Careers in SAP Materials Management
I am a newbie and I've finished my MBA and Misc. Materials Technology in the U.K. Now I'm planning to pursue a career in SAP Materials Management. Please tell me the real opportunities for a fresher like me in this field.

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Your question is harder than it may seem. The reason is that the need for "junior level" SAP talent (which is how everyone starts out) fluctuates based on supply and demand. Fortunately, with upgrades driving the market, there is more demand for SAP folks than there has been. That means there is more opportunity to break into the field.

One of the keys to getting into this competitive SAP market is to make sure that the area of SAP you are pursuing matches up well with your current skills. Given your functional business background and materials know-how, you're on the right track by thinking of Materials Management. But I would advise you to keep an open mind into new areas also, like supply chain management and supplier relationship management -- growing areas that also draw on the core materials knowledge.

It might be that pursuing an advanced SAP application would give you more opportunities than the core MM area. I would advise you to learn a lot more about the products in the mySAP Business Suite and figure out how your overall background might tie into both the core ERP release (ECC 5.0) and the add-on mySAP products like CRM and SRM. To me, your best opportunity would be to work for a company that is implementing or upgrading SAP.

You want to get hands-on skills in SAP first. Whether you start as an employee or as a consultant doesn't really matter. You may also want to apply to some consulting firms. Most firms cannot put someone without any SAP experience on a project, but, with your MBA, you may be able to get hired by a consulting firm that is willing to invest in you and put you on a large SAP project where you can be a valuable contributor and work alongside more senior-level SAP colleagues. As for the opportunities in SAP, I think there are great opportunities for those who have a passion for SAP and are willing to work hard to achieve them. If that sounds like you, then by all means pursue an SAP career.

This was first published in May 2006

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