Sales Strategy Planning Review

I have thoroughly enjoyed my 13-month placement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise as part of the Sales Strategy & Planning team, based in Bracknell. I feel this experience has allowed both professional and personal development, whilst expanding my network and best preparing me for final year and my future career aspirations.

HPE has a warm welcoming culture and I have felt very valued by my colleagues. An open door policy is evident and senior management are very approachable - including the UKI Managing Director! The work I have produced over the last 13-months has been highly appreciated by my colleagues, and constructive criticism has been provided when appropriate.

The support and guidance I have received from my direct line manager has been second to none. I have experienced bi-weekly 1:1's which have been rearranged immediately if necessary. I have also maintained a relationship with an excellent mentor. HPE are heavily invested in continued employee development. Online training programmes are also available if proactive approach taken.

Very! The nature of my role has meant that my 'busyness' has fluctuated slightly dependent on the current quarter, however I have never been sat twiddling my thumbs. I have been involved with a number of extracurricular activities and racked up an impressive number of volunteer hours. There are also a number of committees and events to plan,

From day 1 I was given a massive amount of responsibility. There is certainly no time for photocopying and tea making as an intern at HPE! Most notably, I have been responsible for 550 sales reps and internal employee communication. Time management, prioritisation and organisation has proven to be essential.

The main skills I have developed this year are: presentation, communication, excel and organisation skills. I think all of these skills will help me to achieve a 1st class honours award on my return to University. I feel better prepared and now have a large bank of examples to which I can apply theory learnt at University.

The organisation has been subject to a large amount of change over the last 13-months, mainly related to structure and hierarchy change. There have also been a number of acquisitions and spin-offs creating uncertainty for the employees. This caused a slight disruption within my team with employees moving in/out, however I feel that morale has slowly begun to regain to its former glory. There has also been a travel ban which makes it very difficult to attend meetings/events in London.

The HPE intern scheme on-boarding process (month handover with current interns) has a tried and tested formal plan which I personally think works great. We are not branded as 'interns' and are treated equally to employees. There are a number of alternative committees to join and lots of volunteer opportunities. However, I think the structure once integrated into the organisation is fairly poor and relies on pro-activity and significant manager engagement and involvement.

Through the employee network, I was presented with the opportunity to take part as a tester for a new online training platform. Many of the courses were relevant to my chosen subject area at University and future career path therefore would have proven very valuable to my development - however I was not provided with sufficient time to complete one of these courses, which is a great shame.

Personally, HPE does not offer a graduate scheme suitable for my chosen career path. If an entry-level job is available I would apply as the culture and industry is great. If you want to be in Sales, Presales or Consulting, then HPE would be great! Sales School is in Erskine however...

Yes. There is a great Inter/Grad culture at HPE. There have been plenty of activities and most (those who want to) get involved e.g. Ascot, Henley, Windsor, London. Socials are however on a Thursday during the first month, which makes Friday mornings a bit of a shock to the system!

VERY expensive. The cost of living in Reading is pretty much bordering on London prices, which means as a 'working student' on a fairly poor salary compared to competitors in the area, you find yourself pretty short of disposable income. Rent is expensive - you have the option to live in halls during the first month which I highly recommend, then find a house ASAP. You will struggle to save.

OK. Not a patch on the city I attend University at, however not bad and drinks prices could be worse (av. £6 for a double). Student nights during the week are cheaper however we tended to stick to weekends. Recommend Yolk for a hangover breakfast - very affordable and always works a treat.

Yes lots. Reading University offers the option to join one of their societies. There are lots of Gyms nearby. We climbed the national 3 peaks and took part in the palace to palace 45 mile cycle ride. There's not loads to do in Reading itself - mainly food, shopping and cinema. London is 30 mins on the train.