SAP Job Seeker's Learning Guide

Trying to land an SAP job? You have come to the right place. This SearchSAP.com guide gathers all the best information from across the Web to help you land that dream developer job, that blissful Basis position, that creme de la creme consulting role ... well, you get the idea. Check out our expert advice, resources, articles and online learning tools designed to get you ahead in your job search and make you a valuable commodity in today's competitive job market.

Drop me an e-mail to let me know what other learning guides you'd like to see on SearchSAP.com.
Lauren K. Hoyt
Assistant Editor

TABLE OF CONTENTS    Ready to join the SAP community? Here's some advice    Researching    Applying    Interviewing    Networking    Certification   Consulting   Outsourcing questions   Books/discussions/other resources    More Learning Guides "There is no one right way to break into SAP. You need to remember that the key to getting a foothold into the SAP world is not through training courses, but through hands-on project experience. I recommend two practical things: Head towards the area of SAP that is most relevant to your current skills, and review the SAP job openings you see online and compare them with your current skills. My approach to breaking into SAP is not to take the sexiest course you can find, but to carefully map your current skills into SAP and fill in the blanks." -- Jon Reed   Ready to join the SAP community? Here's some advice...  Return to Table of Contents

You'll find even more expert advice on careers and certification in our Ask the Expert section. If you're looking for personal advice, send in a question to our resident expert Jon Reed.

• Expert advice> Is SAP right for me? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> The best career path (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> The right career path (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Breaking into SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> More trouble breaking into SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Unable to break into SAP despite certification and industry experience (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Waiting out the job market (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> College grad seeking a job in SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Masters in Info. Management -- now what? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Young developer choosing between ABAP and .NET (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> New grad wants to make the best of an SAP offer (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Creating an SAP career plan (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Pursuing a career in SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Long-term SAP career prospects (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Choosing the best offer (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> How can I make use of my existing skills? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Which modules in SAP would be appropriate for me to undertake? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Starting out in ABAP programming (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Breaking into CRM (Siebel or SAP?) (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Breaking into Basis (SearchSAP.com)
  
• Expert advice> Seeking bread and butter Basis positions (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> You need to know NetWeaver to go the Basis route (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Client/server software engineer wants to break into SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Doing homework to prepare for mySAP CRM, BW (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Combining BW and NetWeaver skills to break into SAP


• Expert advice> Project management or extended SAP roles? (SearchSAP.com)
  
• Expert advice> Is there a place in SAP for a FoxPro/Oracle programmer? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Opportunities in MM (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Using .Net development skills with SAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Becoming a business system analyst (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> SAP Banking (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Beyond SAP time management (SearchSAP.com)

Researching

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• Tip> Sure-fire skills for IT success (SearchSAP.com)


• Tools> Job-Hunting, 101 (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Find Out What References Are Really Saying about You (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Finding Jobs in Uncertain Times (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Are You the CFO Type? (ITtoolbox)


• Article> The New Hiring Rules: Get an Edge on the Competition (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Hiring Plans Make all the Difference (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Hiring for 2005 Looking Up (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Hiring Outlook Better, But Not Great (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Is Your Job Search Getting the Results You Want? (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Prospering in Today's IT Employment Environment (ITtoolbox)


• Article> The job forecast: partly cloudy (ITtoolbox)


• Article> What Are You Worth? (ITtoolbox)

Applying

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• Expert advice> Creating a fake resume for an SAP position (SearchSAP.com)


• Tools> Applying for a Job: Part I (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Applying for a Job II: Resumes (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Applying for a Job III: The Cover Letter FAQ (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> 7 Steps to a Winning Resume (ITtoolbox)


• Article> ROI, Security Driving IT Employment Trends (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Trends in the Job Marketplace: The Reemergence of Multiple and Counter Offers (ITtoolbox)

Interviewing

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• Expert advice> What is my interviewing hurdle? (SearchSAP.com)


• Tools> ABAP Sample Interview Questions (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Questions To Determine if a Candidate has Really Worked With SAP (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> SAP MM Interview Questions (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Tips for Interviewing (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Turn a Job Interview Into a Contract (ITToolbox)


• Article> A Buyer's Job Market (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Should You Accept That Job Offer? (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Tackling Tough Interview Questions (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Win Your Next Job With Three Essential Interview Skills (ITtoolbox)

