Month: April 2020

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Growing your career: permanent & freelance IT Consultants

Free IT Courses for Locked-Down Tech Pros

Free IT Courses for Locked-Down Tech Pros
Several online learning platforms and software manufacturers have made some free IT courses so that tech professionals can exit this crisis better prepared.

It’s probably safe to say that we all have uttered these words at some point in our lives — If I had more time, I would….

With a good part of the world on lockdown to fight the expansion of COVID-19, now it might be the perfect time to put this premise to the test. Even if your effective schedule remains unaltered and you are simply working from home, there’s still a lot that you can do with whatever time you’re saving by not having to commute.With this in mind, several online learning platforms and software manufacturers have made some courses available for free so that tech and IT professionals like yourself can exit this crisis better prepared. These courses add to the already extensive list of free online resources that were already accessible before the quarantine. 

Re-skilling and continuous learning are a must for those looking to advance their career in a field like technology, where skill shortages are a prevalent problem and tools are constantly being updated. Accordingly, we suggest you make the most of the extra time on hand by benefitting from the below resources.

Coursera

The eLearning powerhouse has always offered a multitude of free courses from ivy-league universities and top technical schools across the globe — especially if you didn’t mind not receiving an official diploma for which you had to pay. However, and until May 31, a total of 100 courses will be accessible for free through the platform.

The reviews team at Business Insider has gone through the list of courses and identified 9 of them related to computer science. You will obtain an official certificate upon completion, at no cost and even enjoying access to otherwise premium features like homework grading and expanded reading materials

Hurry up, as most of these courses start today, April 08 – and make sure to add that certificate to your CV and LinkedIn profile once the course is completed. 

The list includes:

Udemy

With a somewhat more of a quick-bite and mobile mentality, Udemy offers a wide variety of courses and tutorials in dozens of topics. These are taught by subject matter experts and eLearning initiatives directly, without requiring the involvement of a third-party institution. 

The portal has made available over 530 courses for free so we can all invest in our education in the upcoming weeks. A lot of these focus on IT-related topics, from data science to videogame design.

Examples include:      

Codeacademy

A household name in tech education and computing, Codeacademy offers free courses on topics spanning from coding to computational theory and web development. The possibilities are almost endless, and you can even choose specific skill paths like building chatbots with Python or creating front-end apps with React.  

CompTIA IT Fundamentals

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), known globally for its reputed certification programs, is offering free 30-day learning licenses for its IT Fundamentals (ITF+) curriculum. The overall course is probably too introductory if you are a seasoned tech expert, but you might find it touches on topics you haven’t had time to explore.

You can also pass the link along to anyone who is considering a career in IT but is not quite sure yet.

SAP and Microsoft

Another career-advancement option for these days of confinement is investing time in official vendor certifications and learning programs. These let you master some of the world’s most ubiquitous software tools and validate your skills in front of the community.

Leading ERP provider SAP is providing free access to a total of 35 courses to prepare for its official certifications. You even get a free first attempt at the official exam. The courses cover areas including building bots with SAP’s RPA or the business migration to S/4HANA – a course that can give you a great competitive edge given S/4HANA’s growing momentum.  

Additionally, Microsoft Learn offers a comprehensive host of learning resources for Dynamics 365, Microsoft 365, or the Power Platform. among others. Just keep in mind that, to protect its staff from the virus, Microsoft has implemented some changes in its user policy, as well as extended certain courses and deadlines. Here’s a full list of changes.    

Don’t forget your soft skills

Last but not least, think of dedicating some time to develop your soft skills. In IT, it is becoming increasingly vital to possess a strong set of soft skills to complement your technical ones – from interpersonal communication to adaptability and creative thinking.

Or perhaps you should focus on your mental health and resilience? LinkedIn Learning is providing free mindfulness courses to help people cope with lockdowns.

Also discover our guide: IT Job Hunting Done Well: A Step-by-Step Guide

Categories
ERP & SAP Job Descriptions

The Different S/4HANA Roles

These are the different S/4HANA roles that IT professionals can choose to take to jump on the S/4HANA banwagon and boost their career

What are the different S/4HANA roles that IT professionals can choose to take?

