Communications and PR Assistant Review

I've had a fantastic year at SAP and have had the opportunity to get involved with some amazing projects throughout. There has rarely been a time when I don't have work to be getting on with and I have been challenged from when I started. The intern programme at SAP is steadily growing and I'm really glad that I had the chance to be a part of it.

I was treated as an equal from early on and never felt that I wasn’t valued or appreciated. My direct manager involved me in everything that she did and always offered me the opportunity to get involved with projects that she was part of. This meant that my placement year was both exciting and challenging. My colleagues also recognised the work that I was doing which made me feel that my efforts were worth all the hard work.

I was based in a small team so received a high level of support. I sat next to both my manager and my 'buddy' and was encouraged to ask questions whenever I needed to. I had regular meetings with my manager in addition to quarterly review meetings that were more in depth. My manager also encouraged me to contact her by email/phone if I was ever stuck. I never felt like I couldn't ask for help when it was needed. I was also given clear guidance in terms of how I could improve throughout the year and make the most from my placement.

The majority of the time I was extremely busy, although there were a couple of quiet periods throughout the year. At SAP you have the opportunity to get involved with 'Intern Projects' outside your everyday role and this gave you the opportunity to keep busy during quiet periods. As the year progressed I became more confident at getting involved in other departments and helping other teams which was encouraged by my manager. This gave me valuable experience as well as keeping me busy.

I was given a lot of responsibility from early on and this continued to progress throughout the year. Interns at SAP are responsible for the recruitment of the following years intern and I project managed this task throughout the year, this involved organising the recruitment drive, planning and executing assessment days and running the on-boarding for new interns. The project required a large amount of work but was fantastic experience. I was also given a high degree of responsibility in my own role, I organised a social event to watch a rugby game at Twickenham for 350 people, helped organise the company Christmas party/children's Christmas party, wrote the company newsletter and provided Comms support for SAP UKI Exec Board meetings. I think having this level of responsibility has really helped me make the most of my placement year. I feel that I was valued and trusted by my manager and this made the year really, really enjoyable.

My degree isn't directly related to my placement but I feel that the skills that I've developed will benefit me in my future career. I've had significant opportunities to develop and gain experience in a range of areas that will be extremely beneficial in the future. During the year I also got the chance to take part in training i.e. presentation training which has increased my confidence. This will be beneficial both in my degree and in my future career. I also feel that my placement has provided me with a lot more direction in terms of choosing a career and knowing what I want from a career in the future.

SAP allows employees to work at home so there were days that the office was quieter although these days were often useful to catch up on work and get things done. My team were in the office the majority of the time and the atmosphere was always fun and enjoyable. I never felt awkward or that I wasn't able to talk to people and actually enjoyed going into the office.

The placement was organised brilliantly. Prior to starting at SAP I had a team-building/induction day where I got to meet all the other new interns and my teams. On starting my placement we were involved in a four week handover period which gave me time to get to know my role with the support of the previous intern. There has never been a time when I felt unsure of my role or what was expected from me. This has helped make my internship considerably more enjoyable.

Whilst I didn't receive as much opportunity to attend formal training courses as some of the other interns did, I did a huge amount of on the job training and got involved in numerous events/projects e.g. the Intern Programme 2012/2013 and several Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives that have provided me with significant development opportunities. I was also able to spend considerable time with our external PR agency and learn more about the agency side of Communications as well as how things run in-house. I also completed Presentation training which will be beneficial for my final year at University as well as in the future.

SAP doesn't currently have a specific graduate scheme in place although there are plans to change this in the near future. Also, the absence of a graduate scheme doesn't necessarily mean that jobs aren't available and a couple of interns from past intakes have already returned to the company in a graduate role. Interns are encouraged to network and make as many connections as possible during their placement year to create employment opportunities for the future. I would love to return to the company but in my role I recognise that I am likely to require external experience in conjunction to the in-house experience that I gained this year.

The Intern Programme at SAP is still relatively small and in my placement year there were only 18. This meant that all the interns knew each other and a close knit community was created. Interns often went out to local areas i.e. Richmond/Windsor on nights out and there is a regular football league that interns take part in on Wednesday nights.

SAP is based in Feltham, Middlesex which itself isn't the best area, however there are loads of areas to live in nearby and commuting to the office by car/train/tube isn't a problem. There are student areas nearby so cheap property is available, if you choose one of these areas. Alternatively, there is the option of heading to areas such as Clapham/Richmond which are more expensive but offer better options in terms of socialising.

Feltham itself isn't great but there are other places nearby that can easily be reached i.e. Richmond, Clapham, Windsor and central London is very accesible.

My team involved me in a lot of activites outside of work, we frequently went for drinks/food to get away from the office. The Interns themselves also organise events frequently and SAP offers the chance to get involved with the weekly football and potentially the chance to go to Germany and take part in the SAP World Cup. There are plenty of opportunities for you to get involved outside of work and it's up to you how much you want to do.