SAP recently started promoting "If you are SAP Certified and want a SAP Certification Logo to use on your Resume or Email Signature" to email them for additional details. I thought it would interesting to see the Certification logo and start to promote it especially given all the hard work the Certification 5 team has done over the past year. If you are not familiar I would highly recommend reading their presentation as well as filling out the certification survey.
It turns out that the Certification logo is ONLY for individuals that have a current release or recent SAP certification which doesn’t apply to me as I got my SAP HR (now HCM) certification back in 1998 at the SAP Partner Academy. SAP was kind enough to provide me a link where I could sign up for the exam to update my certification credentials.
It was very interesting that when I got certified 12 years ago I not only got a fossil watch but also able to get my foot in the door at a consulting company and now I am not even able to get a logo. I have no problem updating my certification but I need to see the value in doing so and am watching the Certification 5 to see if they are able to influence SAP to make the changes needed to restore SAP certification to something more desirable and respected in the industry. In addition I have worked for the past 4 years on ECC 6.0 and been at clients that were involved in ramp ups for EHP1, EHP2 and EHP4 so my SAP HCM skills are already very current even though my certification isn’t.
I had a good exchange on Twitter with Nathan Genez who is a SAP Mentor and he said "I'll be damned if I’m going to spend $ for any kind of certification if SAP can't first honor the ones I already have" and I couldn’t agree more. I believe individuals like Nathan and myself will be the type SAP will look towards when they finally roll out their Masters certification as not only do we have deep SAP experience and respect in the industry but are certified in their respective areas albeit many years ago which is why the current strategy regarding the logo is not wise in my opinion.
I can respect the fact that rolling out a new program and promoting certification via logos is a big task but in the same vein if it is going to be done it should be done right which means recognizing EVERY valid certification that was done at a SAP training facility as a starting point. This would take a big step forward with all the individuals that misrepresent that they are certified and also keep the options open if they wanted to do something different for the new associate and professional credentials.
As it currently sits a majority of the people in the marketplace that will be using the new logos will be entry level individuals that have an associate certification. As I was and entry level consultant many years ago I know now how little I really knew after getting my certification. Is this the group that SAP wants to have front and center to help promote the value of certification in the marketplace? I don’t believe it is.