As a result of the impending 2030 deadline, businesses still relying on SAP’s older software find themselves in a race against the clock to migrate to S/4HANA; a lengthy and hefty task. But early adoption has been sluggish, and few SAP specialists have had the chance to get hands-on experience with the technology.

Demand for S/4 skills is higher than ever and will only increase in the coming months. Both newcomers and SAP veterans have now the chance to jump on the S/4HANA bandwagon and give a boost to their career.  

Functional vs. Technical roles

Just as with ECC6, there are two main categories of S/4HANA roles: functional and technical. However, these two categories often overlap with one another, and the best specialists have a combination of the two.

Then, functional roles essentially serve as the link between business and solution development, helping organisations design and implement S/4HANA environments. These profiles combine a sound technical understanding of SAP’s ERP suite with domain expertise – having knowledge of, for example, finance or HR. They also possess strong communication and leadership capabilities. Therefore, a functional expert has a strong business background and a very good understanding of business flows and processes. Thus, that leads them to be responsible for customising the ecosystem after the implementation of new flows or after an evolution in the core model.

On the other hand, technical roles, as the name suggests, have more to do with the development (coding), monitoring and running of S/4HANA applications. Their main strength is in IT, and less so in industry knowledge or interpersonal skills. However, that doesn’t mean technical profiles don’t need to be competent in these areas – soft skills are becoming more and more crucial for IT professionals.  

Functional roles

Specialists in functional S/4HANA roles come from a technical background or are at least well-versed in the technical requirements and capabilities of S/4HANA. Then, domain or industry expertise is a must, as they must have a good grasp of all those non-IT-related concepts to design efficient solutions.

Moreover, a great part of the functional specialist’s job is coordinating with business leaders, end-users and all the other roles involved in the SAP project. Consequently, they also must be good communicators and have well-developed project management and organisational skills. 

Also, the specific role within the team mostly depends on the depth of focus and level of seniority. The main functional roles include:    

Business Analyst

Firstly, SAP Business Analysts are responsible for assessing and defining the business case driving S/4HANA implementation. These professionals understand the ins and outs of SAP’s platform, leveraging great business and industry acumen to identify what ERP solutions can be applied to optimise company operations. They also help train end-users in the use of the platform.

They often come from a business background or have extensive experience in the specific industry and practice (e.g. Finance or manufacturing), a skillset they complement with S/4 training and know-how. Others started in IT and have later garnered valuable business and consultancy expertise.  

Application / Module expert

These are very focused business analysts or more technical profiles specialised in a particular S/4HANA module (e.g. Finance, Sales). These subject matter experts can provide advice and implement SAP components or oversee their day-to-day operations — or both. It is a must for module experts to be proficient in the area of business to which their module relates.

A good example of an SAP application expert is the SAP FI/CO consultant or analyst. These professionals are specialists in de Finance and Controlling modules, expertise which they combine with financial wisdom to help companies produce reports and streamline operational costs. 

Solution Architect

As their title suggests, solution architects are the ones designing the S/4HANA environment based on the company’s business needs. They also have a big-picture mentality, which they mix with a deep understanding of SAP tools and other software and hardware tools to devise custom-made ERP systems.

In addition, architects need to be good at communicating their vision and collaborating across the many teams involved in a project, both in technical roles and in more business-related areas.

Project Manager

Somewhat the least technical role of them all, the project manager coordinates the full life-cycle implementation and configuration of S/4HANA projects. Think of them as a sports team coach. The project manager keeps track of project goals and progress while ensuring that every moving part is on the same page.

Moreover, these are individuals with strong leadership and communication skills and that have a knack for problem-solving. They possess a good understanding of the S/4HANA platform and its different modules. In fact, SAP project managers usually have a business background as well as expertise in core modules (e.g. Supply Chain or Finance). Under today’s continuous improvement and delivery (CI/CD) paradigm, project managers must also be proficient in Agile development methodologies.

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Technical roles

These are the developers and specialists responsible for delivering and maintaining the SAP solutions as designed by the functional half of the team. Technical specialists are also often involved in the design phase of a project and can help advice on capabilities or ways of approaching a problem. The best specialists in technical positions tend to have good business and domain knowledge and are able to put themselves in the shoes of the functional specialist.

