Blog It Forward – Thomas Jung
This blog is a part of the “Blog It Forward” challenge and I received my Blog It Forward relay from Yariv Zur.
Introduction
My name is Thomas Jung and I’m an SAP Mentor who also is an SAP employee. 16 years ago on my first day on the job fresh out of university, I found myself in an SAP implementation kickoff meeting and I’ve just been riding the wave ever since. For the first 10 years of that adventure I did ABAP development for two different divisions at Kimball International – Furniture Sales and Electronics Manufacturing. I was lucky enough to work with a great group of people during my years at Kimball but ultimately decided that I wanted to work for SAP itself. From there I have done Product Management/Solution Management for ABAP, Web Dynpro, MDM, NetWeaver Voice, etc. Since the beginning of this year, I’m happily back in Product Mangement at SAP working with HANA development tools.
I’m married and have three children. Here is a picture of the family at the headquarters of that rival software company.
And since Yariv Zur specifically called out the fact that I have a data center in my home, I thought I should share a picture to set the record straight. After all I only have the 2nd largest SAP data center in Jasper, IN. 🙂
Amazingly that picture actually sums up my work and personal interest really well. It was just a spur of the moment snap shot, but now I see plenty of “Easter Eggs” in there.
Where would you live, if you couldn’t live where you do today?
That’s a tough question, because over the years I’ve turned down some good opportunites to stay where I’m at. Even when I made the big job change, coming to SAP, I still live in the same general area where I grew up. I think its valuable for my kids to be able to grow up close to their grandparents and other extended family. That closeness to family pretty much trumps everything else. The low cost of living, good school system, and zero crime rate doesn’t hurt either.
If I could choose anywhere else, I would probably cheat and choose a town just outside of where I live now. Maybe just slightly closer to the airport. If I were forced to choose something farther away it would be Melbourne, Florida. Between the beach, NASA, close location to Orlando (we have family there as well) and a killer New York style pizza stand right off the beach; this city has a lot to offer.
Hasso is on the phone – you get to pick your dream job in SAP. What would it be?
At the risk of sounding incredibly complacent after my previous answer, I would have to say I want the job I have right now. I’m doing exactly what I love and I get to work with cutting edge techology. Product Management lets me be hands-on with the technology every day and yet also gives me opportunities to write and talk about the technology. Just when you think you might get board with one type of task, something completely new comes along.
Now, while I had Hasso on the phone I might hit him up for just one more server….
What do you enjoy most in your work and why?
Maybe I should have read ahead to this question before answering the previous one. 🙂 I’ve pretty must summed up this answer in my defense of why I would want my current job over any other within SAP.
I would llike to blog it forward to the following people:
- Rich Heilman – My fellow Enterprise Geek and for few months now co-worker
- Lori Vanourek – Also a great co-worker
- Ed Herrmann – He is kind of dealing with a hurricane evaculation right now, so I kind of have my doubts he will have time soon
I would ask that they please answer one or more of the following questions:
- What was the most fun project I ever participated in?
- What was your dream job as a kid?
- What is your favorite place in the world?
- And just for Rich – Who is your favorite co-author ever?
Be sure to follow the Blog It Forward Chain to see where it will lead…
Great family pictures and so amazing that all that "HANA" server power is in your office right in Indiana.
Looking forward to more blog-it-forwards
Can't wait for Rich's answer on favorite co-author too. Bonus questions are great.
Hi Tom,
Thanks for rising to the occasion with your #blogitforward blog!
That is a mighty impressive data center you have. May I ask, who do you call for support?
Re: Your job. That's great that you are doing what you love - who could ever ask for more? It must be why you are so good at it!
Hmmmm. I wonder who Rich Heilman will choose. 🙂
Cheers,
Sue
>May I ask, who do you call for support?
As I found out the other day when I had to do a restore on my systems; the chain of support is pretty much just me. It forces you to have to learn to do all kinds of things that you would never know about if the system was hosted in the data center.
That was a gr8 blog Tom. 'Blog It Forward Community Challenge' is a very innovative initiative....looking forward reading all blogs that are passed on .. cheers. 🙂
Wow Tom, your right arm is really long! Is that from lugging all those HANA boxes around?
p.s. Nice post
At first I couldn't understand why you said my right arm is really long. Only after you said that and I looked at the picture did I get it. It does look like my arm is stretching across everyone's back. No crazy photoshop involved in that part of the picture, however. That's actually my wife's hand on my daughter's sholder, not mine.
Great post, Thomas. Too bad you blew the secret why HANA is out-of-this-world-fast....
😉
I still can't get over the fact that every time I read your name the first thought is "german" - it's probably the most german name of any of the US SAP guys I know. Any ancestors in germany...?
>probably the most german name of any of the US SAP guys I know. Any ancestors in germany...?
Lots. Both sides of my family immigrated from Germany in the late 1800s - early 1900s. I had one grandparent born in German and immigrated when he was 3 years old. The whole area of Indiana I live in was largely setted by Germans in that time frame. We still have a Strassenfest each August to celebrate the German heritage of the area:
http://www.jasperstrassenfest.org/
And we have one of the best German restraunts outside of Germany:
http://www.schnitzelbank.com/
Thomas, thank you for sharing. Such a nice family picture!
I remember watching your old presentations (on SCN or at online events a while ago) and thinking "wow, this guy speaks English so well". Now that explains it. 🙂
Almost sad to hear that you kind of moved away from good ol' ABAP, but I guess now we know where the future is. 🙂
Hi Thomas,
Good Day!
First photo, that you have posted is best one! It reaches everyonesz mind!
Your company look like star war movie environment. Different place and different setup!
Thanks for sharing about you and your experience. Its mindblowing!
Regards,
Hari Suseelan