Networking

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• Article> Networking Resources (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Eleven Commandments for Smart Negotiating (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> IT Skills for Tomorrow (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Standing Out from the Crowd (ITtoolbox)


• Tools> Want to Succeed in Your Career? (ITtoolbox)

Certification

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• Expert advice> Is certification the way to get into SAP? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Is ABAP certification right for me? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Is SAP Basis certification required? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> FI or CO certification (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Will NetWeaver or WAS certification help advance career? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Do Basis positions require certification? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Do I need ABAP/NetWeaver certification? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Certified, yet jobless (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Do Java skills help with SAP certification? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> SAP certification for a recent grad (SearchSAP.com)


• Article> Certification Navigation: Five Strategies for Success (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Developer Certifications: Joining the Mainstream (ITtoolbox)

Consulting

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You need two things to succeed as an independent SAP consultant: You need a hot, niche skill, backed up by years of relevant, focused experience, and you need client references from multiple SAP projects.

-- Jon Reed

• Expert advice> Breaking into SAP consulting (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Common consulting job terms explained (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Am I good candidate for a SAP CRM consultant career? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Functional vs. technical SAP consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Persuing a career as a functional SD consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Is certification helpful to become a consultant? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> What will be the demand for SAP Basis consultants in the future? (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Questions about becoming a functional consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Becoming a functional consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Becoming a functional IT consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Career change -- tech consulting to modules consulting (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Chance to join SAP consultancy firm and learn ABAP (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Establishing a part-time SAP consulting role (SearchSAP.com)


• Expert advice> Typical career path for an SD functional consultant (SearchSAP.com)


• Article> A State of the Union on the Consulting Industry (ITtoolbox)
  
• Article> Consulting Will Remain Bright Spot for IT Employment (ITtoolbox)
  
• Article> The Consultant's Fee Calculation Formula (ITtoolbox)

Outsourcing

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• Tools> Career Strategies for the Age of Global Outsourcing (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Life After Outsourcing (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Offshoring and the Future of the U.S. IT Worker (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Outsourcing Embraced In Europe As Well (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Sea to shining sea (ITtoolbox)


• Article> The China Syndrome (ITtoolbox)


• Article> You Can't Outsource Everything (ITtoolbox)

Books/discussions/other resources

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• Expert advice> Best SAP CRM self-training techniques? (SearchSAP.com)


• Books> Becoming an SAP Consultant (ITtoolbox)


• Books> Teach Yourself SAP R/3 in 24 Hours (ITtoolbox)


• Discussion> SAP Career Discussion Forum (ITtoolbox)


• Discussion> Blog> Viewpoint of an IT Recruiter: Career Advancement & Job Search Tips (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Are ERP Positions Immune From the Technology Downturn? (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Career Planning: It's all about attitude! (ITtoolbox)


• Article> Hiring in a Down Economy (ITtoolbox)


• Resources> Careers at SAP in the United States (SAP)


• Resources> IT salaries hold their own (ITtoolbox)


• Survey> 2003 ITtoolbox Outsourcing Survey (ITtoolbox)


• Survey> 2003 ITtoolbox Salary Survey (ITtoolbox)


• Survey> 2004 ITtoolbox Hiring Survey (ITtoolbox)


• Survey> 2004 ITtoolbox Salary Survey (ITtoolbox)


• Survey> The Big Payoff: CertMag's 2004 Salary Survey (ITtoolbox)


• White papers> Hiring and Selection: Interviewing Best Practices (ITtoolbox)

More Learning Guides

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• Learning Guide> SAP NetWeaver Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> SAP BW Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> BI Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> SAP HR Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> SAP XI Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> SAP RFID Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> BAPI Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> Basis Learning Guide (SearchSAP.com)


• Learning Guide> Learning Guide for Sales Effectiveness (SearchCRM.com)


• Learning Guide> Wireless Learning Guide (SearchMobileComputing.com)


• Learning Guide> Learning Guide for Marketing Effectiveness (SearchCRM.com)


• Learning Guide> XML Learning Guide (SearchWebServices.com)


• Learning Guide> Linux basics for Windows pros (SearchEnterpriseLinux.com)