Job for Consultant: Re: [sap-career] SAP Certification

Posted by Viet_Tran (Business Consultant & Sales Manager)
on Jun 3 at 1:15 PM

Dear balaji_inder :

Today and for another, repeated time we have continuously heated discussions about the value of "Certification". Some of them arrive at the forum with a light nuance of negative tone, and therefore unproductive, in the language.

It is not effective if we just keep saying Certification is not helpful, Certification is not a ticket to the job market of SAP etc.

Why do we not want to see the crucial fact of certification under another angle or under another light?

Let me try.
There are always, at least, two sides of each story and this wisdom includes Certification for SAP product.

If you represent a beginner (like yourself or other potential candidate in similar situation) and you know for a fact that do not have things (we can name them with fancy terms like Work Experience, Hands-On Experience, Tested Knowledge, Proven Skills etc.) that a potential employer makes it to non-negotiable condition in order to hire you. What do you do then? Certainly, you look for a substitute or at least you try to put all the efforts that are accessible to you at that time to get something that can serve, (you think) if not as substitute at least as evidence that you DO have some useful knowledge and skill (you think) to fulfill the request of the job that you desperately want.

Certification, as the name, states CLEARLY: It is a certification. It certifies a certain level of knowledge or skill or a combination of both. Does it say that it is a WARRANTY for anything? The answer is No. It says clearly that it is a certification, no more and not less.

Potential employer only wants to commit to you as employee ONLY if they are satisfactorily convinced that you, at a minimum, are able to contribute to the request of the position. And the request of the job demands more than the content of a certification (and out of reach of beginner). What are other requests? Unfortunately in most cases, they are outside of the scope of a certification. They are: knowledge, skill, experience, ability to think, working capacity, handling situation of pressure, interpersonal reaction etc. All the named items, you cannot learn in the framework of a certification and they would not be certifiable.

If so for what good purpose is a certification? And why training institutes or companies offer them then?
Most of the institutes that offer certification call themselves training institutes. The name is correct because it is comparatively simple to "train". The learner is instructed to do something. The whole "well rounded" learning process was and is never intended to be offered; because the cost and time structure is massive. In the market system as of today, no one wants or must do something that she/he does not make a profit. If this principle of market function is agreeable to you, you will understand the behavior of the vast majority of training institutes.

Another point of consideration is Why SAP does not offer SAP Certification or control the quality of the certification process? Thinking this way appears to be logically correct because SAP is producer, manufacturer and creator of SAP products. Short SAP possesses all the power to control and regulate the SAP market. SAP therefore must be in a position to make their customers/clients (the company that should hire you) and you, the desperate job seeker, satisfied by preparing you to be able to fulfill the request of the company that uses SAP product. This logic is not flawless. It is a dream and dream seldom comes true. For this the facts are: For what companies (manufacturing, financials services, airline industries, defense industries; small, mid-size, large scale etc.) should SAP train you and in what and how many SAP modules and how deep should the training go etc.

Another point of importance is: If SAP is able to offer such a program the risk for SAP as company is enormous in doing so. In my dream you now are an important person with enormous power and immense responsibility; you are e.g. the CEO of a large corporation of the world or least of your home country. You hire a certified expert, certified by SAP and this person is causing or has caused a failure that is serious enough that you reasonably disagree that you can ignore. What are you going to do with capable people behind you like lawyer in a large number to protect your interest? You will sue SAP! You will argue: SAP as a world class company with all the resources available to them, has certified; and the certification was the foundation of your hiring; and the hiring leads to failure because the certification is not true to its content. SAP therefore is responsible for the damages.
(A Court of Law in the United States delivers the judgment of $2.3 Billions in damages for ORACLE in the lawsuit ORACLE versus SAP in November of the year of 2010. It is the evidence that potential lawsuit is a crucial part of doing business in our time of today.)

Conclusion:
Certification is not a warranty. It is not a function of certification to warranty any thing. Certification confirms a certain level of knowledge or skill or a combination of both.

To enter the job market of SAP (of high earning potentials) a successful candidate should be able to demonstrate, besides or in addition to a certification, other skills and knowledge. These skills and knowledge are crucial to fulfill the job requirements.

Regards,

Viet Tran
Master's Degree in Business Administration
Master's Degree in Economics
Master's Degree in Mechanical Engineering
ERP Consultant
IBM System Programmer and System Analyst
Business Consultant

---------------Original Message---------------
From: balaji_inder
Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 5:56 AM
Subject: SAP Certification - CRM

Hi,

I have been working for the last 8 years having Sales/Marketing and Customer service experience in Banking and Telecom sectors. I have come to know that functional SAP certification can be done if I were to look for a job in SAP domain. I have 2 concerns

1. Will my existing experience help for a job one I have been certified by SAP or would I be considered a fresher and treated like one when it come to recruitment.

2. Will SAP certification help me ? I was thinking of CRM as a module to specialize in.

Would highly appreciate a reply

Thanks
Balaji

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