Why I’m choosing NetSuite as my niche

It was 2012. I was a fresh graduate lining up as an applicant for several IT companies. One of the companies that I really looked forward to was Oracle NetSuite. I reached the final interview and was advised to keep my lines open for the job offer.

The offer took a while but since my friend who referred me enticed me by saying it offered an above average compensation package, I patiently waited.

Amidst the waiting, I got a call from another IT giant here in the Philippines, telling me that I was invited for the final interview.

I sat down with the practice manager who was a nice and modest man. He surprisingly asked what I wanted to be. I said, “To be a team leader”. He assured me that the position would offer that growth I was looking for and described a preview from his management style. He said, “being a good leader means being a good role model.” He continued, “How can I train my team members to be like me? That’s one question I ask myself every day.”

He also told me with pride that one of the company’s priority was training their employees, hence guaranteeing employee’s worth to go way higher once they decide to hunt in the job market again. So if growth was one of my motivation, this was the right company to go.

The meeting went on like a mentoring session rather than a job offer signing. It was my most unforgettable final interview.

I was offered the job the same day. However, I did not accept it. I asked for more time to think about it because I had a pending offer from another company: Oracle NetSuite.

“Well, make sure you choose the one that would lead you to a successful path in the IT industry. The one that will provide you with the appropriate and relevant training that you need so you can succeed in a technology career. I have heard of that company and I know what the people that came from that company are doing now.”

Fast forward to today, his words resonated as true in some sense. A NetSuite career somehow boxes you in a limited space in the IT world. Once you choose NetSuite, it will be really difficult for you to pursue another profession and expect the same rate that you had as a NetSuite practitioner.

I have several reasons why I am still choosing to practice Oracle NetSuite despite the above drawback. Here are those:

I already fell in love with the product

I may be biased with this because I did not have much experience with other ERP products. But can I just say I am deeply fascinated with how powerful of a cloud software Oracle NetSuite is! There is so much you can do with Oracle NetSuite and so many features most businesses could find useful. It gives me a sense of pride knowing that I’m supporting such a powerful tool whenever I hear someone ask for a feature in NetSuite and it’s doable.

Higher salary compared to other IT professions

There’s a published data from Jobstreet Philippines that says, the highest salary of a fresh graduate in the Philippines per month is around PHP 23,348 (USD 436.71). See the full report here. In addition, that salary is only offered in jobs around legal services. To be honest, you could earn more than that if you apply as an entry-level technical support specialist in Oracle NetSuite AND you didn’t have to go to law school to qualify. Just imagine how much you can earn if you continue specializing in it for five years or more.

Work from home is a common perk

Who does not find joy and convenience in having work from home privileges? Most companies allow you to work from home when you’re a Netsuite professional. I work as a full-time remote consultant and loving it! I don’t need to go through my usual routine of allotting at least two hours before going to the office or get stuck in an absurd traffic or suffer from an exhausting 2-3 hour commute. I could go on with my list of the benefits but the most priceless among those is this: I get to spend more time with my family and closely watch my child grow.

It is in demand

Contrary to popular belief, mastering Oracle NetSuite opens a lot of doors for you in the job market. Since the customer base is growing, demands for Oracle NetSuite professionals are continuously increasing. There are even relocation opportunities from countries where NetSuite professionals are rare.

Every day is a learning day

Since Oracle NetSuite is a huge software package, it takes some work to get your hands on it. It is composed of several modules and each module takes years to master. And it continues to evolve so you have to keep up. NetSuite is able to satisfy my curiosity in discovering solutions that I never imagined would be possible and gets me excited when cool features get released.

The future is looking bright

I do not have the qualifications to state a prediction on how the market will go, but based on what I have been reading, things are looking up for Oracle NetSuite. Remember that 9.3 billion-dollar acquisition? That caused NetSuite to grow exponentially since it has reached a wider market. And remember what Mark said in their keynote last SuiteWorld 2017 about NetSuite being ‘more, better, forever’? I’m holding on to that. *fingers crossed*

A life-changing career

Choosing Oracle NetSuite has dramatically improved my life. The savings that me and my husband built up to purchase a car and pay for the down payment for our house & lot came from our Oracle NetSuite careers. In fact, you can talk to other Oracle NetSuite professionals like me and you can hear different success stories as well. Some were able to support their families, travel to different places, or build their own businesses.

There are still some silly times where I would think about the “what ifs”. What if I signed that job offer from the other company six years ago? What if I did not choose NetSuite? Where would I be today? Well, who knows? I could have been more successful. Or not. I could have been happier. Or not. But one thing that’s for sure. From how things are going on with my life right now, I do not regret having chosen NetSuite.