Operations Analyst Review

I very much enjoyed the placement, the role has a steep learning curve which can be somewhat daunting to begin with, but if you enjoy being challenged and learning new things, you’ll fit this role well. I always found myself taking on new aspects to my role with increasing responsibility as the year went on. This was a good pace to learn at which I think allowed me to enjoy the placement without being totally overwhelmed.

At the start of the year it can be difficult to feel you’re really adding value to the team. However after 2 months I found myself in a confident position to be able to support my manager. As the year develops I felt I was relied on more and more by the people I supported. As you support the team more and more, you certainly feel valued for what you're doing.

Support can vary from manager to manager and department to department. My manager was very supportive and even during busy periods of the year, ensured I was still being supported. My manager was always willing to let me join meetings and learn more about the side of the business I supported. This is a great experience for a placement year as the support encourages learning and development.

I wouldn’t say there’s a consistent amount of workload. There are certainly busier and quieter parts of the year/ month. I found my mornings would be relatively busy on a normal day because this was when a lot of my routine work was carried out. The afternoons would be more ad hoc, but there’s always something to get involved with.

Throughout the year I took on more and more responsibility due to a number of colleagues leaving. Ultimately this lead to regular meetings with sales directors, finance and operations as part of the forecasts I became responsible for. This was previously a full time employee’s role and you’re certainly treated like one. Within a few months, many people will almost forget you're an intern because and the work and responsibility given to you.

I've learnt a great deal and the corporate world and the working environment as well as the technology industry. This will absolutely assist me with my final year of studies. The experiences and training I've had over the past year will help a great deal when it comes to future jobs as a graduate, especially when it comes for choosing my career path.

There’s a good atmosphere in the office at SAP. The entire building has been newly refurbished within the past 2 years which makes it a pleasant place to work. Everyone’s generally good spirited and nice to work with, which is a big plus when it comes to working for a large company.

The placement is very well organised and this is definitely noticed from the start. You have a month handover with the placement student currently in your position which allows you to have pretty much uninterrupted training for your role. There's also a week of on boarding presentations to help you learn about all aspects of the business from the start.

A lot of time is spent training up the placement student which is obviously a large investment and as their roles change and the students gain more responsibility, this investment only grows.

There's an increasing focus on 'early talent' at SAP. However, there are few placement students how are given the opportunity to come back to SAP.

There are numerous events and the placement community is a very large one so there is a fairly active social scene. a lot of the interns choose to live together so this also leads to more of a social aspect of the community.

Living in London isn't exactly cheap, however there are areas near the office that can be relatively budget friendly. If you look at student targeted accommodation you wont end up breaking the bank. Travel is relatively cheap around London as well, which helps with commuting.

Feltham doesn't really offer much of a nightlife, however, you're not far from places such as Richmond, Ascot, Kingston or central so I wouldn't say there's a lack of options.

There's a few different clubs in SAP such as netball and football.