More Perks of Interning at a Small Company

When people think intern they tend to think legal slave.  Usually interns are not paid and made to do the most mundane tasks.  Not the case at Titan Consulting.

I am paid, quite well, and I actually get to help the company.  Setting up their social media sites, putting together the newsletter and even helping out the sales people with tasks that are too mundane for them but help me learn new things.

And the benefits just get better.  With gas prices so high, no one can drive anywhere anymore.  And seeing as my work mainly just require a laptop and the internet, I work from home two days a week.  While the new office is so nice, it’s even nicer to sit around in my pajamas and work the day away from the comfort of my own home.  But it doesn’t stop there.  The company owns season tickets to the local minor league baseball team’s games which are offered to the employees when clients are being taken.  Which means I get to take my friends to a baseball game where we get all the FREE food and drink we want.  Does it get much better than that?

So when you’re checking out internships, don’t worry if it’s related exactly to your major.  Find out what the perks are!

Always Keep It Light

Although business is serious, everyone needs to crack a smile.  That’s just what Titan Consulting provides on a daily basis.  Many smiles.  Though all the partners are serious about their business, they know how to make a joke.

It was my job to put together a newsletter that would be sent out to the internal team as well as all as the companies we work with and some consultants.  There were to be pictures of everyone, especially the partners.  We had a formal picture of one of our partners, but decided it would be more fun to put in the picture of him wearing purple velvet boxer (over shorts of course, we are appropriate) with Sugar Daddy spelled out on the back.  With the picture in place, we sent the newsletter out to our internal team, with a note that it went out to everyone.  While at first no one seem to notice, we soon got emails back asking what the heck was going on.

So with a laugh, we explained that this newsletter did not go out to those who did not know us so well but decided that it would be more fun to let the internal team get to know our partner just a little bit better!

The Power of Publisher

There are so many different computer programs that people never get to use, but are just so much fun.  I had never even heard of Microsoft Publisher before my internship with Titan Consulting, but I am so glad I have now!  Granted, I don’t have the money to buy it but maybe one day… Anyway, although it is completely different software, it reminds me of my experience with Adobe Photoshop.  After I used it, I wanted to use it again.

It’s just so simple.  It gives you a template and you can make whatever you want!  And it looks like you sent in articles to a graphic designer who laid it all out for you.  But you did it yourself.  So now you have a really great product that was cheap to make and your self-esteem is soaring. 

Which is another reason I think Publisher is so alluring.  With Photoshop, I loved it immediatley even though I barely understood how to do anything with it, even when I had used it a few times.  But Publisher I understood immediately.  Having originally gone into college with a major in graphic design, the templates it provided were very appealing and so easy to manipulate.  It provided the instant gratification.

I feel that Publisher is a program every intern should be introduced to.  Not that it is too hard to figure out if you had never used it before, like me, but if you brought in a resume that you made in Publisher, think about what it would say about you.  Who needs Word anymore?

What does SAP do?

As the child of someone who worked for SAP directly and now continues to work with them at another company, you would think I would have some idea of what it does.  But this was not the case.  I had absolutely no idea what SAP stands for, much less what it was/does. 

Therefore, this internship has provided me with a wonderful opportunity to broaden my horizons.  When asked where I worked and what the company, Titan Consulting, did, I would tell the questioner that they found SAP consultants.  Then they would generally ask me what SAP was.  And I had no answer.  I immediately went home and asked my father what SAP was.  I found out it was a software that basically runs companies, keeps up with all the numbers, things like that.  But that wasn’t enough for me.  I got on my computer and signed up for Google Alerts.  Anything with SAP in the title was immediately sent to me.  And was much more helpful than I assumed it would be.  Seeing as SAP is a complex software system, the public seems to have come up with ways that even us interns can understand it.  I can’t explain it, but I understand it.

So if you want to know more about SAP and what it does or can do for your business, I suggest signing up for Google Alert for anything SAP.

And by the way, SAP stands for Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung in its native German or Systems, Applications, and Products in plain English.

