Working as an SAP Consultant in Germany with Prabu Thangaraj, Senior Solution Architect at Gramont

Hi Prabu 👋, thanks for your time. Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am from the city of Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu and am currently working as Senior Solution Architect specialising in SAP at Gramont, an SAP Consulting firm in Berlin with headquarters in Switzerland and offices in Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, India and Spain. Before moving to Germany, I worked as SAP Consultant for 9 years in India in Chennai and Bangalore, as well as in the US and in China. Prior to working as SAP Consultant, I completed my engineering degree from Anna University in Electronics and Communication, gathered some initial domain experience and got my certification in SAP.

How did you come to Germany?

I got a job in Germany directly from India. The company sponsored my Blue Card application.

Why Germany?

I was looking to work abroad for a longer period of time. My first choice was the US, but I missed the deadline for the H-1B visa application. So, I started looking for options elsewhere. During that time, I was approached on LinkedIn for an opportunity at Gramont, who were looking to grow their operations in Germany. I decided to take up the offer and move here.

How long have you worked in Germany and in which roles?

I have been in Berlin for 5 years now. I arrived here as Senior SAP Consultant offering consulting for specific assignments. Meanwhile I have grown into the role of Senior Solution Architect, where I architect end-to-end solutions for our customers who want to use SAP to implement their business processes. When I started we were 20 employees, but now we have already grown to more than 100 employees.

What is your opinion about life in Germany?

In Germany, as an employee you have good job security. In India, the IT sector relies heavily on outsourced work, whereas here you deal directly with your customers. So, you cut the middle man and work for your customers directly. There is also more of a work-life balance here and productivity on the job is higher. In small companies and in startups, you get a lot of freedom to explore.
On the social side, I feel that the quality of life is better here in terms of better infrastructure, accessibility and a more relaxed atmosphere. At the same time, the cost of living is higher, but this can be offset through a well-paid job.

In Germany, as an employee you have good job security.

Are there any advantages or difficulties that you have faced as an Indian?

The only difficulty is that social interaction is limited without sufficient knowledge of German. At work, I get to deal with English-speaking customers, so professionally this hasn't been a hurdle for me. However, needless to say, good knowledge of German is a plus.

What would be your advice to fellow Indians planning to work in Germany?

There are a lot of opportunities here and the government is looking for talent from India. It is relatively easy to find a job if you have the skills and experience. There is now the option to apply for the jobseeker visa through which people from India can come to Germany without a job and then search for a job upon arrival. I know many friends from India who have used this opportunity to move and find work here. It is a good time to move to Germany, especially for IT professionals.

There are a lot of opportunities here and the government is looking for talent from India.