With Basis experience, is a formal certification necessary?

With Basis experience, is a formal certification necessary?

After almost three years of SAP Basis experience, I am thinking of obtaining the relevant SAP certificate this fall. Is it worth the effort, or does the market select professionals based mainly on their experience?

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Yes, the SAP market is about project experience, not certification. And getting certified in an area that you are already strong in is not usually the best approach. If you're going to get certified, why not get certified in a new area related to your core skills? This will broaden your knowledge base and your marketability. You could look into some BW training, or some Web Application Server training. Choose an area that you have some real interest in, and pursue that. There are never any guarantees with certification, but try using it to expand your knowledge rather than simply reinforcing what you've already done.

This was first published in October 2003