Importance of SAP Certification

As we know that SAP is the largest ERP solution provider. About 70% of Forbes 500 companies are running on ERP provided by SAP. There is a huge demand of SAP professional around the world. Keeping with this trend, SAP has started a certification program for its ERP software(s) and is delivered by SAP education partners across the world.

SAP has described the importance of its certification thus:

”SAP certification is the ideal way for organizations to assess and verify their consultants on employees' expertise and ensure that they have the skills required to effectively implement and operate SAP solutions."

Many of my friends who have long experience on SAP have often discussed with me about the opportunities that exist in the mid-career path of SAP certified Professionals. After their valuable inputs I found that the usefulness of SAP certification basically depends on two scenarios. One is where those who are new to SAP but have 2 to 3 years of domain experience and the other one is for SAPexperienced guys having 2 to 3 years of experience on SAP.

First Case (SAP for Freshers) - SAP certification is always beneficial for those who want to make their careers in SAP-ERPs as there is a surplus of professionals available in the market who are not certified. I personally advise such professionals that they gain at least 2 to 3 year experience in their respective core fields (like Banking, Manufacturing, SCMs(Supply Change Management)) before arriving into SAP field so that he could map the procedure and understand SAP logic.
After SAP certification you stand a solid chance to get through in SAP field. I can recall a personal experience of my one friend who did this certification when he was a fresher and got offers from Capgemini and HCL. So I think for freshers SAP certification is a great tool to give a headstart to their career. But before going to Certification course one should choose his module carefully as I always tell. You can get the information about SAP modules in my previous blog.

Second Case (SAP for Experienced Guys) – SAP is also very useful to guys who have experience in particular domain.I have seen SAP experienced professionals (but not certified ) not knowing certain standard functionalities available in SAP softwares and they go for developing things that could be done by configuration easily. Such things can be learnt only through SAP certification.
I will not say that SAP certification is extremely important for SAP experienced guys but it is much helpful. If you have very good experience then SAP certification will give some value addition and some fundamental tips.

Details about SAP Modules/SAP Consultants are as following -
SAP Technical Consultant/SAP Technical Module: Technical Consultants do the development work and are core IT professionals.

SAP Functional Consultant/SAP Functional Module: Functional consultants are domain specialists i.e. those related with business process and configuration (Banking Professionals, Productions Engineers etc).
SAP Training Courses: SAP training courses depend modules you choose.
SAP Technical Modules:

For B.Tech/BE (CSE,IT),MCA, Developer - SAP ABAP, SAP BASIS, SAP NetWeaver

SAP Functional Modules:

B.E(Mechanical, Electrical etc),Hardcore - SAP MM, SAP PP, SAP QM, SAP WM, SAP SCM, SAP CRM
MBA in Finance/Accounting - SAP FICO
MBA in Sales or Marketing - SAP SD
MBA in HR - SAP HR

For any queries, you can reach us anytime.

The Management Tips: Tips on Interviews

Promote Yourself without Being Self-Promotional

Explaining why someone should hire you, or introduce you to a friend who is hiring, can be uncomfortable. You need to sell yourself, but you don't want to sound like a salesperson. Instead of detailing what's so great about you, tell a story that covers the following:

• Situation. Explain the problem or situation that you, your unit, or your company faced.
• Tasks. Outline what your responsibility was in solving the problem.
• Achievements. Make clear what you did to meet your responsibility.
• Results. What happened as a result of your achievements? Did revenues increase? Did customer satisfaction improve? Use specific examples to pique your audience's interest.

Adapted from Guide to Getting a Job.

Three Tips for Acing an Interview

During a job interview, it's important to explain what you can do for the company, but it is just as imperative to build trust with the person interviewing you. Here are three ways to align yourself with the interviewer:

• Mirror body language. Even if you aren't comfortable, portray yourself as poised and friendly. When the interviewer uses open body language -- leaning in toward you or keeping her arms open -- do the same.
• Find common interests. Look for ways that the interviewer and you are alike. These may be shared interests or experiences. Ideally they are work-related; for example, you may both have a passion for solving tough problems.
• Tell stories with a moral. Every anecdote you tell should have a point. Well-shaped stories with a purpose can convey your most desirable qualities -- loyalty, work ethic, or trustworthiness.

Adapted from Guide to Getting a Job.

How to Talk About Your Weaknesses in an Interview

One of the most hated, yet frequently asked, interview questions is, "What is your greatest weakness?" We all have faults, but the last place we want to talk about them is in a job interview. Next time you are up for a job, take these three steps to prepare for this dreaded question:

• Prepare an answer. Yes, you need one. Make it brief, honest, trivial, and not a fault. If possible, use something out of your control. For example, "My biggest weakness is that my professional network is in Boston, but I'm looking to relocate to Los Angeles."
• Get input. Run your answer by a few friends and colleagues to make sure it sounds reasonable.
• Ask a question back. In the interview, deflect the attention away from you by ending your response with a question for the interviewer.

