"News and Insights on SAP Certification - with Sue Martin of SAP"Podcast Interview Date: July 8, 2008
Podcast: Listen Now!
The value of SAP certification for SAP professionals might be the most frequently asked career question of all time. In this special edition podcast, co-hosted by Demir Barlas of SearchSAP, Jon discusses the key issues in SAP certification with Sue Martin, Global Certification Portfolio Manager for SAP.
During the podcast, Jon poses the "hot button" SAP certification topics that he always wanted to ask, including Sue's take on the relevance of SAP certification to hiring managers, and the value of SAP certification for those trying to break into SAP. Sue also explains the new three-tiered SAP certification program, the latest efforts to make SAP certification exames more location-accessible, and what's coming up for SAP certification at TechEd 2008.
By the time the podcast is over, Jon and Demir get Sue's take on many of the questions JonERP.com readers have posed about SAP certification - including Sue's news that more than 80 percent of SAP hiring managers surveyed say that certification factors heavily into their hiring decisions.
This forty-two minute podcast includes the following highlights:
4:00 - SAP Three-Tiered Certification - Sue gives the context for three certification levels that SAP has developed (Associate, Professional, and Master). The Associates level is similar to the "traditional" SAP Certification. The Professional and Master levels are intended to validate deeper levels of expertise.
9:45 - Sue details the timeframe for when the higher SAP certification levels will be available.
11:00 - Hands-on Component - How the hands-on skills of SAP consultants are going to be assessed at the higher SAP certification levels. Sue also details more on how the SAP Certified Master certification level will be assessed.
16:40 - Certification Relevant to Hiring? - Jon asks Sue the
question he's always wanted to ask: from SAP's vantage point, is SAP
Certification relevant to SAP Hiring Managers. The answer? Yes!
Increasingly so. (82% of SAP Managers surveyed recently reported that
SAP Certification plays a "critical role" in hiring decisions.
20:00 - Online Exam Viability and Onsite Expansion - Online
certification exams are not viable due to security/integrity issues,
but SAP has recently expanded to 4,000+ test centers globally through
its test center partnership with Pearson VUE.
23:25 - Using SAP Certification for Breaking into SAP - Jon is
skeptical of those "freshers" who assume (or are told) that having SAP
Certification is all they need to break into SAP. Jon asks Sue for her
take on this and whether SAP can avoid a backlash of resentment by
those who get certified but can't find a project. Sue has confidence in
SAP certification for those breaking in, especially in today's market.
26:41 - Third Party Certification Providers - Demir asks Sue about how SAP regulates the quality control of third party SAP Certification providers.
30:30 - University Alliance and Certifications - Demir gets
Sue's take for how SAP certification and the University Alliance
program fit together. Sue explains how the two programs complement each
other and how they fit together.
36:20 - SAP's Plans for Certification at TechEd - Sue tells us
how last year's onsite certification testing program has been tweaked
for this year, and what lies ahead for SAP certification. SAP now also
has new logos for certified consultants at all three levels.