Sales Associate

Please give an overview of your role and what it involves on a day-to-day basis.

I worked as the sales associate for the Energy, Discrete Services and Telco team. As an intern I was expected to support my manager and wider team with forecasting, pipeline as well as demand generation and daily report processing. A typical day at SAP would start with me extracting reports in the morning that managers and Account Executives would use in meetings to help forecast and plan for the oncoming weeks. I would also be present at these meetings to understand the team’s pipeline better and see any areas in which I could offer support in existing deals. Aside from this I was also expected to maintain and track our team’s pipeline to ensure that everything being forecasted was accurately reflected in our internal systems. This was done to help management for their executive calls where they were expected to relay this information to senior management. There are several opportunities to get involved in outside of your immediate team but as a sales associate this is what is expected of you.

What was the application process like?

The application process at SAP was very balanced which myself and other interns found really helpful. Applying for Internships/Placements can be a very daunting experience but the communication from start to finish was consistent and helpful.

I applied with a cover letter and my CV online and then received an invite to an online interview with a panel who were going to assess me based on a series of questions. Fortunately, I was successful with this interview and was given the opportunity to attend the assessment center which would decide if I got the role or not. The assessment center is over the course of a day and is split up in to a variety of segments, all of which are to assess your ability and competency in different tasks.

Overall, the whole process is very comfortable and unlike a lot of other companies there is a real emphasis on SAP wanting to get to know you personally in order to see if you would be a good fit for the organization.

How much support and guidance have you received throughout your experience?

There was a lot of support and guidance at SAP. At the start of the internship, you are put in to different teams within your cohort with your team leader being one of the steerco team (placement leaders). This was extremely helpful as it allowed people to ask questions and get guidance on things in a slightly more personal environment.

I was extremely lucky that as a sales intern I was given a mentor who was an experienced seller within the business. This was also facilitated by the steerco and gave me the opportunity to obtain sales relevant expertise as well as personal advice and support.

The overall atmosphere and culture of SAP is very welcoming, people are always willing to help and I was lucky enough that people within my team were able to include me on a variety of projects throughout the year and support me as I journeyed through my placement year.

I have definitely learnt new skills as well as developing my own skillset.

At the start of the year each intern was encouraged to create our own development plan outlining the things we wanted to learn and achieve during the year. I placed a big emphasis on developing my communication skills as well as my confidence in a professional setting. I felt the best way of doing this was by getting involved in relevant and tangible opportunities that would put me in a position where I have to take on responsibility and communicate with others. Ultimately this was facilitated for me and I was able to work on these specific skills.

Moreover, there was tasks throughout the year where I had to work in a team with other interns which was both fun and intriguing. I was given the opportunity to learn more about SAP systems and applications as part of these challenges so I was able to develop my SAP relevant skill set exponentially as well.

What is the company culture and atmosphere like?

SAP is very welcoming in all aspects of the business. I really appreciated the fact that they were open to new ideas from interns and were keen to get feedback on our experience throughout our time at the business.

My sales team within SAP were very keen to get me involved in relevant opportunities and they would always be available to help whenever I needed assistance. This allowed me to feel like a part of the team and I was really grateful that colleagues trusted me enough to get me involved in projects.

What advice would you give to students applying for your role?

I would advise students to be authentic and realistic when applying for the role.

I say authentic because when applying for a role in a big company it is very easy to pretend to be like someone you’re not or put on a façade, but that can only go on for so long. SAP is a company that is big on character and how you operate as an individual so to get the most out of your experience it would be best to just be yourself from the interviews all the way to when you are actually in the role.

It is also important for students to be realistic about what they want out of a placement year. What SAP is offering may not be want you necessarily want out of a placement year or sales may not be the best role for you so it is important to understand how you are as a person and be realistic with your goals and what you want to achieve. This is also important as you can relay this on to SAP and the relevant people can help you get the best experience possible.