Take it from our interns: People make the difference

As a Talent Acquisition Intern at Concur, my role is to share stories about employees on our blogs and social media channels. Part of this work includes interviewing my fellow interns in SAP’s Internship Experience Project (SAP iXP) to learn more about who they are and the work they’re doing throughout the summer.

Today, I’ll dive into a conversation with Irene Kim and Katarina Espenscheid about the highlights of their internships.

 

Meet Irene & Katarina

 

 

 Irene: User Experience (UX) Intern, Concur 

 Hometown: Los Angeles, California

 School: Senior at University of Michigan

 Major: Business degree in Technology Operations & Marketing Strategy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Katarina: Public Relations Intern, Concur - TripIt

 Hometown: Pensacola, Florida

 School: Recent graduate, University of Miami

 Major: Marketing, minor in advertising and public relations

 

 

 

 

Becoming Friends  

During week one of the internship program, SAP iXp interns from across the U.S. traveled to Seattle for the SAP iXp North America Summit. Katarina and Irene immediately became friends after spending so much time together on their journey from San Francisco to Seattle and back.

 

Irene, Katarina and fellow interns pose at the photo booth at the iXp North America Summit

 

Shortly after, they discovered that they live just four blocks away from each other in the Nob Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. From there, the friendship took off. “We walk to work together, go for coffee together every morning, eat lunch together and ride home together. We’re even members of the same workout program,” Katarina explained.

Their friendship has also extended to helping each other with work projects and presentations. “I’d say we rely on each other for support when things get hectic at work. We always practice our presentations with one another, help build up each other’s confidence, and overall make coming to work something to look forward to every morning,” Katarina stated. Further, Katarina shared: “Irene proofreads my PR writing materials and I volunteer to let her test ideas/features on me so she can get my insight and strengthen her UX projects.”

Not only are they simply “work friends,” but they spend time together outside of the office. Katarina explained that they both want to stay in San Francisco long-term, so “exploring what this amazing city has to offer is one of our favorite activities.”

 

SAP iXp interns Katarina Espenscheid (left) and Irene Kim (right) in the San Francisco office.

 

Positive People = Positive Experiences

Irene and Katarina both made it clear that they love their internships, but they love the people they work with most of all. From day one, Irene’s manager, Carly Lodge, encouraged her to share her ideas and help shape the foundation for UX research —a remarkable opportunity.

Although she was a bit nervous at first, Irene has made significant contributions to UX research over the summer. “This internship provides me with more flexibility than I’ve ever had,” she says. “I love the people here as well as my work.” The freedom Irene’s manager gives her has made their relationship stronger and her experience more impactful.

Katarina echoed Irene’s sentiments regarding her relationship with her manager, Angela Feher, and team members.

“Who you work with basically defines the experience,” she says. “I’ve never had an internship or job experience where I’ve enjoyed the people I’m working with or had such a great company culture, so that’s been such a positive realization for me. I never thought work could ever be this enjoyable.”

 

Building Bridges Through Events 

Irene and Katarina are a part of the San Francisco SAP iXp event committee. They planned fun outings such as Escape Rooms, a San Francisco food tour and a day trip to California’s Great America theme park.

 

Escape Room fun for San Francisco interns

 

 “I think at work, [the interns] are very segregated [from each other],” Katarina says. “We’re on different teams and have different responsibilities … it’s really important to build those relationships outside the office. It makes it more exciting to come to work every day and be with people that you have close relationships with.” Irene agrees that building these relationships has only made coming to the office more exciting.

Almost every day, the interns in the San Francisco office eat lunch together. “We have the same specific time and table,” Katarina explains. A lot of the interns are not from San Francisco, so on the weekends they enjoy exploring the city together and hanging out at each other’s apartments.

The event committee that Katarina and Irene discussed has built strong intern relationships within the 10-week SAP iXp program. They know that fellow interns and colleagues are there for support, community and fun, and they have created their own home away from home in San Francisco.

Take it from these two that company culture is everything. Katarina explained: “I would say there’s much more to it than the perks everyone loves--the pool tables, free lunch, happy hours, casual attire and flexible hours. It’s about being surrounded by so many people who take genuine interest in you and share similar passions.”

 

Visit our careers pages for more information about the iXp program and Concur internships. 

To see our company culture in action, watch our video from the SAP iXp North America Summit.