The Next Hottest SAP Skill

For as long as I can remember, there have been questions like “does [insert SAP product] have a future?”, “what is the best SAP module?”, “what should I learn to have a [well-paying] job in 5 years?”, etc.

Someone always jumps in to answer these because people yearn to be useful as much as they desire to know the future. But I have very bad news: no one knows what will happen in the next minute, much less in 5 years.

Any prediction would be as valid as a random number generator. Let’s spin The Wheel of SAP Buzzwords and see what comes out! Bleep, bloop, SAP BTP. Bleep, bloop, Integration Suite. Or SAP EWM. Or… [spinning] Analytics Cloud! Take your pick. Who can tell if these are wrong or right?

Granted, we can foresee with some degree of certainty what technology or product is on the way to obsoletion. And we can tell from the SAP roadmaps what is being invested in. But “correlation <> causation” and this information doesn’t necessarily have a direct influence on the job market. Five years down the road, you might as well be the last person who knows SAPScript or Web Dynpro, and desperate ECC customers will be throwing money at you. Or you could end up among thousands of the unemployed BTP “experts” who took the same course. It’s a game of supply and demand. And you’re not the only one playing.

That doesn’t mean we should all just give up and drift through life aimlessly, though. But instead of chasing the next hottest skill, I have a simple piece of advice for anyone who wants to have a successful career. Write this down, folks. Become really good at something you’re interested in.

I don’t subscribe to the idea that "if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Most of us will still need to work even if we’d rather sleep or play video games instead. But it sure is easier when you do what you like. History also isn’t full of famous people being great at things they hate. Leonardo wasn’t going around asking “suggest me what to do”. He just did what he loved. And if you want an SAP portfolio named after you in the future, I recommend the same. JP

This story previously appeared in the Boring Enterprise Nerdletter #77. Subscribe now to get new stories in your Inbox!