A summer spent embracing curiosity, not fetching coffee
As university students and recent graduates, interns know what it’s like to learn from textbooks, whiteboards and professors. But in the SAP iXp’s (Internship Experience Project) program, we are given the opportunity to learn beyond the walls of a classroom.
Everyone knows the stereotype of an intern whose biggest responsibilities are to fetch coffee and run errands. Interning in the iXp program, that stereotype couldn’t be farther from reality. Through encouragement from my manager, mentor, coworkers and the iXp team, I spent the summer learning as much as I could and put my knowledge into action.
When telling friends and family about my internship on the Search Marketing team at Concur, they would tentatively ask: “Search marketing … so, search engines? What exactly is that?”
Many people don’t know what Search Marketing is, and before starting this internship, I honestly didn’t know very much about it either. I knew the marketing buzzword “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO) from a few classes I’d taken and articles I’d read, but I knew only the basics of this complex field. To give a quick overview, the goal of Search Marketing is to improve your company’s website ranking on search engines, ultimately driving higher website traffic and increasing sales. But beyond this basic definition, there was still much more to learn.
My internship began by reading about the fundamentals of Search Marketing, while jotting down notes and a scrawling list of questions. I attended “lessons” taught by my mentor and my manager, read articles from leading experts in the field, asked tons of questions and studied anything I could find.
At the time, I was antsy to get started on projects, but I quickly saw the value in these two weeks dedicated solely to learning as my efficiency and confidence were strong moving forward on more and more complex tasks. As I began applying what I had learned to tangible projects, my learning shifted to a hands-on style in which I found myself constantly trying new things, researching and reading when I came across something I didn’t understand, and continuing to ask questions.
Further, my team encouraged me to include learning in my daily routine. One coworker suggested that I spend time each day reading top Search Marketing blogs to stay up-to-date with new trends and research. My team also traded interesting articles and videos with one another, sharing what we found exciting in this constantly evolving field.
Beyond opportunities specific to my team, my internship was full of chances to explore something new. From “Power Hour” courses, which are one-hour learning bursts with professionals in the business, to the three-day SAP iXp North America Summit, to a lunch with Concur President Mike Eberhard, I continually experienced the ways in which everyone at Concur encouraged the iXp interns to embrace our curiosity.
As my internship experience reaches an end, I’m incredibly grateful for my time at Concur. Not only am I grateful for this summer spent learning, but I’m also grateful for everyone at Concur who has supported me along the way.
Visit our careers pages for more information about the iXp program and Concur internships.
Follow our interns throughout the year on the iXp Twitter page and #MyiXpStory.