNC but is till ready to wake up at 5 am in morning for 2 months to get 20000 Rs.
2) Words from a very experienced consultant from MNC having experience of 10 years- "It has become so hard to survive, I have already certification in MM module but now one module is not sufficient. Because there are not much projects, company expect you to handle different client queries, whatever be the module. At age of 40, it becomes so hard to learn different module and start delivering immediately. Half of my colleagues are on bench and they are constantly looking for teaching SAP in private institutes"
3) You will not get job in SAP without prior experience. Either u have to fake it or u have to work somewhere free to get experience. If you fake it, you are already doomed because right from day one you will be expected to deliver. One of my colleague faked and very first day he was asked to solve a client query. He didnt even know what is request transportation and how to transport a request from development to quality server. He was humiliated in front of all and fired by evening.
4) Look around, SAP salaries are as fucked up as anything. People are working for as low as 10000 Rs just to get a starting job and yes i am talking about certified candidates.
5) Your life will be as pathetic as anything. If you get implementation project, you will be working at a very remote location or plant for few months, then again new remote place and again and again. If you are having a family, you are totally fucked up because this is very dreadful condition to work in. In start u will find it exciting but once u age, u will realize how important it is to have a stable job , a stable place to live where u come back home and enjoy some time with family.
6) Support projects are much worse. The only advantage is that you will be sitting in office and having atleast some stability. You come at time and go back at time and can rent a house in city as u will be staying there for some time. But, the job can be very gruelling specially for starters. Imagine, you are of age 30 but u are fresher in SAP and directly working on solving queries. Some of the queries have time limit like one hour because production can stop, so under huge pressure u have to work without having a clue about practical knowledge of SAP. You will ask you colleagues who are 10 years younger than you and then u will be hit with reality.
7) Certification is ****. It doesnt add any value. 90% of SAP certified people stay jobless for 6 months atleast or in some cases one year. Placement of these institutes is also ****. Do not trust anyone, do a market survey and u will know. One of the HR guy released list of candidates who were unplaced after doing certification from that premier institute. Some of the guys were sitting at home for more than one year
8) Dont be fooled by false SAP dream.
Cheers