Adapted from "The Worst Interview Question (and How to Answer It)" by Priscilla Claman.

Evaluate Your Future Manager

Almost every job interview ends with an opportunity for you, the candidate, to ask questions. Don't treat this time as another chance to impress. Instead, use this time to assess your future boss. Ask your potential manager about a past project. This should give you a sense of how she works. Inquire about customers or colleagues. Her attitude toward others may reveal how she treats people. Watch how she answers the questions. Does she talk about herself a lot? Does he take credit for accomplishments? This data can help you better understand the manager you are getting along with the job offer.

Adapted from "Choose Your Boss Wisely" by Priscilla Claman.

Three Tips for Conducting an Internal Interview

Internal interviews are often thought of as something to simply check off on a hiring to-do list. Yet, these interviews can be a valuable source of information and the key to helping you make the right hiring decision. Here are three tips for getting these interviews right:

• Dig deeper. Even if you already know the candidate, you can learn more. Ask about experience outside of the company, either in previous jobs or through volunteer work.
• Assess role readiness. Because the candidate will be moving into a role she is already familiar with, ask specific questions about what she plans to do with the role.
• Make it real. Too often, internal interviews are done out of courtesy. If you aren't serious about the candidate, don't bother with the interview.

Adapted from "How to Conduct an Internal Interview" by Amy Gallo.

Reference: hbr.org 

Why Good Employees Leave ?

10 Phrases that Don't belong in your Cover Letter

Think your cover letter is perfectly crafted? Check to make sure you're not including any of these no-nos in it.

1. "I meet the requirements for the position." Hundreds of candidates will meet the requirements for the position. That'snot enough to get you a second look. You want to explain why you're an excellent candidate, not just an adequate one.

2. "I'm hard-working and a great communicator." And probably a team player and an independent self-starter, too. These are cliches that cause hiring managers' eyes to glaze over. Worse, they don't convey anything of substance--the fact that you've assessed yourself as these things will hold no weight whatsoever with employers, who prefer to assess these things for themselves.

3. "I'm a visionary leader." But not very humble, apparently. If you're truly a visionary leader--or a master communicator, or whatever other brag you're tempted to make--it should be evident from the accomplishments you've listed on your resume. Proclaiming this about yourself comes across as, well, weird.

4. "You won't find a candidate better qualified than me." Unless you've seen the rest of the candidate pool, you have no way of knowing that. This comes off as needlessly cocky hyperbole--and it's generally inaccurate, to boot. If you're really stunningly qualified, the hiring manager should be able to spot that on her own. Simply proclaiming it, especially when you have no basis to know if it's true, doesn't reflect well on you.

5. "Dear sir or madam." In most industries, this will come across as an antiquated, stuffy salutation. If you know the hiring manager's name, use that instead, but if not, simply writing "dear hiring manager" is fine, and won't make you appear as if you come from an earlier century.

6. "I'll call you in a week to schedule an interview." Job seekers can't unilaterally decide to schedule an interview, and inappropriately pushy to pretend otherwise. Some people believe that asserting themselves like this will demonstrate persistence and good salesmanship, but in reality, it just annoys hiring managers.

7. "I'm willing to work for below the salary you're offering." Candidates who write this generally are hoping that it will get them an interview when their qualifications alone wouldn't have. But it doesn't work, because hiring managers want to hire the best person for the job, have budgeted a certain amount for the position, and aren't going to take a weaker candidate just because she offers to work for less than the budgeted salary.

8. "I've attached my college transcripts, a list of references, a 15-page writing sample, and my last performance review." Unless the job posting specifically asked for these items, don't include them. At this stage, employers just want a resume and a cover letter. Don't overwhelm them with items they haven't asked for and might not want. Wait until you've progressed further in the process, and then ASK if they'd like these items.

9. "Please contact me if you'd like to see my resume." Job seekers occasionally send a letter of interest in a job without including a resume, to the great mystification of hiring managers everywhere. If you're writing to a company about potential work, you must include your resume. It's the first thing an employer will want to see, and they have no way of knowing if you're someone they'd like to speak further with without first seeing that.

10. "I really need a job. I'm desperate." Hiring managers might feel sympathy for you if you're desperate, but that's not going to make them hire you. Your cover letter needs to focus on why you'd excel at the job you're applying for, not how badly you need it.

Reference: Yahoo.com

Regards,

Brijesh Kumar Pandey