The world of software is constantly evolving. To stay up-to speed with the latest SAP novelties and developments, continuous learning and knowledge sharing has become part of our DNA. Not just with colleagues, but with customers, partners and students as well.

Within our team, Yor Rombaut, Technical SAP Consultant, is one of the colleagues devoted to knowledge sharing with the next generation. As a lecturer of SAP classes, he also is convinced that collaborating with higher education institutions will benefit the industry, the school, and undoubtedly the students. Time for a chat!

Yor, how do you prepare for a lecture on such a wide topic as SAP?

"First, you need to know who you are talking to. Each audience is different and there is always too much to talk about. That’s why you have to make sure you have an idea about the interests of the students and adapt your story for every lecture. Every (series of) lecture(s) is like a journey: you show the students a destination and as lecturer, you’re the guide who helps them explore the possibilities on the way."

What would you like to achieve with these (guest) lectures at schools?

"The most important goal of any lecture is to inform and get the students excited about SAP - and in my case, specifically about SAP development. That’s not always easy: over 90% of the students hasn't heard of SAP before, or they believe it is a packaged software which will limit them in development. My challenge is to overcome their bias and show them the potential of SAP. I open their eyes to the bigger picture which their own online research doesn’t always show. Seeing them change their minds about SAP and realize its potential is pretty cool.”

What advice would you give to students who hesitate entering the world of SAP?

“I advise students to connect with people in the field. If they don’t know anyone then I invite them to reach out to us – we’re always happy to talk to enthusiastic students! Besides guest lectures, we welcome many interns every year to experience a real SAP project. We also present and coach business cases for school projects, participate in an educational quality control panel, and we are present at multiple job fairs throughout the year. Last year, we even started organizing an event in our office where students can experience the real office working environment and directly connect with experienced experts in the field in an informal atmosphere while enjoying an evening filled with fun and entertainment."

Sounds great! And how do you tackle their worries on job security and their role evolvement?

“They can rest assured: there’s plenty of options in the world of SAP! In fact, moving into SAP consultancy will increase their odds of using many different technologies and experiencing a lot of different fields. Working with SAP means helping large companies improve their business processes. Companies nowadays realize that they need innovation and different technologies to stay competitive, because there is not a one single solution for every problem. SAP knows this and helps developers to access the latest technologies in an efficient way, allowing them to build customized solutions within the SAP portfolio."

Bottom line: are you a student and eager to help companies improve their business processes? Or you want to become an expert in a single technology or explore many different ones, then SAP offers a wide range of opportunities to discover."