Database Reference
In-Depth Information
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Seek a mentor
Find someone inside your organization who is in leadership position,
and seek advice on ways you can contribute more to the organization and over time
get promoted to positions with more responsibility.
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Get an executive MBA
Get an executive MBA if your organization helps you with
the tuition. If they do not support you in this, consider getting one with your own re-
sources. This will pay off in the long run.
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Get certifications
Get certified in programs such as PMP and ITIL.
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Leave dead-end jobs
Sometimes there will be no growth inside an organization des-
pite your best efforts. The reasons could be political, or maybe you work for an organ-
ization that is small and is not catering to your needs. If you are in this kind of situ-
ation, it is best to seek another opportunity outside the organization and then quit your
current position.
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Join a systems integrator
Joining a systems integrator such as IBM, Accenture, or
Deloitte can help accelerate your career growth. Systems integrators usually have
faster career paths than the typical Fortune 500 company.
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Make a lateral move
Once you make it to a senior IT role with a systems integrator
you can consider making a lateral move into a senior-level position in a Fortune 500
company. For example, once you reach a senior manager position with a leading sys-
tems integrator, it is more practical to seek a position as an IT director in a Fortune
500 company.
Strategies for the Basis Independent Consultant
The most difficult role to break into in the SAP market is the independent contractor
role—especially one that pays good hourly rates. It has become more difficult in recent
years because of economic slowdown. However, there are strategies you can use to break in-
to the SAP independent contractor role. Consider the following strategies:
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Become specialized
With the increased complexity of the SAP Basis role, organiza-
tions look for SAP Basis specialists in certain areas such as SAP SRM, SAP SCM,
and SAP CRM. Organizations do not have trouble finding general Basis administrat-
ors, but specialists are hard to find. Specializing in such areas will therefore help im-
prove your chances of getting a contract.
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Develop cutting-edge skills
Be on top of your game, and acquire cutting-edge skills
and difficult skills, such as setting up high availability, performing SAP migrations,
performing upgrades with Unicode conversion, server consolidations, virtualization
infrastructures, cloud computing, archiving, and HANA.
