New Career in a Landscape of Innovation
They say that time isn’t a straight line, that it is an infinite pathway of interlocking realities. Just like with time, careers work in the same way. We ebb and flow our way through until we find the place we belong and where we see a foothold to impact the world. This idea of flow is what brought me back to SAP to work with SAP Business Technology Platform.
When I started my journey back in 2015, it took a lot of time to figure out what I wanted to do and where I wanted to work. I had just moved back to Vancouver from Halifax and was at a loss for what industry or kind of communications I would focus around. Then, I got a call from a recruiter who was working with SAP. Little did I know, I would be taking my first step into an industry and a company that would guide my career.
Starting at SAP in Enablement was a dream. I got to work in an established company with so much happening. When I first joined, IoT was a considerable focus, not only for SAP but also for the industry. It was an excellent time to join the team as I got to work in an evolving section of the business and learned what goes on during a rebranding. Though the new branding made things busy around the office, to say the least, I had a fantastic team around me to give the best possible Enablement to SAP community and beyond.
My First Departure to Higher Education
After some time at SAP, I thought my heart lay in Higher Education. After moving through two main areas, SAP IoT Enablement and Digital Supply Chain Marketing, I decided to uproot from myself, looking for the next stage in my learning and career development. This desire for change and growth soon led me to the University of British Columbia’s Education Department. Here I was given a chance to expand my communications and marketing knowledge and skills with a heavy focus on design and external communications.
In my time at UBC, I was given the space to enhance my knowledge of many different aspects of marketing. Unfortunately, because of an unforeseen circumstance that left me directorless and made to be the department’s one-person marketing team. With only one person in a marketing role within the department, the onus of marketing materials from my office came to me. Though I found that I worked on a lot during this time, including graphic design, website development, and paid advertising, I discovered that I couldn’t focus on improving any aspect as I was always on the brink of a deadline.
After two years in this position, I knew that my heart was no longer in it. I knew that UBC was not where I would be spending the rest of my career. Then along came the pandemic. As you can imagine, it was not the easiest to find open positions during this time. Companies were in the middle of adjusting and learning how they would continue to operate and trying not to reduce workforces, let alone bring new people into the mix. Even with this, I decided to take a big step for my career and my future. I decided to leave my stable job and journey out to find my next career.
Pandemic, Podcasts, and Personal Growth
I was ready for a new adventure and to learn something new that could help add a new level to my communications portfolio. I had been podcasting with some friends for a bit, talking about different movies and television series with some laughs and analysis on everything from Pacific Rim to The Mandalorian. But I wanted to try something new. I started streaming on a schedule in-between the job search and recording podcasts about the games I was playing. Though getting into game podcasting was great, I was alone in it this time, and I was missing the connection with people, so after some vetting of interested co-hosts, I found two that would become the co-hosts for my new Disney Podcast, Opening the Vault.
Being a full-time content creator was a lot of work, but it was worth it. It was a challenging journey, with a very slow ramp-up and many hours put into social media, video and audio design, graphics work, and so many small things that I couldn’t possibly list them all.
Then I got the call… well, the email.
My Return to SAP
Over the years, a colleague from my first round at SAP had tried multiple times to bring me back. I was always excited to work with her again, so when she emailed me in February to tell me about a new opportunity to join the SAP BTP team, I jumped at the chance. After working in Higher Education, I knew SAP was precisely the place I want to be.
Coming into SAP for a second time, I knew that there would be a sharp learning curve. I was not disappointed. Just like when I joined the IoT team all those years ago, my start on SAP BTP was a learning tornado. This time we decided to go for a slow burn on my Enablement and onboarding as I worked towards becoming a product expert before taking on the full job tilt. It was the right way to go. I have been learning so much about SAP Business Technology Platform, taking in every aspect, and already starting to ponder more ways to promote the platform to new and current customers.
Working with SAP Business Technology Platform touches on many aspects of my interest, and the team has allowed me to focus on my growth this first couple of weeks. This slower onboarding has allowed me to ease into the team and feel like I belong.
On the Hunt and Making the Choice
So why SAP? I have a wealth of knowledge and years of experience across many industries, and I could have found a job anywhere. I could have made my way over to Microsoft, Amazon, or even Salesforce if I just wanted to work in the tech industry, but I knew where I wanted to work again. When applying for jobs, the site I always found myself on first was SAP. Each day looking for a new opening to rejoin the company made me feel like what I brought to the table was truly valued. Between the training I received, the work I was doing, and the opportunity for advancement given were only some of the reasons I decided to come back. I think the main reason I decided to come back is the culture of SAP. When I worked with the company in my first rotation, I always felt like I was still part of the team even though I mostly worked from home. This sense of team and culture in a company has always been important to me.
This team aspect helps with the morale of a group and feels like you can take on more responsibility when you know that the culture and team are behind you and the work you produce. That is what SAP is. It is helping each other to make sure we are set up to create the best possible work no matter the product, portfolio, or platform.
So if you are on the job hunt, or if you are looking to make the shift into a workplace that will treat you right, offer new and exciting challenges, and above all else, will value the skills and experience you bring to the table, then you don’t need to look further than SAP.
I am happy to be back, and I cannot wait to see how I can grow with my new team.
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