Your Kids are on Social Media. Are You?

I have read so many articles about social media, it’s almost over whelming.  And here I am putting out another one.  But I feel that I have a unique perspective.  I was hired by Titan Consulting specifically because I could be one of their children, and I was already on social media networks.  I’ve been using them for years and it seemed easier to just hire me than try and teach someone who has never even visited the site.  And hopefully it was.  I got them up on Myspace, Facebook, Bebo and a few other blog type social networks.  They are up and running and adding friends.

It’s fun, fast and easy.  Not to mention free.  Social media is the best way to advertise.  And if you don’t want to train a present employee to figure it out, you can hire an intern.  Everyone knows interns are the best cheap labor.  Or if you’re feeling really ambitious, you could dive into it yourself!  See what this new world holds for you and your company!

Play Golf, Save Lives

On July 12th, 2008, one of Titan Consulting was a gold sponsor in Kimberly-Clark’s  “IT Partners Charity Golf Event”.  Kent Lamb, one of our partner’s also participated in the charity event.  If you haven’t ever been to, heard of, or considered golf charity events you might wonder why a company would want to participate in something like this.  Well, not only do you get to play golf, but you are also helping out so many families who’s lives have been completely changed with the diagnosis of cancer.

Kimberly-Clark has been hosting this event for 11 years now. This year they donated $75,000 to M.D. Anderson which was rated as one of the top two cancer hospitals in the United States for the past eighteen years by U.S. News & World Report.  M.D. Anderson will be able to turn this money into seven times the initial amount with the grants they will be applying for.  That’s more than $500,000 with just one gold tournament.  So sign up for one.  They happen all the time and most of them are annual and will happen every year.  Go ahead and have some fun while giving the gift of life.

How many interns get their own office?

Everyone has to start somewhere right?  Well, Titan Consulting started it’s SAP consulting business in an old insurance building with just two partners and a few employees.  As they grew they moved to a house in downtown Frisco Texas, which they again outgrew, so they bought another house on Pecan St to convert into an office.  Everyone moved over there, but it quickly became crowded so they split up in between the two buildings.  By the time I came to join them, in the begging of June 2008, there were seven to ten people in the Pecan St office on a daily basis and at least two in the original house.  Then, finally, on July 2nd, 2008, seven years after the business began, we moved into a new building, just down the street from the Pecan St office, built specifically for Titan Consulting. 

Although the first two days, I didn’t have a desk, I had my very own office.  Having only completed only one year of college and worked retail or tour guiding at my college, it was a very big surprise.  Though there were jokes I would be working in the closet under the stairs, I ended up with a spacious office with all I needed and a window to let the sunlight in. 

It’s gonna be hard to take another internship, one that’s not paid, where I’ll get a cubicle (if I’m lucky), and will most likely be taking coffee orders as opposed to doing actual work.  Maybe I’ll just stay here.  We all have to start somewhere, but who said we ever had to leave?

Talk the Talk or Walk the Long Walk

by Javid Lateef

 

SAP is such a global entity and the U.S. is a major employer of SAP consultants in the World.  As a result we have a large percentage of foreign nationals who arrive here to take on projects and further their careers.  The one major hurdle that they all face, whether they have 10 years of experience or 1 year is “The Interview”.

 

In this article I will try and suggest a few helpful hints that may alleviate your fear of attending an interview with a potential client. 

 

What I, as a human resources person, am used to hearing is…” What are his /her communications skills like?”  Now this can take on different connotations depending on who the Interviewer is, right..? The idea is to come up with a general procedure you follow no matter who or where the client is.  Let us first tackle the issues the South East Asian consultants (they form the highest percentage of H1-B visa consultants in the country).  Since I too am from that part of the world I think I have a unique understanding of this.  The languages that one speaks in the Indian sub-continent are usually spoken at a brisk pace.  When an individual learns to speak English, and he is from this area of the world, his/her spoken English tends to be spoken at the same velocity…!!!!  South East Asian and Asian consultants always think it’s their accent that denies them jobs, but in most cases the combination of a different accent and fast speech leads to the interviewer not being able to communicate with you, so whenever I have a candidate interviewing, I make it a point to tell the consultant to pause quite deliberately between sentences.  This gives the interviewer time to assimilate the data and time for the consultant to structure his/her next sentence.

