Even though many of our graduates will have progressed in their careers since completing a case study, they are still of interest to students who wish to gain an understanding of the world of work.

As a SAP delivery manager I am responsible for SAP implementation projects. This can either be sole responsibility for a small upgrade type project, or as part of a wider delivery team on a large transformation project. Management responsibilities include planning projects, and agreeing a timeline with the client. Agreeing deliverables involved, and managing the team of functional and technical consultants responsible for building the agreed upon solution.

My typical week will start with travelling to the client location, and then completing all of the below on a weekly basis:
Planning of project phases, tracking progress vs the plan, reporting both to the client and to senior management, project risk and issue management, stakeholder management, and escalation management.

The ability to travel to new countries and new places is my favourite part of consulting. However, not all locations are 'glamorous' and you will be asked to work in some not particularly interesting or well connected parts of the country !

Having to establish relationships with clients once a project has started. This is difficult as you will spend a lot of time and effort with client stakeholders to establish a good working relationship. Once the project is complete you will have to repeat this cycle with a new set of stakeholders, each with different styles of management.

As a consultant each project tends to last between 6-12 months, and projects tend to be run out of client offices. The main attraction was that you move around working in different countries, different offices, and with different people. For example I have spent time working in Ireland, the USA, and around the United Kingdom.

SAP Qualifications
Project Management Certifications

3 years working in two different consultancies.
Prince 2 project management qualified.
SAP Analytical certifications in progress.

I plan to remain in consulting and to become an experienced project manager. I would like to one day setup my own boutique consultancy.

Focus on qualifications and information technology related courses whilst at university. Excel is one of the most important parts of the job, so take courses that require data analysis and analytical skills development.