3 Basic Things You Must Learn As A New SAP Consultant
A consultant is not always an expert
A consultant does not mean an expert. In Latin, the Consultant means "to discuss". Therefore, the consultant is a professional who provides professional services or advice.
Duncan asked, for example, before his first day on the client site, Tanya was nervous about the expectations of the client and the Project Manager. He hopes they don't expect him to have all the answers to their problems. He convinced himself that the project manager and client knew well about the experience he had.
Now, Tanya really feels that the amount of experience you have is less important than your ability to use resources (people, information) to solve problems and drive change. The ability to listen to client needs and problems, discuss choices, and provide advice is what makes a consultant successful, not your ability to manage SAP transaction codes and technical jargon. Dan Tanya now serves as SAP FICO Consultant at Deloitte & Author, Carlifornia.
The advice most often given as a new consultant is to listen 90% of the time during your first week on the client site. An experienced consultant may feel compelled to insert insights and expertise in meetings or email exchanges to prove themselves. Instead, spending most of your day first understanding the client's environment, problems, and culture is the most important thing. It takes a lot of pressure during your first week if you act more like a sponge and reduce user-manuals.
Relationships with clients must be clearly different from relationships with colleagues in your company. That also applies to the type of relationship you have with consultants from other companies on your client's site. Avoid getting involved in gossip.
In addition, a career as a consultant also requires you to take control of your career. After gaining experience and building a network, you can basically choose the project work that you want, who is the work partner you feel is suitable, and which direction your career is.
In addition to mastering your career, consultants must balance the work of clients with company activities. How did you stand out during a performance discussion at a sea of other consultants? Engage in company activities that interest you! Anything from groups like WIN, SAP COE, etc. Remember, building as many networks as possible can help you in the company!
So here's the problem:
The focus for new consultants is to find work (your utilization level soars above your head as a key performance indicator) while exploring several industries / projects / even modules in your first few years to find your niche. That is indeed much easier said than done. No matter how well you sell your skills, in fact, a perfect project may not wait for your ability to handle it. Not a few people who give up looking for projects that are truly in line with their goals and interests, and 'settle' on something that will help the level of utility. As a new consultant, you have little influence on your position in the project. However, after building a network, you can have more flexibility in choosing project jobs.
Is this a good or bad thing?
Of course, your utilization rate is high and you are building an internal and external network, but people complain that they are 'stuck' on projects that do not help them achieve their goals. Maybe they are stuck because they have rare and valuable specialties or clients don't want to spend time and money in other sources. They worry that they are unable to explore other areas of the module or functional area because they are too focused.
Be thankful and proactive.
If you work on a project that is not ideal because it does not help you achieve your goals, stay grateful and proactive.
First, realize that you own a project and regardless of how much you do work that is not in line with your expectations, you still get valuable experience. If not, there is always the opportunity to get more involved. Maybe you can be a junior mentor, take the initiative, or find new clients for different projects.
Second, it must be clear with counselors and project managers about your long and short-term goals, your expectations, and your interests. Find the best and fun ways to share experiences. If you have substantial reasons for wanting change and having reasonable expectations, the project manager will likely understand and help connect you with the right people. Finally, being proactive and networking can be an opportunity for other projects.
The final word,
Be honest about your experience: What level of knowledge do you have about modules, processes, technological solutions? Give specific examples of FDS, configuration, coding that you have done. If you want to explore other areas, establish and set your goals, because it will be an easy trip.
After you get a job, don't worry about being 'stuck' on a project. Get all the experiences you can get. If you are open with the project manager and counselor about the kind of experience you want from the start, maybe you will be roll-off for another project that suits you.
A consultant does not mean an expert. In Latin, the Consultant means "to discuss". Therefore, the consultant is a professional who provides professional services or advice.
Duncan asked, for example, before his first day on the client site, Tanya was nervous about the expectations of the client and the Project Manager. He hopes they don't expect him to have all the answers to their problems. He convinced himself that the project manager and client knew well about the experience he had.
Now, Tanya really feels that the amount of experience you have is less important than your ability to use resources (people, information) to solve problems and drive change. The ability to listen to client needs and problems, discuss choices, and provide advice is what makes a consultant successful, not your ability to manage SAP transaction codes and technical jargon. Dan Tanya now serves as SAP FICO Consultant at Deloitte & Author, Carlifornia.
The advice most often given as a new consultant is to listen 90% of the time during your first week on the client site. An experienced consultant may feel compelled to insert insights and expertise in meetings or email exchanges to prove themselves. Instead, spending most of your day first understanding the client's environment, problems, and culture is the most important thing. It takes a lot of pressure during your first week if you act more like a sponge and reduce user-manuals.
A Consultant must be confident, independent and have strong motivation.
Naturally, the work of a consultant requires you to have a certain level of trust in your abilities. The relationship you build with client partners also requires you to be an independent person. You must maintain distance and be independent in achieving project goals. Doing your work with integrity and professionalism is very important.Relationships with clients must be clearly different from relationships with colleagues in your company. That also applies to the type of relationship you have with consultants from other companies on your client's site. Avoid getting involved in gossip.
In addition, a career as a consultant also requires you to take control of your career. After gaining experience and building a network, you can basically choose the project work that you want, who is the work partner you feel is suitable, and which direction your career is.
In addition to mastering your career, consultants must balance the work of clients with company activities. How did you stand out during a performance discussion at a sea of other consultants? Engage in company activities that interest you! Anything from groups like WIN, SAP COE, etc. Remember, building as many networks as possible can help you in the company!
Successful consultants know how to carry yourself.
The consultant is in the business of providing services, and to get a project, you have to prove to managers (and clients) that you have the right skills for the project.So here's the problem:
The focus for new consultants is to find work (your utilization level soars above your head as a key performance indicator) while exploring several industries / projects / even modules in your first few years to find your niche. That is indeed much easier said than done. No matter how well you sell your skills, in fact, a perfect project may not wait for your ability to handle it. Not a few people who give up looking for projects that are truly in line with their goals and interests, and 'settle' on something that will help the level of utility. As a new consultant, you have little influence on your position in the project. However, after building a network, you can have more flexibility in choosing project jobs.
Is this a good or bad thing?
Of course, your utilization rate is high and you are building an internal and external network, but people complain that they are 'stuck' on projects that do not help them achieve their goals. Maybe they are stuck because they have rare and valuable specialties or clients don't want to spend time and money in other sources. They worry that they are unable to explore other areas of the module or functional area because they are too focused.
Be thankful and proactive.
If you work on a project that is not ideal because it does not help you achieve your goals, stay grateful and proactive.
First, realize that you own a project and regardless of how much you do work that is not in line with your expectations, you still get valuable experience. If not, there is always the opportunity to get more involved. Maybe you can be a junior mentor, take the initiative, or find new clients for different projects.
Second, it must be clear with counselors and project managers about your long and short-term goals, your expectations, and your interests. Find the best and fun ways to share experiences. If you have substantial reasons for wanting change and having reasonable expectations, the project manager will likely understand and help connect you with the right people. Finally, being proactive and networking can be an opportunity for other projects.
The final word,
Be honest about your experience: What level of knowledge do you have about modules, processes, technological solutions? Give specific examples of FDS, configuration, coding that you have done. If you want to explore other areas, establish and set your goals, because it will be an easy trip.
After you get a job, don't worry about being 'stuck' on a project. Get all the experiences you can get. If you are open with the project manager and counselor about the kind of experience you want from the start, maybe you will be roll-off for another project that suits you.