DSC OCC Analyst and Resource Management Specialist Review

I have really enjoyed my year at IBM and feel that it has been an invaluable experience in developing my skills before completing my final year at University. There are so many opportunities available to us at IBM and I have made sure to participate in many of these to get the most out of my placement year. The amount of responsibility we are given throughout the year is great and this has really enabled me to develop my skills.

I felt like a well-respected team member and valued by my team. I was the primary contact for certain tasks within the DSC and this provided me with a lot of responsibility. The entire team are very friendly and always willing to assist and answer questions.

There are 2 levels of support at IBM as you have both a Task Manager and a Early Professionals Manager. The Task Manager is there to oversee BAU tasks and provide day to day support when it is required. The Early Professionals Manager is more pastoral and there to talk to about areas outside of my job role. They also support you through key milestones throughout the year, for example with a 3-month review and a final placement assessment. Both my Task Manager and EPM have really helped me throughout my IBM journey.

This varied as some of my tasks were completed within 2 weeks of a month and these weeks were extremely busy. I was also part of the team who managed the TaskiD and hosted the daily Management Huddle on a three-week rotational basis, so when I was managing these my workload was increased. I have also participated in many Giveback opportunities for example arranging Lunch and Learns which have preoccupied any spare time that I have had.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility during my placement. One key thing to note is that when we list our job roles we are not required to state that we are placement students and are just treated like regular IBM employees. I feel that this has increased my responsibility levels. Some of my work has also been used by the Head of the DSC and to inform key decisions.

I feel a lot more focused to return to University and really determined to complete my final year and get the best grade possible. I have really developed my excel skills which will be so useful for my dissertation research and analysis. I know that for some of my modules I am required to present and I have really had the opportunity to develop my presentation skills at IBM, both within my BAU role and from Giveback too.

My team worked in a separate area to most placement students, as we were in an office with our manager and the DSC team which was nice as they were always there to ask questions to and have face to face meeting. The overall Warwick atmosphere can be quiet at times as a lot of employees occasionally work from home.

I feel that the overall work placement was well organised. There was a very good structure with clear milestones, for example 3, 6 and 12 month reviews. There were also monthly round tables where we met with our EPM and other placement students in Warwick. The placement was also well aligned with my University placement module. Finally, it was useful to have a handover period from the previous intern in my role at the beginning of the placement.

There’s an initiative at IBM called Think40, where IBMers are encouraged to complete 40 hours of education per year. There is lots of online learning available and virtual workshops to attend. There were also many events that I attended in Warwick, for example Lunch and Learns, Roundtables, Girls who can, Taking the Stage and a presentation Skills workshop. We also had the opportunity to attend Career’s Academy in Southbank. The only comment is that there are more opportunities in London and travel can be restricted.

There are graduate opportunites at IBM, however, completing the placement scheme does not guarantee you a graduate role. You have to apply back to the IBM Graduate scheme. There are many areas that you can apply back to as a graduate and IBM is a great company to work for.

There are about 30 placement students in Warwick, which is really nice as we meet up for lunch most days and there are also a few social events organised. Most people commute to work so there are fewer social events as these are more difficult to organise. There was a nice Christmas social and there have also been some team socials to celebrate key events.

I commuted from home so cannot comment about the cost of living. There were a few social events as mentioned above and these seemed fairly reasonably priced. The area has many students so there are often deals and group discounts, which is good.

Leamington is a student area so there are a fair few bars and pubs, there is also one nightclub but it is not very good.

There were many opportunities to get involved in outside of work. Firstly, there is the IBM Club which has discounted activities. I have also participated in many Giveback opportunities, from Career’s Fairs to organizing Lunch and Learns and Enabling Enterprise events. I have also had the opportunity to participate in work shadowing, which has really helped to inform me about future career paths.