 

Most SAP consultants, these days, are hired after a phone interview and most of these interviews are done over mobile phones as that is what nearly every consultant has.  This in itself is a problem, but when you add a Bluetooth headset to the mix, it is a recipe for disaster.  I always ask the consultant for a landline and if that is not available, I ask him/her to be in an area that offers excellent reception and away from as much ambient noise as possible.

 

There are certain things that one can do to indicate to the interviewer that you are confident, take-charge kind of person.  The one thing that I try to instill into my candidates, when they are on a conference interview call, is to always establish who all are on the call ( if they are not all introduced) and greet them by name, e.g. Hello Mary…Hello Mark and at the conclusion, “ How may I be of assistance today”.  Confidence is a trait that most every interviewer or panel recognizes.

 

Last but not least, avoiding talking in ones native tongue a few hours before the interview is helpful too, as this gets you into the right mind frame.  Good luck to you all!

Get the Best SAP Consultants

Achieving greatness often means forging an entirely new path. It means working both harder and smarter than the rest. And it also means not trying to be all things to all people. Greatness requires focus. That’s why we offer only senior-level SAP consulting.

By focusing solely on SAP consulting, we’re able to stay up-do-date on the latest software developments, so you’re never working with last year’s technology. And because we understand what a difference a well-managed SAP system can make to your business, we only provide senior-level consultants to our clients. Nobody is learning on the job here. Our consultants are some of the industry’s brightest and most knowledgeable SAP experts.

Our Services 

What we do is simple: we help ensure that you%u2019ve got the right SAP software for your business, and that the system is performing efficiently and effectively.

Strategic planning

Strategic planning means looking at more than just software systems. It requires analyzing your human resources alongside your hardware capabilities and needs. And the planning doesn’t stop after the initial system analysis. As your needs develop, we’ll continually evaluate your SAP architecture to make sure you’ve got the right software to keep your business running efficiently.

Staff augmentation

When your SAP project requires intense SAP insight, be only for a limited time, our staff augmentation service may be the right answer. With our flexible scheduling, you get the benefit of an on-site SAP specialist for as long or as short as you need.

Project ownership

Some SAP projects require experienced SAP management on a more permanent basis. That’s why we have the ability to offer senior-level SAP experts who can help manage your system on an ongoing basis. You get the experience of a dedicated SAP consultant focused only on your SAP project.

Staff training

Most clients eventually want to move towards internal management. That’s why we offer intensive training that will teach your staff to effectively manage your entire SAP system. It’s what we call knowledge transfer: combining the knowledge of our SAP specialists, and transferring it to your own internal SAP management team. These training sessions are even taught on-site so you spend your time learning, not traveling.

Upgrades

It’s important to know when to upgrade your SAP software. But it’s even more important to know which upgrade is right for your business. Our specialists average nearly a decade of experience upgrading complex SAP software systems, and we’re always up-to-date on the newest software releases. You’ll get the new software you need, along with the expertise to integrate it seamlessly.

Links to other Titan Consulting Websites 

Is this lens just not enough information for you? Then visit these websites!

Titan Consulting’s Main Website

Find out everything you need to know about Titan Consulting.

Titan Consulting’s Website

Take a look at some of the fun stuff Titan Consulting has been up to.

Titan Turns Seven!

On July 1, 2008 Titan Consulting celebrated its seventh birthday. What started as two men’s idea has now grown into a successful company. Our belief in really connecting with our customers has helped us to create a company with integrity and pride in what we do.  Even though we provide our services globally, each company gets the individual attention it deserves.

Check out our main website at www.titanconsulting.net