HR Associate Review

I have very much enjoyed my placement at SAP. I could never have imagined the scope of responsibility and exposure I would get in a year. The placement programme allows you to make the most out of your year in the work place and you build great connections with colleagues and peers.

I definitely feel valued by my colleagues, the team have allowed me to take part in projects from the very start of my placement and as the year has gone on I have been allowed the freedom to work on projects I am interested in and make them my own. They are always happy to help and as I learn new skills I am able to help the team in other ways.

The support from my manager has been great, we have bi weekly one to one's and this time is for me to use how I feel will benefit me the most. I always felt I could go to my manager with any problem I was having or if I was struggling with something. I have also has the chance to be coached by my manager and that support is there when I need it.

The work load can vary, with in the role every day is different. It also depends on how much you take on. You have the chance to be involved in a variety of projects therefore when my capacity was higher I would look for new opportunity's or spend some time utilising the learning and training resources. There are consistent tasks that I would do weekly, however a lot of my job was ad-hoc based. However on the whole through out the year my work load was manageable, with peaks and troughs throughout.

The responsibility given to me by my team and other colleagues in other areas outside HR was amazing! Its not about getting tea and coffee for your manager. Your given great responsibility so you can grow and learn as much as possible throughout your time at SAP. In my role I would run projects and events and be trusted by colleagues to do so. I felt I had the chance to have a impact on the business.

At SAP and throughout my placement I was developing and learning skills without realising. You grow as a person throughout the year, improving your professionalising and motivation to be successful. It also gives you a goal as to where you want to be after you graduate, giving me the drive to do the best I can in my final year at Uni. Even small things like improving my presentation skills and public speaking will help me massively at uni and in the future. Overall I have seen a huge difference in my confidence.

The atmosphere was great, the open plan office meant you were able to go and speak to anyone without feeling pressure. Even if I knew I had a stressful day ahead my team would always lift my spirits. It was a very inclusive culture and I never felt like I was treated like a intern. the break out areas were great, if you wanted to work somewhere other then your desk in a more relaxed environment. having access to a games room, free canteen and free gym also meant created a great atmosphere.

The placement programme is very structured, this is to make sure each intern gets the most out of there time at SAP. From the start of the placement we had two weeks on onboarded to ensure we knew as much as possible about SAP and the what the programme will offer us.

We had access to all of SAP learning and training resources. there was thousands of different courses you could take to develop skills and competencies. Along with that we had the opportunity to hear leaders speak and give advice which I also found very useful. A quarterly survey was conducted to ensure we are all getting what we want out of the placement, it also allowed the placement team to identify what trainings we would like to have eg. public speaking

The placement is what you make it, throughout the year you have opportunities to make great connections and build relationships through hard work and dedication to increase your chances of securing a job after your placement. There isn't a structure grad programme, however you have the opportunity to apply for the sales and presales academy which are both great opportunities.

The social scene was great with such a large cohort of interns you get so meet so many different people going through the same things as you. We had the games room and free canteen which meant we had relaxed areas to socialise and catch up. The lake by the office is also a nice place to chill out in summer on your lunch break.

I lived at home while on placement so I don't have a opinion on the cost of living in the area however in terms of socialising it was fairy low cost, depends on where you were going. A lot of the bars would do happy hours on a Thursday night which kept the cost down.

With the free shuttle to the trains station you have easy access to centre London. We would mainly go out in the Clapham and Richmond area which has greats bars and pubs for drinks after work. There is no where to go out in Feltham itself however the easy access into central meant that wasn't a problem.

Outside of work we had opportunists to get evolved in charity events and events to help our surrounding community. As well as this I attended award ceremonies and the SAP Christmas party which was great fun!