Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an interesting product with a challenge. Most people have heard of Microsoft, a sizeable amount of people have heard of Dynamics, but very few people who don’t use or work with Business Central have heard of it. The rename from Navision or NAV also changed the playing field.
Like many technologies not in the mainstream, we desperately need people!
Why You Don’t Hear About It…
With many forms of tech, you can self-train into it. Tools like HTML, CSS, Vue, React, Angular, NodeJS, Unity – so many platforms, you can just download software, watch a YouTube, and build some projects. You can just build your skills! Business Central lacks that in-road.
With many forms of tech, you can build demonstrations of your skill. Your projects can be public and you can point to that project as an example of your work. Often, the code itself is visible. You can just build credibility. Business Central lacks that visibility.
With many forms of tech, you are trying to attract as many users to engage with your platform as possible. Whether you’re building a killer app, an amazing new platform, or a great game, the more noise about it you can get, the more audience you can attract, the bigger your success story. Business Central is a system you use in-house, so lacks that “crowd appeal”.
With many forms of tech, you make use of it yourself, becoming savvy and familiar with the tools through daily use. You practice what you preach, and it shows. You can get substantial value even just being a single user with it. Business Central is a system meant for companies, so lacks that relatability for individuals.
…But Should!
It’s a great product, and you can build a fantastic career with it. Once you get your first position in the Business Central space, you’re on a path that can serve you for decades.
But, Why is subjective for people, so let’s give some answers that are relevent to you! Right now, what’s the most important thing about a new IT career to you? We won’t judge!
Pursuit of The New, eh?
Entirely understandable! Technology is a process of continuous evolution and you live for that treadmill.
Microsoft invests constantly in improving Business Central. If you didn’t know, the CEO Satya Nadella, rose through the ranks at Microsoft, and one of his key roles in that voyage was the Business Application team. You’ll find that with an update schedule of a new major release every 6 months, the platform is all about learning new things, as fast as you can.
So, even though you’ll be just starting out, with lots to learn, you can quickly acquire new skills along with industry veterans. You don’t have to worry about “pulling your weight” – we’re all in this together, learning and sharing. Speaking of which, there’s also the:
Financial Stability and Be In Demand Worldwide?
That’s fair, we all have bills and dreams! One of the things that people learning Business Central discover quickly: You will be hugely in-demand with just a little experience.
First, there is the big question: money. Yes, you will be able to earn a good, if not great living on a Business Central salary. Salaries vary by region, and also if you’re on an in-house (at an end-user) or partner team. For an example, check this tiny slice of data from the Nigel Frank Dynamics Salary Survey:
Obviously, that’s a tiny bit of information from a large dataset, but how many professions can you see these sorts of revenues with 1 year of experience? With a couple of years of experience in Business Central, your biggest challenge on LinkedIn will be politely thanking recruiters for the hundredth time.
Additionally, because there are thousands of partners around the world, you will also find that you’re in demand worldwide. Many people in the industry have worked with clients around the world, and there are many prominent industry people who have relocated where they wanted, being able to quickly locate work in their dream locations. Speaking of the….
Mountains are There to Climb!
Many people find that the best reward is that moment where you have solved a massive problem, or hear about what your work has made possible.
Working with Business Central, whether in-house representing your team against the world or for firm creating and delivering solutions, is a sure-fire way to be challenged. Business problems are complex things, usually requiring people to work together to think creatively.
Maybe it’s something as simple and measurable as reducing operational hours spent weekly on a task, but other times it can be big, life-changing projects, like making sure a non-profit organization can use every bit of funds possible to help save lives during a catastrophe.
Also, with heavy investment every year into Business Central, you’ll always be finding the next challenge ready and waiting for you. Most companies upgrade to take advantage of new technology and features, so they need you to forge ahead, learn it, master it, and guide them to getting the best results.
And if you feel like that’s something that you’d want help with, then there is always the…
Community
While you won’t find hundreds of public examples of code, you will find that there are many places where you can find experienced people ready to jump in and help! From long-standing forums with decades of useful advice, to Twitter lists of highly engaged MVPs, to community Discords and regular get togethers — you’re never alone in figuring out new tech or old familiar challenges.
Even now, there are some great people in the industry looking for people to mentor into our spaces. We know how vital it is to welcome new people into the community, so you’ll find an incredibly welcoming new home.
We’re currently seeking people to mentor ourselves, so reach out here – even if our groups get filled, we have MVPs we’d love to connect you with to get rolling.
If you enjoyed this post…
Consider helping someone else get started down the path to joining us a Business Central Consultant or Developer!