SAP vs Java

[Kentaf]

Hey everyone,

 

this is kind of a personal advice thread but I just figured some of you probably have several years of industry experience. I'm 19 and almost finished with Higher Vocational School in IT and will have to enter an apprenticeship next year.
I have knowledge in Java and have Straight A/B grades across all subjects and programming lessons aren't even a tiny bit challenging to me. I also did a Java programming intensive work placement in a well renowned company and also participated in one of their free one week long programs where they teach advanced Java stuff.

The thing is, one of the companies I applied at does SAP Consulting. The interview went fine, the guy was super open and told me that he's an honest person. If he dislikes something he says it outright. He said that he didn't have any complaints about the interview other than me appearing in casual clothes but that's not a big deal since you can easily change that in the future.
I'll be receiving an E-Mail next Monday that will tell me whether I get one of their apprenticeship spots or not but doubt is starting to fill my mind.

One part that concerns me is the whole Consultant thing. I love programming and I don't mind holding power point presentations or talking to customers. I'll be having a lot of customer contact obviously, that's not the issue. Wearing a suit is not an issue for me as well. What kind of is an issue for me is that I'd probably have to remove my piercings and my dream of being tattooed on some places that you can see (neck, hands) will have to fall flat as well.
Furthermore SAP is kind of niche, it's big but niche. Of course you apparently get paid really good but I dunno. SAP is supposed to be similar to C, which is freaking old and not a huge pleasure to work with. Not horrible, but not as nice to work with as say C# or Java.

What I want to ask you isn't really whether I should sacrifice some of my personality for the job but rather what your Opinions on SAP vs Java as a career path are.
It's hard to get info on salaries, do SAP-Consultants really earn that much more money than Java Developers? What about C# and C++? I don't mind C++ and C#, I just have most experience in Java but I'm open to learning.
What about the future? Java most likely isn't going to die in the future, but so is SAP. I mean I'd kind of be locking myself into the SAP ecosystem (unless I continue programming Java as a hobby), is it worth it? As a Java Developer I'd probably have a higher chance of finding a job in the future should the company I applied to not work out for me in the future.

I just need to decide. What IF they accept me on Monday? I need to know whether I should reject or accept...

I know this topic isn't just all about programming but this is kind of important for me, seeing as this decision probably is going to shape my future.

Just give me some of your opinions on the matter, be open, be honest. This decision is a big deal for me. I'm not gonna hold you responsible for anything I'm going to decide. I just need to form an opinion already...

 

Edit: My biggest point of concern probably is that (from what I understand) ecosystem lock in that you're going to experience. SAP is that kind of company that rather trains people for a fee than openly shares information and once you're in the ecosystem it's hard to get out. I'd like some more opinions on that.

[King_of_Oz]

If you are REALLY good at the job (you seem pretty talented) and are otherwise professional and welll groomed, they probably won’t mind the tattoos and pearsings. That said, if you won’t have fun you shouldn’t do it.

 

Work should be a labour of love, not loathe. That said, if it takes a while for you to escalate/get promoted to attain the position you want, remember, you have to climb the mountain to enjoy the view.

 

[WQXGAisStillGreat]

I encourage you to weigh what the opportunity could do for your next opportunity in the future as well as just in the present. Remember that you're more likely to be hired into an even better position after committing to a lesser one. Think about what you'd be giving up for the next two years. Two years is enough time to really show your commitment and you'll look very attractive to other prospective employers. If you end up in the right place and develop a strong resume, chances are employers won't care as much whether you have piercings or tattoos. If you're at the top of your market, you'll get to name your price and conditions. So think of this as a stepping stone, and not what you'll need to commit to for the rest of your career. 

[Kentaf]

Thanks for the replies. Just pure opportunity wise taking the apprenticeship would be a really good move. I know that. The company is successful and had a ton of growth in the last few years. The guy even said they'd have no problem with offering me a dual study opportunity, they'd pay for it obviously and they pay their employees very well.

I'll have to look into SAP ABAP and so on a bit more. I need to get a feel for the language. I'm really used to OOP Java by now, stepping away from that will be an unusual feeling.