EMEA North Operations Review

I really enjoyed my time at SAP. I was nervous and excited coming into the role but as soon as I arrived I settled quickly into my role and the ethos of the company. I really enjoyed seeing how a global company operated at a high level and enjoyed learning about how 75,000 employees.

I worked in a team of 8 or so employees so the team was close-knit and great fun to work in. The team changed a little bit over the year due to some people moving role but the core of the team remained the same. This made it really easy to settle in and made for a very enjoyable year.

I had weekly 1-2-1's with my line manager with no agenda. It was a short, informal meeting during which we could cover anything on my mind. This was a great way to discuss career goals and how my manager can help guide me towards them. But was also used for discussions about how I was enjoying my time.

I was kept busy during my placement year but I very rarely felt overworked. Christmas was a busy time during which I would work some evenings and weekends. My manager let me have days off after this busy period without booking them off in the system which was much appreciated.

I was given a good amount of responsibility but in a progressive way. The more I settled into my job the more responsibility I was given resulting in sending out agenda's for forecast calls to over 80 people. If I made mistakes my manager was very understanding and it helped me to grow into the role.

I feel like there is a significant difference between the skills you learn at university and the skills you need for work. My placement year has helped me to bridge this gap. One of the biggest skills I've learnt is the ability to check my own work. At university you often hand work in without proof reading and you don't have this luxury at work.

There was a good atmosphere in my section of the office. Towards the end of the quarter it can get stressful but I always felt the atmosphere was good. I have heard from other colleagues that they didn't enjoy their team atmosphere but I never experienced this with my team.

Well

Very much so. We had two dedicated training days which were solely dedicated to our development. I didn't receive any on-boarding as our role was new this year, Despite this the team made a conscious effort to help during my first few months and the young grad in our team was always on hand.

During my weekly 1-2-1's with my manager I discussed my carreer aspirations. I said I was interested in applying for the graduate scheme and my manager set up a meeting with the presales team to discuss this. This was really helpful for me to learn more and consequently I will be applying for the role.

Yes - despite not being in central London there was still a good social scene among interns and team.

I lived in Chiswick, which is zone 3 and more expensive than living near the office. This meant I wasn't left with a lot of spending money. However, I free lunch at work was very helpful financially. I would've appreciated a higher salary but I understand it was an investment in my career.

Feltham is not a social hub in any sense of the phrase.

Yes - we played football every Wednesday which was a great way to stay active during placement.