Ask HN: What is an SAP consultant good for?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10148161

by exSap • 11 years ago

8 7 11 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hello,

I have worked for the past 10 years as an SAP consultant and I pretty much I have had enough. I did not find it challenging, corporate culture is not something I value in high regard and I am more of a maker inside.

Almost a year ago I started with Android and have brought myself up to speed with it, at least I would say for a junior position. At the moment working on publishing my first app.

Do you think I am taking aright direction, how else could I maybe use my previous experience except for Project management and Product management positions? Mind you, I am 40 so a lot of people look at me like I did something very wrong by deciding to change my career. Your thoughts are welcome and encouragement also :)

Cheers!

hackuser• 11 years ago

a lot of people look at me like I did something very wrong by deciding to change my career

No matter what you choose in life, lots of people will think you did something wrong; no option ever pleases them all and many individuals seek something to criticize, an outlet for their own unhappiness; any risk is just blood in the water for them. Also, the more vision you have, the fewer people will grasp it until the results are sitting in their laps, and not always then. They generally are ignorant about your life, often about these issues in general, and it's none of their business anyway. Their opinions are a non-issue; don't let the ignorant masses drag you down to their mean. Are they so happy?

That said, if you step out of your comfort zone expect to get kicked in the teeth and knocked on your a--, concussed and feeling defeated, a little more frequently. As long as you know that's part of the process, you can get back up again. The ignorant masses will say, "see! I told you so! I knew that would happen", like the stock broker who always says the stock will go down and gets lucky some days. Their idiocy is just comic relief. Make sure you know who really is loyal and cares about you; you only need 1 or 2; they are your support.

A bit of a rant, but I hope that helps.

exSap3• 11 years ago

It does and thank you for it! Definitely stepped out of my comfort zone and at the same time that it is as it is, sometimes vague and stressful, it is this feeling of freedom that really makes up for it.

airframeng• 11 years ago

You'll have those 10 years of experience in your back pocket in case of emergency. Until then, do your thing, take risks, learn and grow.

bbcbasic• 11 years ago

That SAP experience is a big asset in my opinion, and I am envious of you :-)

You know all the problems, the good, bad and ugly with SAP. You could create a product to do something better than SAP in an area where it under-serves customers.

Or create a product to improve the experience of using SAP for certain customers. Or better interfacing to other systems. There are many things you can build a business around with a massive potential global market, of companies with plenty of cash to spend (they purchased SAP after all!)

Definitely continue learning stuff you love as a 'maker'. I think if you can bridge the gap between the enterprise and cool 'modern' ways of doing things, you could be on to something.

exSap3• 11 years ago

If you are envious in a sense you want to get into it, I would say it is possible. Depending on where you work now and what would you like to do but really a lot of the educational material can be found on internet. Their courses are too expensive and I would say all of it you can catch by reading the materials and having access to a SAP server.

Check this link for some more insights: http://scn.sap.com/community/career-center/blog/2012/05/01/l...

tixocloud• 11 years ago

People are always going to tell you that you made a bad decision. But in reality, it's up to you to decide how you can make the most of what you've accomplished.

There are always opportunities and advantages in what you do. You just have to know how to communicate that your experience with SAP for 10 years is valuable. An example would be that you're familiar with the enterprise software industry and you've been up great networks with your clients. By leveraging your experience, you can help startups sell better enterprise software and help them avoid pitfalls.

People told me I made a mistake starting my career as a software engineer at a smaller, startup-culture company. Then they told me I wouldn't be able to get into larger companies. I've got experience in both large and small companies and this makes me invaluable because almost all small companies aspire to be large companies. And I can help them navigate their journey. For large companies, I can help them become more innovative through my experience with smaller companies.

Bottom line: It's how you communicate and how you view things. You've got tons of potential and plenty to offer.

exSap3• 11 years ago

Thanks for your insight, I would totally agree that in communication lies a lot, I guess I got a bit down with my attitude :)

Ask HN: What is an SAP consultant good for?

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