Technical Solution Specialist Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my work placement. I am glad i undertook this industrial placement year as i feel i have benefited hugely from the experience and all the connections i have made as well as the networking i have done. I have more confidence in myself and i am more willing to try new things and expand my horizons as i have engaged in new and exciting projects whilst working for IBM.

I feel very valued here at IBM by my managers, colleagues and clients as i am given a real life job to do which is appreciated and valued. I am able to join management meetings and I am given feedback and praise for the work i have completed. I am also asked for my opinion and input on important decisions

I have been given a great amount of support from my Early Professional Manager who has answered any questions i have and has resolved any issues i had. He has given me effective advice on how to progress into a future role within IBM and how to excel. I have also been kept up to date with any information that is vital and of benefit to me. My Task manager has been a great support to me as i could turn to him if there was ever a problem during my work. He helps me whenever i need any support and given me good feedback to help me grow my skills further. We have a good, friendly working relationship which is essential as i know i can enjoy my time working with the team.

Within my role there are times when i am rushed off my feet without time to have a break, but on the other hand i have days when i dont have much to do. However, on those days i develop my knowledge by doing some Think40 exercises and doing short courses to learn new things about IBM and career progression activities.

I'm given an increasing amount of responsibility within my role as my manager has given me more important and valued tasks as i progress into my role. I have taken projects upon my self to organize and take ownership of which i have completed successfully with the support of managers and colleagues.

IBM has really helped me to gain an insight into working life and especially having worked in such a large organization, i feel i have the ability to work in/take on any role/company in the future. I will be going back to complete my final year studies with a whole years experience behind me and a breadth of knowledge on current and upcoming technologies. Not to forget the confidence and determination it has given me too.

The atmosphere in the office was general quiet as many people would work from home or be actively traveling to other locations. However, the interns in the office all sit together which is ideal as we can all discuss our time within IBM and share things amongst ourselves. We also go for lunch together which is a good distraction from work.

The internship program at IBM is very well organized. Each intern has an Early Professionals Manager which is there first point of call for any discussion in relation to their internship throughout the duration of their working life at IBM. Each intern has an EPM as well as a manager so we have plenty of guidance and support when needed. All interns have compulsory online/personal learning as well as annual events for us all to attend which help to expand our network as well as tells us how to apply back to IBM. The whole internship is set up very well with clear guidelines and plan set for each intern.

The personal training and development is brilliant at IBM as there is a tool online for each employee called a Think40 which has tons of learning and progression programs for us to further develop our skills in all different technical and business areas. The choices are endless! IBM also give their interns a chance to shadow as many people in different areas of the business they like which is great as i am currently a Technical Specialist Intern however i have been able to shadow Project Managers and Consultants.

Future prospects within IBM are very appealing to us students as there is a breadth of roles available to us and so many different career paths to go down. The IBM graduate scheme in particular has gained many awards and recognition for being the highly rated student satisfaction company for grad roles.

As interns we attend day conferences and training events which helps us to get to know one another and meet new people that don't work in the same office as us. This is great as we can all share any information and our experiences and get some help too. We also have meals out funded by IBM which is a great way to socialize outside of work and have some fun.

I lived at home during my internship so the cost of living away didnt affect me. However, i am aware that the cost of living in Manchester is between £400-£500. There is a great social atmosphere in central Manchester as there are plenty of places to eat and shop, in comparison to Sale which is our base location.

The nightlife is good in Central Manchester as there are many bars and pubs as well as all the high street and high end stores too. Sale is has a range of pubs and bars too however not as popular as the City Centre which is luckily only a 15 to 20 minutes tram journey away.

There are many opportunities to get involved in outside of my work at IBM. There are plenty of Giveback events for foundation students to get involved in for example running careers academies, visiting schools, running day events. There are also communities you can join for example Connecting Women and FTC in which you can have days out together and set events with guest speakers and other fun things.