Another question that is quite common in the SAP environment (and in the technology market as a whole) is whether it is worth the effort and become a certified professional.
Initially, I would say yes. But I want to go deeper into the subject and explore some nuances of that topic.
I would say it depends a lot on your career stage and where you want to go.
As I have always been in the technology market (since I was 16), I have always had a very close relationship with certifications.
When I was younger (around 18 years old) I worked in the area of networks (more specifically with Cisco routers) and at that time (I believe today too) we talked a lot about making sure.
At that time, I worked for a large telecommunications company in São Paulo, in a position that I hated and my option to get certified was precisely to stand out and get a promotion for the position I wanted.
The strategy worked and as the certification in question (called CCNA) was a rare certification at that time, I ended up having a good prominence in my area and as soon as I received the certification, I was promoted.
This certification was so important to me, that 2 years later, when I went to Ireland to study English, again, this certification put me in a great opportunity.
My initial plan in Ireland was just to study English, but I ended up in a Computer Science course and as soon as I joined, I focused on getting a summer internship (because only then would I be able to afford the second year of college).
But there was a catch.
No Irish company accepted interns in their first year of college. The general rule was always to offer an opportunity in the third year of college.
Even though I knew that I sent over 200 emails to the most diverse types of companies and got a single interview.
When I arrived at the interview (at Ericsson), the first thing I heard was that it was the first time that they (3 people were interviewing me) were talking to someone so young and already with two relevant certifications (besides CCNA, I had certified myself in ITIL) and so they had given me the opportunity to interview.
It was very clear there, how those certifications made a difference.
But of course, certification does not solve anyone’s life. It only helps to open doors or simply when a recruiter has two great candidates with similar profiles, there is a great chance that the certification will weight the tiebreaker when choosing.
And about the SAP Market?
I hope you didn’t mind me telling a personal story that has almost nothing to do with SAP regarding certifications.
In the SAP market, I made sure not too long ago and that’s why I believe I can also contribute to the difference I felt after my certifications.
When I receive proposals, the experience I have is always the first factor taken into account. That is clear.
Except that every time I hear a compliment from the recruiter and 100% of the time I also hear that having some certifications drew a lot of attention, as the most demanding clients always prefer certified professionals.
Sometimes I even heard, for opportunities that were financially very attractive, that that specific client was only accepting resumes from certified candidates. It was a filter.
On other occasions, certification weighed absolutely nothing.
The recruiter did not make any comments and during the interview with the end customer, he did not make any comments about it.
Therefore, I would say that you will not be unemployed just because you are not certified, but there is a great possibility that you will miss some good opportunities for not having certification.
It is a personal choice, and, in my opinion, it is your decision about the type of professional you want to be.
As a freelance professional for so many years, I see myself as a company and all end customers as real customers.
I try to behave in the best way, dress well, speak, and have a good image before all of them.
Certification for me is a business card. A good business card.
So, for me, it is very worthwhile to be certified.
But as I have said countless times, this is my personal opinion and not an absolute truth.
Conclusion
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A big hug,
Bruno César
