PeopleSoft Consultant Moving on SAP

Q. I am a Peoplesoft consultant (HR) working for a technology service provider. I have about four years experience in Peoplesoft and I am now considering moving on to a career as an SAP functional consultant.

What are the alternatives/paths available to me to kick start my career in SAP? Should I pursue SAP courses/certification or should I try to look for a job which will offer me the chance to switch over from Peoplesoft to SAP?

Are there companies that will hire an SAP consultant with Peoplesoft consulting background?

If I were to pursue education in SAP, what will be the recommended courses for an SAP functional consultant--both HR and Finance? How much of a chance is there that I will be hired in the SAP line after I have completed those courses?

By the way, what are the prospects for Peoplesoft consultants (HR, Finance) in Asia for the coming few years?

Thank you.

Career advice from Stella Thevarakam, regional HR director of management and technology consulting firm ISS Consulting (M):

You need to have SAP config experience to pursue a career as an SAP functional consultant. You can go in as a "freshie" and join an organization�s inhouse training and grow from there.

Of course there will be a salary cut and sharp learning curve but it will put you in the right path to a career in SAP.

But for an SAP consulting company to take you in as a four-year experience consultant, it would be quite impossible. You need that SAP config to go hand in hand.

HR and Finance are two very different areas. You can choose to pursue a course in either one.

Since you already have a backround in HR, it would be a shorter learning curve for you to pursue SAP HR and then join a consulting company as a mid-junior and grow from there.

SAP consulting firms would take you in given the fact that HR consultants are quite in demand and also the fact that you have a certificate in SAP and experience in HR ERP. Of course you need to be prepared to start from a junior role.

Source: ZDNetAsia

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