Daniel is an SAP Recruitment Director at Eursap, a specialist SAP recruitment agency, with more than 20 years of experience in tech recruitment.
Over the course of his career, he has personally placed more than 1,000 SAP consultants across Europe and has managed and overseen recruitment across a wide range of SAP clients and projects.
There is an assumption that SAP is a very technical career path, and in some respects, it is.
Companies do need people with knowledge of systems, processes, configuration, data, and business change. However, when recruiters evaluate SAP candidates, technical skills are not the only thing they focus on.
This is especially important for women entering tech, returning to work, changing careers, or applying for their first SAP role. You do not always need to tick every box in a job advert to be a strong candidate. In SAP recruitment, the best applicants are often those who can demonstrate how they think, how they communicate, and how they solve problems.
Recruiters look for business understanding
The SAP system is an integral part of the way in which many organisations operate. SAP is used by companies in areas like finance, supply chain management, HR, procurement, manufacturing, sales, and customer service. This implies that an understanding of SAP should go beyond the understanding of the system itself.
If you have worked in any of these fields before, it may mean that you have gained skills that will come in handy in SAP. You may have had experience working with purchase orders, invoices, payroll, reporting, stock control, or HR information systems. This experience is important since it allows you to understand the needs of the users.
It is very important to highlight these skills on your resume. When applying for SAP positions, do not emphasise technical skills alone, but the processes involved as well.
Communication matters more than people think
A common mistake candidates make when applying for SAP roles is assuming they require only technical skills. In reality, many SAP positions involve regular interaction with end users, requirements gathering, change communication, testing, and collaboration across multiple teams.
Recruiters are consistently looking for people who can communicate complex ideas clearly. This applies whether you are applying for a functional consultant role, support role, project role, or junior analyst position.
Any experience in training colleagues, customer support, writing documentation, running meetings, or engaging with senior stakeholders should be highlighted. These are not just “soft skills” but can be essential in SAP roles.
Recruiters want evidence, not just keywords
SAP job adverts often contain keywords such as S/4HANA, FICO, MM, SD, SuccessFactors, Ariba, BW, ABAP, and more. These keywords are important for matching candidates to roles, but they are not enough on their own to make a CV stand out.
Your resume should provide evidence of your skills and experiences. For example, instead of just stating that you have SAP MM experience, it would be better to also indicate if you’ve dealt with purchase orders, participated in testing, worked with master data, user training, process improvement, defect raising, or migration projects.
Transferable skills can open doors
If you are moving into SAP from another industry, don’t hide your previous experience. Reframe it instead.
An educator may have strong communication and training skills. A finance assistant is likely familiar with invoicing and accounting processes. An HR administrator will understand the employee lifecycle. A retail manager will have experience in inventory management and customer service. All of these can be relevant to SAP roles.
The key is how well you connect your previous experience to SAP requirements. Recruiters are more likely to consider your application favourably when they can clearly see that connection.
Attitude and learning mindset are important
SAP is continuously evolving, and no one knows everything. The recruiters know this. What they are looking for in a candidate is curiosity, willingness to learn, and the capability to continually improve their skills.
It is very helpful, especially for new graduates and those seeking a first job. If you have undergone SAP training, attended webinars, worked on personal projects, and learned about business processes, make sure to highlight this experience.
During the interview process, admit what you have not done yet, but balance it with what you are doing to learn.
Confidence can make a difference
Many applicants, unfortunately, rule themselves out too early by assuming they must meet every requirement in a job description. In reality, job postings are often more of a wish list. Recruiters regularly speak with candidates who are a strong fit, even if they do not meet every single criterion.
If you meet many of the key requirements and have relevant experience, it is still worth applying. A recruiter can help assess whether the role could be a good match for you.
Confidence is not about overstating your skills or experience, but about understanding what you can do and being able to clearly communicate it.
Final thoughts
Recruiters are not only looking for the person with the longest list of SAP modules. They are looking for candidates who understand business problems, communicate clearly, learn quickly, and can work well with others.
For women starting or growing a career in SAP, this is good news. Your previous experience, people skills, and problem-solving ability may be more relevant than you think.
Before applying for your next SAP role, look again at your CV. Ask yourself: have I shown what I can do, how I think, and the value I can bring?
That is what helps a candidate stand out.
