It can be tough for an ERP professional to look for work, especially during these trying times. With interviews lined up, developing a special set of skills adhering to just ERP looks like the way to go. So while formatting your resume and speaking with hiring managers during the interview, it is equally important to know what specific ERP skills and traits they’re looking for.
What are the Employers Looking For?
92% of employers believe soft skills are important. While 89% of recruiters admitted bad hires largely lacked soft skills.
Remember, when you are applying for an ERP manager position, it’s not just the technical ERP skills you need to brush up on.
More often than not, the hiring team may be looking for basic ERP skills and traits in a candidate that they may not have mentioned in the original job description.
Your employers will also want to know how polished your “soft skills” are, in addition to your technical ERP skills and capabilities.
The Importance of soft skills
Soft skills will take you a long way, so colleges, institutes, and organizations are significantly focusing more on this part. These skills are difficult to measure, but they can help you become a good worker, good teammate, and leader. Soft ERP skills often relate to specific personality traits, including communication, cognitive empathy, time management, friendliness, etc.
10 Essential Skills ERP Professionals Must Have
Over here, we have compiled a list of In-demand ERP skills that recruiters are looking for in their ERP professionals.
Skill #1. Latest Technology Knowledge
This may seem like a given thing, but if you apply for an ERP role, the most important thing is to be experienced in the proper technology.
And since most of us spend a lifetime learning, employers often love to see proof of that in the form of certifications. So, while organizing certificates, always list your most recent certifications first, but don’t forget to brush up on the older ones either. These ERP skills can definitely put you ahead of the pack and get you shortlisted.
Skill #2. Instinct
Many project management programs teach people the nuances of methodology, but there is no substitute for having intuition on projects. You need to have a lot of experience in project management to develop an intuition on how a project is going.
Some project managers naturally have this intuition, and a lot of people don’t. Instinct is one such distinctive skill that can’t be taught. A natural project manager will possess the ability to sense where the project is really at. It is one of the most valuable assets an ERP recruiter is looking for in professionals.
Skill #3. Effective Communication
Your ability to read, write, and speak clearly and in an impactful manner is very important while implementing a complicated IT project. At times, even a good plan can fail if it isn’t communicated well.
A communicator needs to recognize that project delivery is always a two-way street, i.e., the information comes into the project and goes out of it. Every bit of communication in a project should be clear and complete. Top recruiters also find the ability to moderate an effective project status meeting very important.
Skill #4. Project Management
Many employers will be satisfied to see the evidence that you have worked on full life cycle ERP implementation projects and have also taken a budgetary responsibility in the organization. Your project management skills will prove you have taken responsibility for a project and walked it toward successful completion.
Skill #5. Influencing
In general, IT personnel are not renowned for being politically astute or having an influential demeanor like sales personnel. It will be an added point if you, as a project manager, can forge strong relationships with different constituencies throughout the company. This relationship-building can often foster project cooperation and success.
Skill #6. Team Building
It’s very easy and often acceptable for IT professionals and user staff to remain secluded in their comfort zones. If you can transcend these zones and work for the good of the project, you will be prized for your ability to see the big picture. An ERP professional must often provide five things to their team-
- Feedback –The team must be explained how they are doing
- Opportunity – They must be allowed to show their skillset
- Reward – They should be rewarded based on their contribution
- Guidance – The team should be guided when and where needed
- Expectation – They should be made aware of what is expected
Team development largely revolves around four distinct phases called – forming, storming, norming, and performing.
In the first phase, team members often remain quiet, polite, and guarded, but are business-like.
The second phase often results in conflict over control. Individuals often confront one another, and they may either become entrenched or opt out.
In the third phase, all the regular organizational procedures are accepted by the team. The focus then turns to issues.
In the fourth and final phase, the team settles down and makes productive efforts with trust, flexibility, and a mature closeness, enabling self-direction. But this can only occur if the leader modifies their level of the directive and offers supportive behavior responding to the progressive evolution of team members.
Skill #7. Conflict Resolution
All projects, including ERP projects, are sure to involve disagreements, which often may arise when the team needs to arrive at a consensus. Project managers have to work with people and find common ground that’s high in demand.
As a project manager, you must always act calmly and reasonably, either as a third party or as someone who is involved in the conflict. Such conduct can add to the already established reputation and create good credibility in front of employees.
It is also important to instill the value of respect in the team, especially in case of a conflict, by regulating who speaks first and whose turn goes next. You can stop any expression of animosity that’s undermining toward the other and encourage members to collaborate or compromise instead of avoiding and competing.
Skill #8. Teaching and Mentoring
To recruiters, project management professionals can teach new applications to users are invaluable, especially when the project rolls out. If you can work side by side with others and provide mentoring and support, it will be an added advantage in front of recruiters.
We all agree that “real” learning only occurs while processing live data at work, instead of training in classes. ERP project managers need to have the willingness to share, the patience to work, and the ability to listen to others while the team learns.
Skill #9.Time management
Time management is an essential ERP skill required in every business field. Several aspects of the project need to be organized or filed in the form of documentation, contracts, reviews, MOM (minutes of the meeting), specialist documents, e-mails, memos, requirements and specifications, reports, changes, issues, risks, etc.
Skill #10. Ability to Solve Issues
ERP employers need to know if you can solve problems that may turn up during an ERP upgrade or implementation. If you are a natural-born project manager, this skill will come in easily because your ability to resolve issues is not something that can’t be taught or learned easily in any classroom. So if you are successfully able to prove this with examples, your chances of landing the job will increase manifold times.
Final Thought
When you are going for your ERP interview, remember, this meeting is not just for the employer to assess your ERP skills and get to know you. But it is for you to know if you are a good fit for the company or not. If you’ve got the ERP skills listed above, then rest assured – hiring managers are going to headhunt you!
A digital marketing and content curator at SoftwareSuggest, a software recommendation platform. I am passionate about Digital Marketing, and all things digital. Also interested in technology and innovation. In my spare time, enjoy playing cricket, and Badminton.
