Executive Office Associate Review

My placement year at SAP has exceeded all my expectations. I did not know what to expect being a Business Associate in the Executive office as this can be broad. But that is the best part about it, besides helping run day-to-day tasks of the team supporting the senior leaders of the company, i was able to shape my internship into whatever I was interested in and be fully responsible for projects - this taught me more than i think any other placement would have.

Being in the executive office, you see your efforts sometimes translate into company wide changes. I think this is rewarding in itself, but the appreciation you get from the people in your team and the managers makes you feel even more proud to work for such an influential team and company.

I can always ask questions to my direct manager and even one of the senior leaders whenever it is appropriate, as they want me to learn as much as possible about the company. It can be hard to find time in their busy schedules but if you are confident and show you have made effort to want to learn, they will always help.

I would say i have the perfect balance of having short deadlines and challenging work therefore having some stressful times during the day. But i am not as busy as my other full-time colleagues therefore i have time for other intern related activities, such as charity fundraising, employee well-being initiatives and personal down time.

As i am in the executive office, it is gradual with how much responsibility is given as what you do can have impact on a lot of people. You have to earn the trust of your team to be given a lot of responsibility but i think this reflects how work is after graduating university and prepares you for this.

Having been a business associate during my placement year, this will really enhance the business side of my business psychology degree, such as excel skills and accounting modules. In terms of the psychology side, having a year in industry will really help me write my dissertation with an improved work ethic and what topic to write about as i have now seen for myself how people interact in the workplace.

Generally in the UK office it is very friendly and most weeks there are fun activities and stalls set up in the office as initiatives and monthly events. However, it can be very stressful sometimes in my team as there are short deadlines and a lot to do as my team is responsible for 5 market units in the European region.

The placement is very well set up, there is a set team of people running the program and a core leader which makes everything efficient. It is clear every year they learn new things of how to run the program and they are always open to feedback to make the next year better.

The placement team do a great job of making each intern feel valued and supported throughout the year. As there is a lot of us, it can seem like some people would get forgotten, but they identify those who have not participated in much and encourage them to make the most of this experience. There is regular events to improve your professional skill set and learn form different people in the company.

I think i would have to find the right job for me, you spend a lot of time working at SAP therefore you need to enjoy what you do. It is not clear at the moment how i could be employed at SAP in the future but i do like the company therefore i would be open to coming back.

There is a great social scene between the placement students. We see each other out of work every week, which is a great stress reliever and you can share experiences of work that week. I have made life long friends with a group of people with similar ambitions and interests to me and i am so glad to have met them.

London can be expensive to socialise in, with expensive bars and restaurants. However areas such as Putney and Clapham are a bit cheaper and have more of a young atmosphere. I live at home in surrey but the cost of living in London is very high so i would recommend to live abit outside of London and deal with the commute.

Great nightlife, quite expensive but it is the price you may to be around lots of young people in London, a very trendy place.

There are lots of social events and opportunities to go to restaurants and bars with work friends. There is also a football club for SAP employees that train weekly. There is a free gym in the office with free classes before and after work. There is also lots of charity work opportunities as part of your employee benefits.