Sales Associate Review

On the whole, I have really enjoyed my placement year at SAP. I have been given a huge level of responsibility and have had the opportunity to get involved in numerous projects across multiple industries. I have been made to feel like a valued member of a team and I will thoroughly miss being here!

Throughout my year, I have always felt extremely valued by my colleagues. At SAP, you are aligned to a mentor and coach who help to build your confidence and are always around to help. In addition, the work you do really makes an impact and I know I will leave a lasting mark on this company.

The support I have received from my management and team throughout my year has been amazing. I am extremely valued by my manager and they have been an amazing coach and mentor. I do think the level of support and guidance given depends heavily on the manager you are hired by - it's a bit of a gamble!

How busy I was during my placement year, was strongly influenced by the stage of the quarter. As SAP is a quarterly run business, you would expect the level of activity to fluctuate throughout. That said, at quieter times, there are plenty of projects to get involved in - but you have to go out and find your own opportunities!

Initially, at the start of my internship I was given a fairly low level of responsibility. However, as time progressed, I was able to build a broad network across the business and I gained confidence in my role, my level of responsibility increased dramatically. I now have a high level of responsibility.

The skills I have developed this year will be invaluable to my further academic studies. One such skill includes my presentations skills. Initially, I felt nervous, timid, apprehensive when it came to presenting. Standing in front of an audience made me uncomfortable. However, after coaching, practice and training sessions, I am now confident in my presentation skills.

The general office atmosphere is varied. Due to the sales nature of the office and with people being out seeing customers/working remotely, it can often be quite quiet in the office. However, there is always a massive intern community in the office - it's kind of like being at school back with your friends!

The development of the placement scheme is in early stages. How organised your year is heavily depends on the team and manager you are assigned to. This comes as a bit of a risk - and its difficult to predict what it will be like. As the year has progressed, this has been recognized and changes have been made.

I feel the company did invest in me - I was provided with training and coaching throughout.

There are employment opportunities following internship, however these are not as structured as other companies. In particular, in order to qualify for the sales academy - SAP's route into sales - you are typically required to have at least 2 years in a sales role rather than coming in straight as a graduate.

One of the best things about this placement year has been the friends I have made! In my year, there were just under 60 interns, and between us we have such a great social scene and go out together all the time -it's just like uni. In addition, there's great social scene with colleagues and there's always team nights out and big company events! It's great fun

Living and working in London/Greater London is expensive. SAP's placement wage tends to be lower when compared to other companies in the industry and therefore it has been hard to budget this year. That said, the experience I have gained and network created, is honestly so invaluable - at the end of the day it's not all about money!

Feltham isn't the nicest place to work.. Whilst SAP offices are great, there is very little to do and you wouldn't really want to go out there. That said, Feltham is on a direct line to Waterloo and we tend to go out in Richmond/Clapham area. If you are prepared to travel for nightlife - then it's great!

There are so many opportunities to get involved in activities out of work. If you want these opportunities you need to put yourself out there and demonstrate you can balance other commitments with your day to day job.