How to Align Academic Background with SAP Career Paths

Becoming a good SAP consultant in 2025 means evolving beyond just technical skills. It’s about combining domain expertise, hands-on SAP experience, soft skills, and future-readiness. Here's a roadmap to help you out: 1️⃣𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 ↳ Functional: (e.g., SAP FICO, MM, SD...) ↳ Technical: (e.g., ABAP, RAP, SAP BTP, SAP Build....) ↳ Analytics: (e.g., SAP BW/4HANA....) ↳ Cloud/Infra: (e.g., SAP BTP, SAP S/4HANA Cloud, RISE with SAP) 𝐓𝐢𝐩: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝—𝐞.𝐠., 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐎, 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐁𝐀𝐏. 2️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: ↳ Technical consultant: ABAP on HANA, RAP, CDS, OData, SAP BTP, CI/CD ↳ Functional consultant: Business processes, configuration in SAP modules, integration touchpoints ↳ Cloud consultant: SAP BTP, CAP, SAP Build, SAP Integration Suite 3️⃣𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 2025 𝐒𝐀𝐏 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 ↳ SAP BTP (AI, low-code/no-code with SAP Build) ↳ SAP RAP & CAP models ↳ Integration with AI and automation tools (like Joule, SAP AI Core) ↳ Rise with SAP & Clean Core concept 4️⃣ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 ↳ Client communication: Explain solutions in simple terms. ↳ Problem-solving: Go beyond what's obvious. ↳ Team collaboration: Especially important in hybrid/remote setups. 5️⃣ 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬 ↳ Join SAP learning journeys, hands-on bootcamps, or internships. ↳ Use SAP free trial systems or SAP Learning Hub. 6️⃣ 𝐂𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 (𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠) ↳ SAP certifications (e.g., SAP Certified Development Associate – ABAP for SAP S/4HANA) help, but real knowledge > paper ↳ Combine certification with portfolio and practical experience 7️⃣ 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 (𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 & 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞) ↳ Share what you learn. ↳ Write blogs/tutorials. ↳ Join SAP community forums. ↳ Network with other consultants. 8️⃣ 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 ↳ Follow experts like Chirag Thakkar↗(FICO), Prashun Shetty (MM), Aman Sharief(SD), Avnikant Singh 🇮🇳 (EAM), Ganesh Padala(SCM), Rahul Narain Saxena(SD), Wouter van Heddeghem who are in aspiring others. ↳ Attend SAP Inside Tracks, TechEd, SAP Community events 9️⃣ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 ↳ SAP isn’t just tech—it’s solving business problems. ↳ Understand KPIs, pain points, and how SAP modules address them. 🔟 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ↳ SAP is changing fast. Set aside weekly learning time. ↳ Subscribe to: ↳ SAP Learning Hub ↳ SAP Learning Paths (Free Source) ↳ YouTube channels and newsletters (e.g., SAP Community, SAP Press)

If u r looking to transition into an SAP role from non-SAP background, here is my take on the best approach based on my own journey: --> Start with an SAP Certification: Your first step should be getting certified in one of the core SAP modules. This gives you a strong foundation and credibility. --> Leverage Internal Opportunities Check if your current organization has internal job postings for SAP support roles. This is often the easiest way to get into an SAP profile. If you are lucky enough to join an inhouse SAP team, spend at least 1-2 years gaining experience before applying externally. --> Explore Consulting Firms If an internal SAP move isnt an option, look for small SAP consulting companies that hire freshers. This step can be tricky, but its a viable path. -->Build Your Brand If getting in is proving difficult, start building your presence on LinkedIn and SAP Community. Write articles and blogs, even about basic SAP concepts and as you gain traction, expand your learning and share your insights. --> Why? Because hiring managers and recruiters notice industry voices. Your posts can open unexpected doors. This approach may take time, but it works. It worked for me, and I strongly believe it can work for you too. Would love to hear your thoughts, how did you land your first SAP job? #SAP #CareerAdvice #SAPJobs #Learning #SAPCareer #SAPConsulting

I frequently encounter professionals who attribute hiring challenges to degree misalignment rather than examining how they position their qualifications.   This perspective creates unnecessary limitations and overlooks a fundamental hiring reality: employers prioritize problem-solving capability over academic credentials when both factors compete for consideration.   Successful career transitions happen when professionals reframe their educational background: • Highlighting transferable competencies developed through any rigorous academic program • Demonstrating how diverse educational experiences provide unique analytical perspectives • Connecting academic projects and coursework to real business challenges • Positioning non-traditional backgrounds as competitive advantages rather than deficits   The most effective placements I've facilitated often involve candidates whose degrees don't directly align with their target roles.   What distinguishes them is their ability to articulate how their educational foundation contributes to solving employer challenges.   Rather than viewing your degree as a constraint, consider how your academic experience developed thinking patterns, research abilities, and analytical frameworks that apply across multiple industries and functions.   Your educational background equipped you with problem-solving methodologies - the application domain is often more flexible than you assume.   How have you successfully leveraged an "unrelated" educational background in your career progression?   Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://lnkd.in/ei_uQjju   #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #transferableskills #careertransition #educationalbackground #careerstrategist