GBS People Operations Team (and then changed roles: Executive Assistant) Review

I enjoyed it the most at the beginning, everything was new and exciting and this was my first office job so I was looking forward to getting involved. I still enjoyed it towards the end, but the novelty did slightly wear off. I met some great people along the way as well which really helps in how much you enjoy the placement itself.

Depends on the people you are with. In my first role I was with many other interns and felt extremely valued. In my other role I felt less so because I was working with people at a much more senior level, which meant that they were often preoccupied with their own work (which they did have a lot of to be fair) and less time for you.

No one wants to see you fail - so when you ask for any help it's given to you fairly easily. Also everyone understands that you are still young and are entering this company for the first time so you are bound to make mistakes. There are loads of online tools to help you get to know anything - for example courses in specific industries or skills.

For me it varied so much. Some days I was incredibly busy with tasks and other days it was extremely quiet. Unless you have a role where you know what tasks you are going to do day in day out, the amount of work you have is unpredictable. Also, it depends on the role and how much you put in. If you yourself are trying to take on a lot of tasks, you are naturally going to be busier.

In comparison to what I was expecting (to be treated like a student) I was given a lot of responsibility. But again, the more you ask for the more you get. Definitely try to network with people and ask them if they need help with anything else (if you feel you don't get enough responsibility yourself). The more people see you doing a good job at something, the more they will give you more work. The problem with IBM's placement scheme is that the majority of the roles are made with limited responsibility. Unless you get a really good role that allows you to take something on yourself, a lot of the roles are quite admin based, or you are just a facilitator rather than a creator. This is why I would suggest to get involved in other things outside your role.

Having spent a year in IBM - which is a great company - is brilliant in aiding me in my future. I have learned and enhanced so many of my transferable skills and you really understand what it's like to work in a blue chip company. Moreover I have learned more about the technology industry, and about companies in general that you would not have heard of otherwise. It's given me good knowledge and skills.

Atmosphere varied depending on where you sat. IBM operates a hot desk policy (unless the desks are fixed) so technically you could sit wherever you like. However most of the time you will sit next to or near to the people who you work with. In my role with interns, the atmosphere was very laid back and relaxed and we were laughing a lot of the time. When I changed roles I moved to a different area which was quieter, but that meant I could concentrate more on my work.

The placement is very well organised overall. There are constant emails keeping you informed with what's going on. On top of that there are many events and activities to get involved in that is organised for you by the Foundation team. This included round tables, careers insight days, learning sessions, etc.

So this bit is up to the intern themselves. There are loads of training exercises to get involved in, if you make the effort to. These include things like online training courses to learn about different industries, calls or sessions with talented people to learn about their specialities, coding courses, etc.

If you have completed a placement year with IBM, and done a good job, it is a lot easier to get a job with them afterwards (although not guaranteed). IBM are very big on growing employees organically, so they want you to succeed as an intern so that you return as a graduate. However whether you yourself would like to return to IBM is something else. I believe IBM is a good company but it is a shame that a lot of the placement roles are somewhat boring at times, and so can dissuade you from reapplying.

If you are based in London it's brilliant - you are living in one of the best cities in the world. There is always something to do and the people are great. In IBM itself there is a decent social scene if you want to get involved. Usually every Thursday there are drinks happening, and especially if you live with fellow interns then you do develop really great friendships. I have met some great people during my year that I'll remain in touch with in the years to come.

Because I was living at home, I did not have to pay rent. This was really helpful for me as for a lot of the other interns half their salary was spent on rent. London is expensive, there's no doubt about it, but you still do find a lot of cheap (and free) things to do. Just try to plan out your finances so that you don't find yourself in any financial burden.

London nightlife is brilliant. Whatever you are looking for it's there - it caters to all demographics: cheap nights out, high end clubs, pubs, cocktail drinkers, comedy nights, drag shows, you name it. I'd suggest downloading the YPlan app as well, they have really great suggestions of things to do in London.

IBM have a number of sports teams to get involved in however I did not join as I had already joined a league with some friends outside of IBM.