PMO Review

It has been a brilliant experience working for a leading technology company. My role at the company had been chosen based on my interests and abilities which made the experience interesting and enjoyable as well as valuable. I would definitely recommend the placement scheme to any undergraduate!

Any ideas and opinions were valued and encouraged by my colleagues which made you feel a valued team member. As I progressed and my confidence as well as abilities grew, I was offered more responsibilities to take on which in turn, increased my value to IBM.

Throughout my placement I have had a lot of support from my Task Manager, Early Professional manager and colleagues. Feedback was given on a regular basis and it was made very clear throughout the year that anyone was happy to help with guidance. Also, events were set up throughout the year to help give guidance on applying back to IBM as well as other companies which was extremely useful

There is a lot of hard work involved in working for IBM but I thoroughly enjoyed my role due to my motivation and enthusiasm. However, it was made very clear throughout the year that if you were too busy, your managers would help decrease your workload by spreading your workload across the team or by helping improve current processes.

During my placement, I had a lot of responsibilities such as; - Managing financials of current projects worth $6m - Managing the commercial process for Change requests sent by the client - Presenting the commercial deck put together to the client each week - Managing over 80 resources forecasts on all current projects

It has been such a valuable experience working for IBM. As there was a lot of hard work involved, I believe it has prepared me for my third year as well as later on in life as I will have the motivation and determination to do well. Furthermore, at IBM there was a lot of support and guidance on applications for graduate careers which I believe has helped me understand how to apply back to IBM and other company's effectively.

There was always a good atmosphere in the office and everyone made you feel extremely welcome. It was made clear throughout the year that the relationships between colleagues were important as many meals/events were set up with the team so everyone could get to know each other better. This was extremely helpful when I first started at IBM as it made me feel very welcome.

When I joined IBM, I took on activities from a apprentice (known as mentor). During the first few weeks, my mentor handed over their work to me and by my third month, I had picked up all tasks with ease. Afterwards, there were sessions set up by your Early Professional manager to ensure you are enjoying your placement and getting the best possible experience. They will also advise any necessary steps to take to advance your knowledge and expertise on any certain career paths that are of interest.

A lot of events are held across the UK for employee's to develop their knowledge in different career paths. If you are interested in the events, depending on base location, they pay for your accommodation and transport to ensure you can attend. Also, during my placement, my manager thought it would be effective for me to work in the client office. Therefore, accommodation and transport was paid for me to work there as it was 3 hours from my base location.

As I enjoyed the placement, the future employment prospects are very appealing. IBM make sure you are happy and progressing in you career the way you would like to and if not, they do everything they can to help. For example; a career's event was set up for future prospects to help explain the career opportunities available and the benefits that would be involved in a career with IBM. They also helped you find the right graduate role based on your needs and abilities.

Everyone was so welcoming and made you feel part of the team. Every week, there would be opportunities that had been created for the team to go out for a meal or activities to get to know each other better. Also, there is normally other students on their placement year at your location which make you feel more comfortable working in a new environment.

I was based in Preston for my placement year and bars/restaurants were not expensive. The cost of living was more expensive compared to Derby where I used to live for University but the salary provided by IBM was more than enough to cover.

The nightlife in Preston was good but there was not a lot of clubs to go to. However, Blackpool and Manchester were near by which more than accommodated for the nightlife.

At least every week, there were activities set up by the management team to help improve the team's communication and knowledge regarding each other. There were also sports teams that were set up within IBM that anyone could join.