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Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#41

Post by czbond »

hyperpape wrote: post #14
czbond wrote: post #2

What level in your career are you at? If you're recently out of school, the easiest way I know of is to get hired into one of the big 4 consulting firms. (eg: PwC, Accenture, etc). Associates are hired with little experience - related experience is fine. If you're more senior, possibly take an "around the edges" approach - or specialize in the underlying integration technology (eg: java, etc...whatever it is). Creati…

I have limited knowledge of this world, so I'm curious: higher salaries compared to what segment? And boring compared to what segment? Run of the mill non-SAP software that runs on some corporate intranet? Consumer-facing crud apps?

I just did a search on GlassDoor for some of the Big 4, and intro salaries for "Sap consultant" (usually 0-3 years experience) was $103k USD. Cybersecurity engineers in that range were $78-85k (usually a higher paid group of Big 4).

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#42

Post by kamikaz1k »

manicdee wrote: post #40
VT_Drew wrote: post #27

>How do you break into a career in a niche field like SAP development. OH GOD WHY? Have you used SAP? SAP is the most expensive pile of shit I have ever seen. No company in their right mind would deploy such a system at this point in time.

The rates for SAP consultants are double to triple what I am getting. For me, I would prefer to be paid three times what I am getting now to maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software, given that what I do now is maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software. The difference in salary, put into perspective: on my current rates I need to save for three years to buy a Model 3. On double the salary, I can buy a…

The difference is those consultants have already been in the field accruing experience for several years. If you enter now, you'll unable to command those compensation packages. Or even if you manage to, it will not last long. There are 100s of thousands of consultants from offshored operations that will gladly undercut you.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#43

Post by flukus »

kamikaz1k wrote: post #42
manicdee wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The rates for SAP consultants are double to triple what I am getting. For me, I would prefer to be paid three times what I am getting now to maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software, given that what I do now is maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software. The difference in salary, put into perspective: on my current rates I need to save for three years to buy a Model 3. On double the salary, I can buy a…

The difference is those consultants have already been in the field accruing experience for several years. If you enter now, you'll unable to command those compensation packages. Or even if you manage to, it will not last long. There are 100s of thousands of consultants from offshored operations that will gladly undercut you.

Considering the level of "skill" I've seen in these consultants (not enough to consider a decent sample size) I wonder how long it would take to get to expert level proficiency?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#44

Post by WhitneyLand »

manicdee wrote: post #40
VT_Drew wrote: post #27

>How do you break into a career in a niche field like SAP development. OH GOD WHY? Have you used SAP? SAP is the most expensive pile of shit I have ever seen. No company in their right mind would deploy such a system at this point in time.

The rates for SAP consultants are double to triple what I am getting. For me, I would prefer to be paid three times what I am getting now to maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software, given that what I do now is maintain someone's piece of crap legacy software. The difference in salary, put into perspective: on my current rates I need to save for three years to buy a Model 3. On double the salary, I can buy a…

No, not once you compare apples to apples with similar development skill sets, talent, experience, subject matter expertise. It's not double or triple.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#45

Post by WhitneyLand »

jbob2000 wrote: post #32
VT_Drew wrote: post #27

>How do you break into a career in a niche field like SAP development. OH GOD WHY? Have you used SAP? SAP is the most expensive pile of shit I have ever seen. No company in their right mind would deploy such a system at this point in time.

The SAP developers at my friend's company bill at $350/hour, minimum 3 hours.

Doesn't mean much because they are only paying that rate based on the reputation of the company they hire.

For example if the average SAP dev at your friend's company left to do independent consulting, the rate wouldn't even be in the same ballpark.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#46

Post by jorgthuijls »

As an SAP (ABAP and web) developer: I stumbled upon an internship 10 years ago which provided me with some formal training and a company to work for. It's not an easy specialty to get into. Most developers I know are either converted key users or the old school mainframe type guys since ABAP resembles COBOL in it's syntax. The younger ones generally come in through the large consulting companies who move massive amounts of juniors around to see who fits where. Think IBM, wipro, TCS.

These days it's a little bit easier because you can get developer editions of HANA for free, and their front end framework is open source (UI5).

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#47

Post by 1337biz »

knight17 wrote: post #21
cobbzilla wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

another minor nitpick-- Arthur Anderson had just recently spun off its consulting division as Accenture before the Enron scandal hit, not in reaction to it. It was a move that had been planned for some time. And I'm sure they thanked their lucky stars they completed the spin-off before Enron; Accenture was safely insulated from the fallout that absolutely killed Arthur Anderson.

Auditors cannot provide other services—mainly tax and IT—to audit clients for auditor independence (SOX in the US, Combined Code in the UK and similar laws are in application worldwide). All Big4 firms had to shelve their IT consulting to separate divisions or into new companies which most later sold: Arthur Anderson formed Anderson Consulting which later became Accenture. Ernst Young - Ernst & Young Consulting which…

They all seem to have re-started their consulting activites. Not sure what makes it different this time.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into a niche field like SAP development?

#50

Post by kekimchi »

pmoriarty wrote: post #35
jbob2000 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The SAP developers at my friend's company bill at $350/hour, minimum 3 hours.

One of the main reasons I picked my current career is because it paid relatively well. I came to regret it. I got burnt out and grew to hate it. I wish I'd chosen a career in something I really loved instead, even if it didn't pay that well.

What career are you in?
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