Career Corner Blog Posts
Blog posts are a great way for SAP, customers, and partners to share advice, insights into career trends, new opportunities, and personal success stories.
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Former Member

SAP Academy is a 9-month program that brings new hires from around the world to participate in a curriculum that blends classroom-style learning at our world-class facility in Dublin, CA with on-the-job training at one of SAP’s many international office locations.

With our latest Sales Academy set to begin this month, we wanted to follow four Sales Academy students throughout their time over the next 9 months. The idea is to give a real account from real participants about their experience. In this week's preview, Samantha Harberger, Academy Account Executive, who has already started the program, shares with us a little bit about herself, why she enrolled in the program, and what career tools and experiences she is getting from Sales Academy!

I studied a Bachelor of Design at Swinburne University of Technology, and worked as an Interior Designer for a few years across projects in Melbourne and Sydney. Following this I moved into sales in the Design and Construction industry, selling interior products to designers, architects and developers. I recently decided to make the move into software and technology and was lucky enough to get a spot in the Sales Academy program at SAP.

After deciding to change industries I was looking for entry level roles on Seek and came across a job posting for the Graduate Sales Academy program at SAP. Having no experience in software or technology, I jumped at the opportunity to take on a role with such a well-known and reputable company that would also provide the training and foundation for me to forge a successful career.

I applied for the [Sales Academy] role in early November, and the process started with a series of questionnaires around character traits and working styles to see if I would be a good fit for the culture of SAP. Following this I was asked to submit my resume, and was then invited to attend a Selection Bootcamp in early December. The boot camp ran for an entire workday and consisted of role plays, case studies, presentations and interviews.

Attending the APJ 2014 FKOM (Field Kick-Off Meeting) in Singapore was an experience like no other. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with colleagues across the Asia Pacific region and hear about key strategies for the company and our region for the year ahead. Sitting in a room with 4,000 people really helped to put into perspective just how large a company SAP is, and was a great chance to mix with new employees and company veterans alike and hear about the opportunities, experiences and achievements they've had at the company.

SAP Sales Academy is giving me the opportunity to experience a wide range of sales roles across the company. As well as being assigned a mentor to monitor my progress and guide me through the program, I’m also getting the chance to complete a number of rotations through the company and work with a variety of different people. With each shadowing opportunity I’m gaining new skills and experience, and the benefit of being able to combine the best processes of a number of successful salespeople.

[If enrolling in Sales Academy] be prepared to work hard and try to get your head around things as quickly as possible – the faster you are able to contribute ideas and join in conversation the better.  If you’re thinking of applying – go for it.  It’s not every day you come across a company that is prepared to invest this much in your success, so grab the opportunity when you can.

Keep watch next week for our next post in our SAP Sales Academy series, and read our previous Sales Academy blog entries from Blake Rowley and Ellie Lamey!

To learn more about the SAP Academy program and to apply, please click here:http://www.sap.com/sapacademy

#SAP #SAPAcademy #SAPSales #SAPCloud

Want to find a career you can really be passionate about?

Browse all of our open positions at -
http://jobs.sap.com

Learn more about the workplace culture at SAP, see pics of our offices, talk to recruiters, and get real time job openings by connecting with us on our social pages:

http://facebook.com/LifeatSAP
http://twitter.com/LifeatSAP