Communications Associate Review

by SAP

Best Student Employer

Rating

3.9/5
  • The Role
    4.1
  • The Company
    3.9
  • The Culture
    3.5

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • A placement year is such a critical time amidst one's professional and personal development. My experience with SAP has surely been a unique and unimaginable one. From the structure of the program allowing you to explore other roles of interest and further expand your skillset, to the wide network of professionals who were open to mentoring the interns, I have definitely benefited from this year.

    5/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • Although working in a large enterprise like SAP opens up a lot of opportunities, a challenge was definitely working in a global team. I loved meeting new people from different walks of life, however it was difficult creating solid relationships with people I only talk through Skype with. There was a mixture of attitudes towards interns but many teammates were open to see what value we could add and our fresh ideas. It is important to be patient with yourself and know the next 13 months will allow you to gain more experience in the areas you want to grow in.

    3/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • This varies from role to role, however my team was very autonomous. We attempted 1-2-1s every two weeks, however the lack of face to face contact made it hard to open up during times of difficulty. However, there are always friendly employees around, who will happily mentor you with certain conversations and the placement committee is very attentive to their interns.

    3/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • Very busy! Communications is a mixture of being proactive in planning promotional campaigns, internal and external content and being opportunistic by reacting to current events in the news. With the 70:30 split, where we are encouraged to seek out experience in other departments, there is always something new to discover and learn about. You are in a reasonable control over your hours - whether you ask for more work (because there's always something to do) or whether this involves having a conversation with your manager there is too much. Very good placement if you're looking for a challenge and squeezing the most out of 13 months.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • A great thing about SAP is that most employees will treat you like a professional from the offset and will push and challenge you to understand how things work in the corporate world. You are expected to be prepared, proactive and professional in everything you do. With how widespread SAP's reach is in their processes, it was easy to find something else to get involved in.

    5/5

  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
  • With how large SAP is, there is always something for you to get involved in. In turn, your experiences will be so varied and by the end of the 13 months, you will find it so hard to articulate your skillset in a 2-page CV! You get what you put in with this placement because there are always opportunities to get involved in to do, someone to talk to and something to improve. Having a large cohort of interns on the placement with you has helped us all connect and keep in mind life during and after our placement and degrees.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • The Feltham office is amazing! With such a large intern cohort, it was very helpful having most of us based in one office to increase the social aspect of the placement year because you need to be able to look forward to the place you work 5 days out of the week! With everyone's departments in particular floors, it was really reassuring having your own space to call a 2nd home for 13 months. The building is also very modern and decorated with SAP everywhere, so you feel a part of the SAP family.

    5/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Very organised - even though there were more than enough of us interns to handle! The placement committee is always trying to provide us with opportunities to improve our skills and connect us with people from a wide range of roles in the business. The handover period in the beginning of placement really helped us adjust into our roles and set expectations for the year to come.

    5/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • There are always always trainings going on - whether it's compulsory enablement trainings to soft/hard skills development closely related to your role to guitar lessons! Even when things get fully booked, there is always something popping up in your emails next. The only issue is if you had the time to complete them all.

    5/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Subsidised Canteen

    Subsidised/Company Gym

    National Travel

    Above 25 days holiday

    Working from home

    3/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • If you know you want to get into the software industry SAP is definitely for you - and for a range of roles. Although there is not a graduate program, they are very open in keeping in touch for possible opportunities like Sales and Presales Academy. Looking at partners is also an opportunity.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • SAP host a 2-week onboarding period at the start of placement and the committee always have intern orientated opportunities to get everyone acquainted - particularly the boat party! Because the offices are in particular locations, everyone is forced to stay close to each other so it's been very easy to have a friend just around the corner in and out of work.

    5/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • If you know in advance living in/near London will be expensive, you have to just adjust expectations and be smart with money. There are always ways to work around financial challenges - like house sharing, non-drinking orientated socials, etc... However it is undoubtedly more expensive in maintenance costs than other places. The office does help having subsidised breakfasts and a coffee shop downstairs - not to mention the occasional free sweets and treats dotted around the office when there's an event!

    3/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Nightlife in Greater London (where most of the interns lived) wasn't very exciting - however it didn't stop us from enjoying ourselves when wanting drinks in Richmond or Clapham on a Thursday night! On the weekends, Central London wasn't a challenge to get to and back from either. Just expect to not be able to find a wild night out down the road to easily grab a 10 minute cab ride from like at uni.

    3/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Yes! Greater London is a really unique and refreshing place to live. You have the royal parks along the Thames of you like a bit of nature, Twickenham stadium for the rugby fans/local sports teams and Central London is just a hop away if you want to experience the thrill of the city. My weekends were spent with endless restaurants, museums and shows, which filled my time - but emptied my bank account!

    4/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Journalism & Publishing, Market Research, Marketing, PR & Communications, Voluntary

London

April 2020


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