My question is not technical. I need advice regarding a change in career direction. I am a project manager who has been out of work for a few months. I am considering getting SAP BW training and certification, but I have no SAP experience. Do you think this is advisable? I would greatly appreciate your feedback.
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BW is definitely one of the areas in SAP that has a high level of demand and a lot of roles to offer you. On the other hand, you do need to keep in mind that you are actually talking about making two transitions: from project manager to hands-on consultant, and then into SAP. In some ways, the harder part is the move from project management to hands-on work. For example, it's easier for a data warehouse and database expert to break into BW than someone from a project management background. One thing you might consider is to see if you can break into SAP (or Oracle) from the project management side first, and then work your way into more hands-on roles over time.
The best way to make career transitions is to find a way to "leverage" your current skills and show the employer who will be "cross-training" you that you have something to offer them right away. So, in terms of your SAP training, BW is as good a place to start as any, but you may want to come up with a skills transition plan that allows you to take more advantage of your current project management skills.
This was first published in May 2005