|
Are
ERP Positions Immune From the Technology Downturn? Greg
Haskins called me again today (names changed to protect
the innocent and unemployed).
“Has anything changed Jordan? What’s out there
for me? Can you get me a
gig in Las Vegas?” My response
to Greg hasn’t changed over the past 6 weeks. He’s
one of the strongest technical
PeopleSoft Consultants I know. I’ve been working with
him almost exclusively since
1993 and he’s never had a problem getting his next
assignment. Greg is just now opening
his eyes to a potentially larger problem for himself unless
he can change the way he markets
himself to prospective hiring managers. But getting a “techie”
to change his ways
can be a very daunting task.
Oh how
I pine for the 1990’s. While placing SAP and PeopleSoft
professionals, I could do no
wrong. “No
resume? No problem!” “Fresh
out of your ABAP training course? Here’s a great position
just waiting for you!” Those
days are most certainly behind us. Blame it on the economy,
outsourcing agreements,
the influx of H1B workers or all three. The fact of the
matter still remains that
the number of positions in the ERP marketplace has most
certainly declined. But is the
outlook for ERP job opportunities as bleak as the overall
outlook for technology positions?
My expert and highly qualified answer to that question is
“Well, that depends.”
Hiring
managers are no longer looking for individuals who roll
up their sleeves, put their heads
down and code all day long. “Programmer/Analyst”
positions are almost nonexistent. We are
living in a buyer’s market and the name of the game
is functional, or “soft”,
skills. While having the required technical skill set is
important, hiring managers are
looking at resumes and trying to find the individuals who
understand the technology and
its impact on the company as a whole. If an
apparel company is implementing a PeopleSoft Financial solution,
the employer has the
luxury of looking for candidates with specific functional
knowledge in financials (perhaps
a CPA), previous experience in the retail marketplace and
how that package works
most effectively for that type of operation. Oh, and of
course PeopleCode and SQL skills.
Building
a strong resume is never an easy task for job seekers to
master. It is a marketing tool
that is key to getting in front of the hiring manager and
securing a good position. Focusing
just on your technical prowess will lead to nothing but
a dead end. Candidates must
differentiate themselves from the herd and focus on their
ability to manage resources
and/or assist in the functional aspects of a project. This
is the key to getting noticed
and standing out from the crowd. And
whether you like it or not, another key component of winning
a contract or permanent
job opportunity is price. Budget-strapped organizations
are fighting tooth and nail
for money so they can enhance technological performance
while, at the same time, justify
their own worth to the organization. Candidates must be
able to show value in dollars
as well as in skill set.
Simply put, the rate you were able
to get two years ago is not
what you can expect today. And while there are still many
exceptions to that rule, it is the
candidates that market themselves the best that are able
to procure the most financial
reward. If you
are working with a recruiting firm that you can trust, then
lean on their advice as to what
the market will bear for your particular skill set. I realize
there can sometimes be a trust
issue here, but I would most certainly take their advice
to heart before making up your
own mind. Talk
to friends that are in a similar boat as you and ask them
what their experiences have been.
Stay away from the advice of those who are gainfully employed
or have not come off
of an assignment for 2+ years. Their advice can be clouded
and not in touch with the current
state of the market. I would
also spend some time looking at job boards as many of the
posted positions have rate
information. BE WILLING
TO BE FLEXIBLE. Haven’t traveled in the past? Get
ready to do so. Not
used to earning less. The time has come to do a little belt
tightening. Haggling on your
salary or rate is understandably necessary in some instances.
But keep in mind that you
are trying to stand out from the crowd. The hiring manager
has a dozen other resumes
on his or her desk from people that would be more than happy
to be in your shoes.
ERP
jobs exist. But they’re not going to find you. Learn
from Greg’s mistakes and make yourself
more marketable. Jordan
Haberfield is the Managing Director of Excel Partner, a
niche staffing and consulting firm that has
been
focused on the ERP marketplace since 1992. Jordan can be
reached at
jhaberfield@excelpartner.com.
|
