Business Development - EMEA Review

I really enjoyed my placement as it has allowed me to develop my skills in a professional environment. At times, it has been stressful, but that is what I expected and I am proud to have completed it. SAP has been particularly enjoyable, as it has allowed me to work in an industry I had not previously considered.

I have felt very valued by my colleagues, as the placement has progressed. I was the first intern to ever work in my team, so I feel that it took a few weeks for them to trust me with responsibilities but now that I am a valued member of the team I believe I contribute certain skills that are important to the team.

My manager has been supportive and is always available when I need him. He is very understanding of my concerns and is happy to offer support and help when required. He is more like a friend as we have spent a lot of time 1-1 throughout the year and I consider him a friend more than a manager.

This mainly depends on the time of the quarter. At the beginning of the quarter, I am mostly busy organising demand generation activities and helping to build pipeline. At the end of the quarter I am focused on making sure deals are completed and ironing out any last minute problems. The middle of the quarter is a quiet time for me as my team are concerned with closing their deals.

As my placement progressed, I was given more responsibilities. At the beginning of the placement, I was conducting simple research into potential/existing clients. As I progressed so did the level of responsibility. I have presented to a number of undergrad/postgrad students and last month I attended a conference in Lisbon. I feel the invitation was an example of the increased responsibility I now have.

I am hopeful that working at SAP will complement my studies. As I am an International Business student, the opportunity to work for a global company, in an EMEA role, allows me to take what I have learned from my placement into my final year and allows me to refer to first hand experiences. I also undertook a course entitled ‘Digital Transformation’, which could be an interesting topic to focus on in my dissertation.

The office atmosphere is usually quiet as most people are either concentrating on their laptop or in rooms on the phone. However, towards quarter ends, the atmosphere does become hectic as people are trying to close opportunities. It is always chatty between the interns and the majority of permanent staff do engage with interns.

The induction days were well planned although some of the sessions were not specifically required. There was also a lot of ‘team time’, which was not utilised fully as a lot of the time was just spent, sitting watching the old interns. This year’s handover seems to be smoother with less team time and more useful sessions for the new interns.

The firm invested a reasonable amount of time and money into my development. I was able to attend a conference in London that I helped to organise and I was asked to go on all-expenses paid trip in London for 3 days, accompanying an overseas employee. I also travelled to Lisbon which was very useful as it allowed me to see how a sales session is organised.

The Sales Academy is an interesting proposal as it pays well and offers the opportunity to travel. The nature of the industry is slightly concerning as there is hardly any job security as a Sales rep at SAP and as a recent graduate, it is nicer to have a bit of security in your first proper role.

The interns started by going into London on Thursday nights for a few drinks and to socialise. However, this died down after a few week. Wednesday night football offered an opportunity to socialise with colleagues you may not spend much time with in your daily role, and this helped me develop relationships with people outside of my team.

I was living at home at home during my placement so I did not have to pay rent/bills in outer London, although I know that a few of the interns spent the majority of their wage on rents. I spent roughly £150 per month on petrol commuting from Hertfordshire to Heathrow. Going out in Central London is expensive but as with anywhere, you can find cheap chains to minimise costs.

London has a wide range of different nightlife opportunities and has something for everyone. London is expensive but a few nights out a month is easily doable. There are plenty of bars in Richmond/Twickenham that are affordable; there is plenty to do if you fancy going ‘out out’ or just having a few drinks.

SAP offer a few extra activities. I participated in the ‘Palace to Palace’ bike ride from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle. I would highly recommend interns to get involved in this as it is a great day out and allows you to network with other interns and more senior colleagues. Football tournaments and golf days have also been organised for charity.