Are employers rejecting people with years of experience because they are uncertified? That's a mixed story, says Marc Bouteloupt, a senior account manager for a major SAP recruitment agency in the City, Maximus. 'It matters to certain employers and not others. If you have ten years SAP experience, I’d say it really makes no difference. Employers will always look for real world experience.' 

We'll get back to the individuals in Roche's target list in a second; but how about SAP itself? Actually, he really means SAP partners, in Bouteloupt's viewpoint: 'The big consultancies really like being able to say their people have SAP certification, it helps them get more credibility. For firms like IBM Global Services and Deloitte, it's a big part of their marketing.' 

'Getting SAP qualifications costs a lot of money,' claims Maximus' Bouteloupt. 'If you are freelance, if you have experience and are looking to move to your second or third employer, I'd say there is no real need.' 

From the point of view of the manager loosking to buy education resources and the IT professional assessing his training needs, while the new SAP certification is obviously of importance to the company and its partners, is the time, cost and effort needed to get the new SAP certifications going to be worth it?

The answer seems to be 'most definitely', especially if you are starting out - and maybe even if not. 'Though we prize work experience when we talk to prospective employers, any qualification gives you more credibility in the marketplace and especially if you are a new graduate or early on in your SAP career. It can really open doors,' recommends Bouteloupt.

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