Finance Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at International Business Machines. The work environment was very accomodating, professional, yet fun. I was communicating and working with people from all over the world in different time zones, and got a great understanding and insight into how a multi national corporation runs. The social side is great, with over 350 placement students in my year (although this is reducing).

I felt very valued by my colleagues, and soon became an expert in my field. I was often relied on to help others in the team, and they were very grateful for any help I could give. I was given a lot of responsibility and trusted very early on, giving me a lot of room to grow and boost my confidence.

I was given a lot of support by both my Task Manager and my Early Professional Manager (who looked after my personal development throughout the year). My Task Manager was supportive of me learning about other areas of IBM and taking on extra tasks in quiet periods, and my Early Professional Manager was always there for me if I needed advice, whether personal or professional.

My particular role was cyclical so I was very busy from August to February, but then things died down so I wasn't busy daily in my main role. However, this gave me the spare capacity to explore other areas of IBM, take on extra projects and learn about other options for potential future careers.

I was given a good amount of responsibility, early on as well which was challenging but overall a very positive thing. I was made to feel welcome in my team and not 'just an intern' by being trusted this way. I was, however, not always included in the work my manager and other team members were involved in, even if I did have spare capacity to help.

I have dramatically improved my time keeping and organisation skills by having a year in industry, and I will take these back to university with me to focus on completing my degree to the best of my capabilities. I have also built on a huge amount of professional capabilities which I will be able to take with me into my future career.

I was not based in the main Southbank London office, but the Bedfont Lakes office in Feltham (near Heathrow). The atmosphere was lovely, it was very professional but laidback and made everyone feel comfortable. The dress code was smart casual, so not too smart which helped. There were 30 interns in my office so we all knew each other quite well and had close relationships with each other. However the atmosphere in the Southbank office, from when I have visited many times, is far more exciting.

The work placement was well organised, with a dedicated Foundation area of IBM to look after all graduates, interns and apprentices. This Foundation area ran special training and education sessions about IBM and ensured that we were all developing professionally throughout our year and getting what we wanted out of the year.

The company invested a lot of time and effort into each intern, providing endless education sessions and allowing interns (if they had spare capacity in their job) to attend education days and help at events not related to their job. For example I helped run events for Analytics and Commerce clients of IBM and this helped me to learn so much about these areas.

Future employment prospects within IBM are great, with a number of graduate roles available for interns and a great graduate programme. However, unlike some companies, there is a rigorous process to be taken on from an intern to a grad role. This includes a final review presentation at the end of the year, a lengthy grad application and (for the majority of people) an internal assessment centre before finally reaching business interviews. But it is all worth it.

The social scene in Bedfont was good as we were a close knit community of interns. The social scene in Southbank is great, as over 150 interns (in my year) were based there. There were always events going on and the famous drinks at Understudy every Thursday after work.. the bar directly opposite the office on the riverbank.

The cost of living around the Bedfont office differed depending on where you lived. If you live in Feltham or Staines this can be very expensive, whereas areas such as Hounslow, Isleworth or Brentford are cheaper but not as nice. Personally, I would suggest living in Clapham as it is reasonably priced and a very good location. But as these are all around/in London, the cost of socialising anywhere is expensive.

There is no nightlife in Feltham or most of the surrounding areas, but the nightlife in Clapham and central London is great.

Yes, I helped run many events not related to my job and I was able to take on extra work and projects in other areas of IBM.