Infrastructure Services Assistant Review

Working at IBM has given me an insight into both the benefits and struggles of a job in the corporate world. My internal role gave me an overview of how a large company's infrastructure is essential to the overall operations of the business and integral to their success in the marketplace. There was a wide range of opportunities to grasp both within my core role and in addition to it.

From Day 1 I felt like a normal member of the team rather than just an intern. Everyone I worked with was easy to approach and always willing to help.

At IBM I had two lines of support, both of which were extremely helpful throughout my placement. My EPM (Early Professionals Manager) supported me through my personal development and helping me get the most of my time at IBM and was always pushing me to ensure I was on track. My line manager, whom I worked with on daily basis was always there to support me on any of my day-to-day tasks but also took quite a laissez-faire approach in letting me get on with my job unless any intervention was needed. I felt the balance between these two styles was very good.

I was kept busy during the majority of my year at IBM. The range of tasks was relatively wide and there were several opportunities for traveling around which kept me engaged and prevented monotony in my role. There are also a wide range of opportunities outside of the core job roles to take advantage of.

In my role I was responsible to managing the relationship between IBM employees and IBM's mobile service provider. This included the procurement of mobile phones and other devices for employees and dealing with any issues with mobile devices. I carried out my role alongside two other placement students with some escalation to management required at times for approval where necessary.

I have developed many skills throughout my year at IBM. Ranging from whole new ways of working to core skills that can be transferred into any job and my final year of degree studies. As a business student it will be a lot easier to connect what I am learning to the real business world now that I have had the experience of it.

The North Harbour office is one of the quieter offices as many employees work from home. However the atmosphere within my specific team was very good as there was an emphasis on co-location for us. We had daily meetings which helped us keep track of what everyone was working on. IBM also has a large intern community which helps balance working life and social life.

IBM's placement scheme is very well organised. The initial induction days give a good overview of the company and what is expected of you throughout the year. Every placement student is assigned an EPM who will set up regular meetings to check on progress. Student are required to fill out a placement journal throughout the year and also present at several points during the placement to demonstrate what they have learnt and how they have contributed to the company.

Initial training for my role was mainly on-the-job after the general induction into the company. IBM has extensive online courses to take, some of which are externally accredited so there are plenty of opportunities to learn outside of your core role.

IBM has a Intern to Grad scheme which is an invite only program for Interns to apply for Graduate roles in the company. This gives interns an advantages over external candidate but the process is still competitive and most people are required to attend another assessment centre. Graduate numbers are quite indefinite within the company as the requirements of each department change regularly.

Due to the large intern community there were many opportunities to socialise throughout the year. The majority of interns ate lunch together in the canteen and we had many night out over the weekends and some one-off events.

Working in Portsmouth rather than London meant that the cost of living was significantly cheaper. Rent prices are similar to normal student cities and the general cost of living also reflects the fact that Portsmouth is a student city with many places offering student discounts.

As a student city, Portsmouth has a good nightlife. While it isn't as extensive as some larger cities there is still plenty of bars, pubs and clubs to suit most people. There are also several one-off events, especially in the summer, that are good fun. The highlight for me was Victorious music festival.

We had several team meals over the year at IBM which enabled socialising with work colleagues. Due to the large intern community there was also plenty of other activities to take part in during the evenings and weekends.