Technical S/4HANA roles include:   

ABAP Developer

Creates, tests and implements S/4HANA solutions using SAP’s proprietary ABAP language. These are SAP’s hardcore coders, in charge of the platform’s back end and making the application work. They also are, of course, great coders, and they need to possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

The best ABAP developers combine mastery of S/4HANA modules with great creativity to deliver efficient and lean software solutions. They are also fluent in DevOps and Agile development methodologies and work well in CI/CD product cycles. 

SAP Fiori Developer

They are the front-end counterpart of ABAP developers. SAP Fiori is SAP’s advanced user experience (UX) engine. Fiori developers work together with their ABAP piers to develop the visual interface of S/4HANA applications.

In addition, these technical professionals are good coders, but they also possess skills in end-user-related areas like psychology

SAP Basis Administrator

The equivalent of a System Administrator in other platforms, SAP Basis administrators configure and ensure the correct performance and the reliability of the whole S/4 environment. They also have a mix of technical and interpersonal capabilities and do a lot of landscape management and monitoring.

Basis administrators have a deep understanding of the S/4HANA ecosystem and its different modules, but they are also knowledgeable in ABAP, Linux and Java. They also have good collaboration skills, as they need to coordinate with technical colleagues and end-users to keep the system in perfect shape. 

Security Analyst

Moreover, administers and monitors security roles and authorization profiles for S/4 systems. Security analysts can be also considered a more focused version of a basis administrator, combining deep technical knowledge of the SAP environment with a focus on security.

Security analysts are proficient in SAP’s role-based security concepts and Profile Generator. They also need to be able to speak to infrastructure-level security concerns to other, less technical roles within the IT team or business managers.

Data analyst

Lastly, these professionals leverage business intelligence and data management to produce insights that help inform business decisions. They are also experts in data engineering and databases, able to create high and low-level data product designs based on business and technology requirements. Moreover, data analysts are experts in SAP HANA in-memory database, and they need fluency in Agile methodologies to be able to collaborate effectively with the rest of the technical team. Additionally, the best data analysts possess good business and domain acumen, which lets them reach deeper and more actionable insights and better communicate with their business peers.

Want to make the most of S/4HANA’s career potential? Also Check our comprehensive S/4HANA Careers Guide.

Find your next assignment on our freelance and permanent IT recruitment platform, or join Mindquest so you don’t miss out on any job opportunity!

Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

5G: From tech panacea to the cause of a pandemic

5G: From tech panacea to the cause of a pandemic
Things really escalate quickly sometimes. A few baseless claims here, some conspiracy theories there, and boom -- people start burning 5G telecommunication towers.

Things really escalate quickly sometimes. A few baseless claims here, some conspiracy theories there, and boom — people start burning 5G telecommunication towers.

Also explore: From Hacking NASA to Protecting Your Online Accounts: A Chat with Rickey Gevers

5G

At least that’s what’s happened in the UK in recent weeks. A perfect-storm combination of public disinformation and fake news has prompted some citizens to link 5G to COVID-19. 

The theories are as varied as they are full of nonsense.

Some say 5G is making the effects of the virus worse. Others believe that there is no coronavirus at all, that governments are making it all up to hide the real cause of the symptoms: 5G.   A good reminder of how important it is to communicate technological advances properly. 

News from the frontlines…

Another week has gone by, bringing with it new tech initiatives to fight the spread of COVID-19. Here are some of this week’s most note-worthy new developments: 

A team of researchers created an AI tool capable of predicting the chance of a patient developing acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This promising algorithm provided 80% accuracy during initial tests, opening new possibilities to identify potentially critical patients early on.

Other efforts are also leveraging data and computation to find a solution to our current situation. AI and public health researchers at MIT and Harvard have pointed at the importance of Big Data in the fight against the coronavirus.

Finally, the big names in tech keep announcing pandemic-related initiatives. 

Intel pledged $50 million to accelerate access to technology at the point of patient care.  Meanwhile, the CEO of Twitter and Square, Jack Dorsey, offered $1 billion (roughly 28% of his wealth) to fund global COVID-19 relief efforts.

Categories
Press review Tech Magazine

Weekly News Digest #12

IT news

Not everything is bad news…

If the crisis found you in the middle of a job hunt, you might now be wondering if you’ll be able to find a job at all in the current climate. Or perhaps your projects were put on hold and you need new ones ASAP.  

