Describe your role and what it entails.

The Communications Associate at SAP UKI works in the Internal Communications team handling employee communications and external relations. My responsibilities within employee communications entailed creating and distributing a monthly employee newsletter, writing and sending company-wide emails, planning employee events, and more. My responsibilities within external relations included compiling and creating a monthly impact report, writing and editing thought-leadership pieces, providing the Public Relations agency team with assistance, and writing LinkedIn posts for company execs.

What have been your highlights?

One highlight of my placement was planning an event for over 300 employees in London. It was a huge insight into the logistics and complications that are involved in planning big events and was able to utilise my problem-solving skills to provide attendees with the best experience possible.

Another highlight was making friends for life within the intern cohort. SAP is unique in how many placement and early careers roles it offers, and the community it fosters is so welcoming and nurturing. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of its community.

What have been your challenges?

One challenge I faced was overcoming social anxiety. As a natural introvert I found the first couple of months very overwhelming with how many new people I was meeting. However, the placements team were always on hand to offer advice with anything, and eventually I grew to feel happy in the office and found my comfortable spaces. I even joined the Pride@SAP group and walked in the London Pride Parade with them!

Another challenge was learning to speak up with my ideas, no matter how silly they were. At the beginning of my placement I was too shy and scared of people thinking my ideas weren’t good enough to suggest them. But from the starts my manager encouraged me to share my input, and I learnt that even if I wasn’t confident in my suggestions, other people were eager to hear them.

What have you learnt from your experience in the role?

One big takeaway I have from my thirteen months on placement, was the improvement in my writing skills. In the communications role there was a lot of opportunities to develop my writing skills, and at the end of my placement I found I was both quicker and more efficient at writing. Any placement role would have the opportunity to develop certain skills, and the environment encourage dramatic improvement.

I also think I have gained a lot of organisational and administrative skills that can be utilised in any job or market. These will strengthen my CV and skill set when applying for future roles, and will especially make me stand out amongst other people my age without this experience.

What advice would you give to a student following in your footsteps?

To students following in my footsteps, I would encourage them to take every opportunity that their placement offers them. A placement year is such a unique opportunity to learn and make mistakes, and there will be some fantastic opportunities that you won’t get anywhere else at this age.