Public Sector and SCP Sales Associate Review

This placement has given me valuable skills and knowledge which would be beneficial to my personal development after graduation. The active exposure to the business environment simply does not compare to what is learned in the classroom! I have had the ability to cross-reference my academic knowledge into my role which has strengthened my performance delivery and learning. The corporate culture is so welcoming and a lovely company to work for when building the foundational skill-set when kick-starting your career.

The corporate culture at SAP is friendly and welcoming. I have had the opportunity to work with such a talented, dedicated and enthusiastic team. I have learnt a lot around the sales processes and Franchise4Success framework when supporting the team’s activities due to their openness to walk me through the structure. I feel valued by my team due to the responsibility and accountability within the tasks I am given aligned to their accounts. In, addition to my colleagues outside my team which are always willing to collaborate and work together to help deliver SAP’s mission statement.

I have been given so much support from my management. From the start of the placement, I had 1-1s meetings with my managers which was an engaging discussion outlining my goals and responsibilities during the placement. Through-out my placement my management have actively engaged with my learning development, in addition to providing new opportunities with account and solution involvement. For example, due to my proactive engagement, I had the opportunity with my manager to have gain partner engagement exposure from attending a roundtable discussion regarding SMCR, to discuss challenges around cultural change, responsibilities and the role of technology.

From the start of the placement, I was ambitious to be involved in as many activities available due to the amazing opportunity of working at SAP. The placement program provides the opportunity to carry out your assigned role using the 70/30 split whereby 30% of my weekly schedule I can reach out into different business areas to expand my exposure in the business. I have a passion for CSR activities and had the ability and support to execute two initiatives with a great team to contribute towards SAPs sustainable corporate culture. Due to my active involvement with my team, I have managed to be involved in various projects and presentations within different areas of the end-to-end sales process. My workload on a daily basis is manageable and I can use my spare time expanding my knowledge and skillet on the learning portal.

I was given a lot of responsibility due to the strategic and high profiled nature of the accounts I am aligned to. In my tasks I am able to efficiently engage with the team to deliver key activities on a day-to-day basis. The responsibility I am given has supported me in reaching my goals from the placement year.

The combined knowledge from my placement year and academic studies will extremely help build my unique and efficient skillset for my graduate role after university. I have gained knowledge from my experiences, activities, and engagement through-out the programme. Excitingly, I am currently involved in the new The Sales Foundation programme which would help provide the fundamental transferring skills needed for a well-informed and successful salesperson.

The atmosphere at SAP is very welcoming and engaging. There are many networks, communities, and programs to join openly. Currently, due to the current challenge of COVID-19 as a company, we have to adapt to Remote working. This has strengthened my ability to adapt effectively and proactively in my working practice and the collaborative measures implemented by the placement programme has helped so much during this transition. For instance, every Friday the Intern Cohort have an ‘afternoon chill’ call with a range of fun activities to create an engaging atmosphere through this challenging period globally.

The placement programme has been very organised in regards towards the programme structure. At the start of the programme during our on-boarding we had a range of activities to enhance our skills and ensure a smooth transition into the role. The placement committees communication has been consistently coherent and engaging allowing us to optimize our experience and learning.

The learning development available at SAP has been amazingly overwhelming. I have had the ability to develop in specialised areas which have been valuable and meaningful to my personal development. There are so many sources available such as the learning portals, mentoring scheme, manager and team support. The firm has invested so much overall in my personal development and has provided useful and unique skills to benefit for life after university.

Technology has a huge influence in our current era and working for a multi-national software company which has a huge influence on our global economy would be amazing. SAPs mission statement aims to not only help businesses run butter with intelligent solutions but also help tackle world issues, for instance the Elephants, Rhinos and People project. Being able to contribute to the change and influence SAP have in the economy is very appealing. In regards to future employment prospects, there have been instances whereby interns from previous cohorts have been recruited after the placement programme which has proven their value to SAP with hard work, enthusiasm, and commitment.

The intern community is very engaging and friendly. There has been a range of activities and socials which has been really fun! Moreso, within my teams, for each industry, when we had our monthly team meetings we would go out to a nice bar to commence the evening. In response to COVID-19, as a team and community, we continue to strengthen the social scene with virtual activities. The overall social scene is very friendly and constantly engaging.

As my home is based in London I had the opportunity to live at home during the placement programme, as the head office is based in Feltham the commute from home to work was relatively smooth. This arrangement helped with my financial arrangements. Although, there is also the opportunity to rent a house with fellow interns which is great!

Exploring the nightlife is a personal preference and I must say that I am an early bird and always need a good night's sleep. However, for those whom are interested in nightlife for Friday evenings possibly, there are areas to attend if your role based in the central London offices.

The opportunities available at SAP outside of work are endless. Not only are there numerous opportunities available in nearly every area to suit preferences but with the resources and support, you can create opportunities that you feel would be beneficial and fun! For instance, I have a huge passion for CSR activities and with the help and support of an amazing team, there was a 7-day donation drive for charities supporting the vulnerable and unemployed.