No need to worry. 

With the surge in remote work and internet traffic, businesses need IT professionals now more than ever. Cloud computing services like Microsoft Teams and Azure are skyrocketing. So is videoconferencing. But that’s not all.

Many businesses weren’t ready for this sudden digital transformation and need all the help they can get. Additionally, the rise in digital operations has accentuated the cybersecurity skills shortage.

Find out what industries are booming and how you can seize the moment in this article. 

News from the frontlines…

With every day that goes by, we hear of another tech initiative being launched to halt the spread of COVID-19. These are certainly inspiring new developments, and we thought they deserve a space in our weekly MCC update. 

Stay tuned every week to learn how vital the IT world is becoming in this global fight ?

In the meantime, you can get acquainted with all ongoing efforts with this great article.

This week’s highlight?

Quantum computing leader D-Wave Systems is giving free cloud access to their quantum computers to anyone working on responses to the pandemic.

The power of comedy

As psychologists often remind us, seeking solace in humour is a very healthy response to difficult situations — You surely have noticed an increase in the number of memes you are receiving as of late. 

So… here’s another weekly section! This week…

A software engineer at Dell has created a great (and fun) comic on why we shouldn’t be afraid of AI. 

Plus, seriously — be careful with videoconference filters. These guys’ boss spent a whole meeting being a potato:

Categories
IT Consultants Tips for your daily life as a freelancer

The World Has Stopped — Your Career Doesn’t Need To

The World Has Stopped — Your Career Doesn’t Need To
The World Has Stopped — Your Career Doesn’t Need To. Well, we have a message for you — don’t surrender. There is still plenty you can do.

Yes, the world has stopped. We are living through scary and uncertain times. Millions of people find themselves stuck at home for the foreseeable future. While businesses across the globe scramble to move their operations online and stay afloat. In this climate of uncertainty, economists and global institutions are telling us to brace for the worst crisis since 2008; some say even worse. Workers are losing their jobs, and whole activity sectors are freezing new hires.   

If you were in the middle of a job hunt when all this started, nobody would blame you for becoming discouraged by the current situation. Or perhaps your current IT projects have been put on hold and you are fear you might not be able to find new ones anytime soon.  

Well, we have a message for you — don’t surrender. There is still plenty you can do.  

Thriving amid adversity 

At the same time that industries like commercial aviation are going through the darkest days of their history, other businesses are thriving. From entertainment platforms and social networks to online retail and videoconferencing services, some companies are simply very well-positioned to take advantage of our society’s sudden change of habits. Even too well-positioned in some cases.  

Enterprise cloud companies are experiencing lag and connectivity issues, while streaming services have had to downgrade their video quality to cope with the traffic increase. Meantime retailers are hiring in mass to meet the demand for online shopping and home deliveries. You can focus your job search on those sectors that are thriving in the middle of this chaos. There are plenty.  

You can also join the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19 by collaborating with the many technological initiatives now underway — from 3D-printed ventilators to AI and data modelling.   

A global thirst for IT specialists 

The coronavirus outbreak has prompted a lot of companies to undergo light-speed digital transformation. Classes are going online, telemedicine is now a real thing, and you can visit museum exhibits through your laptop.  

All of these organisations need skilled IT talent like yours. A recent study by London’s Imperial College suggests that, only in the UK alone, 48% of companies will prioritize technology hiring in the coming months.  

Additionally, the soaring numbers of employees working remotely is accentuating an already existing problem: the cybersecurity skills shortage. If you have security experience or are thinking of obtaining some, now it’s the time.  

The world has stopped: Gain new skills, take a closer look at your career 

When was the last time you had so much time? Only the hours saved by not having to commute should be enough for you to benefit from the current situation.  

Tons of free learning resources are available online these days, from coding bootcamps to university classes in all sorts of topics. Some eLearning portals like MasterClass have even started offering free courses for those at home because of to the pandemic. You can also develop your skills with a certain technology by using free official resources like openSAP or Microsoft Learn. 

On the other hand, it’s not always that we get the chance to stop for a moment and re-evaluate our career’s direction while the world has stopped. Are you happy with what you currently do, or perhaps is it time to embrace other passions?  Is there something you could do or improve on to advance your career?  

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