Mobility Sales Operations Specialist Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement at IBM. Not only did I have a fantastic time developing in my job role and working with my team, I also did the placement with many other interns. This meant that there was a lot of opportunities to build friendships and socialise outside of work as well as enjoy the job.

I instantly felt valued from the day I started my placement. IBM is very teamwork orientated and instantly the whole team welcomed me and helped me whenever I needed guidance. Every piece of work I did was valued by them and they would always ensure to give me recognition and feedback to help with my personal development.

Initially I was given a lot of guidance. Guidance in role training as well as adapting to a working lifestyle. A couple of months in when I had found my feet I was not given as much guidance as the idea was to develop my own way and find my own opportunities. However, if I ever needed guidance my manager was always supportive and I felt comfortable asking questions. As an alternative I also had mentors to guide me.

On a day to day basis, how busy I was varied a lot. Some days I would be very busy with individual work as well as meetings, especially when there was deadlines. However, sometimes I wouldn't be allocated much work and the days were quiet. However, there was plenty of opportunities to to look elsewhere for work whether its for another team or outside of your job role.

I have been given a lot of responsibility over the year. However, I was not given this immediately I had to build up trust first with my manager and other colleagues. Once the trust was there and I had proven I was capable of such responsibility I was accountable for many actions within projects. Overall, I was given a lot more responsibility than I was expecting before I started.

I have developed a lot of skills that I would not have developed if it was not for doing a placement. These skills include communication skills, especially presenting, which will help me extensively in my final year of studies. Presenting no longer makes me nervous and I am a lot more confident. Other skills include interpersonal skills which will help me beyond my studies as I find it at ease to introduce myself to new people and grow my network.

The general atmosphere is very positive. It is a big building with many different areas which operate differently. I enjoyed the atmosphere thoroughly as I sat next to different people each day and therefore it was easy to meet people and grow my network. Everyone is in the same boat so the atmosphere is friendly but also allows you to focus on your work and be productive.

The placement scheme is very structured. The company has a whole business unit dedicated to placement students so a lot of work goes into the structure of the year. There are constant communications and events that are held specifically for placement students so you never loose touch. You also have a manager specifically for talking about your placement and reviews so this helps structure the year also.

The firm invested in placement employees a lot. There are many online training courses available to us to help us develop different skills. In addition, several events are hosted throughout the year to help with our personal development. These events involve career talks, or training and information in different parts of the business. They invest a lot of time and money in each person.

There are several future prospects to choose from which makes the company very appealing for future employment. The Graduate scheme is just as structured and focused on personal development as the placement scheme. Within the graduate scheme there are various job roles you can go into and then rotate around the company to get more experience and skills in different areas.

Definitely. Being in London and working in an office where most placement students are based equals a large social scene. There are several restaurants and cafes to go to at lunch time and after work as well as many bars around. The main night for socialising is Thursdays. Most people go out on this day and it is a great chance to network.

Living in London the cost of living and socialising is very high as expected. Cost of rent is overwhelming at first but you do adapt. You also get paid a higher salary if your base location is in London which helps cover the cost of rent. Socialising can also be expensive. Drinks are pricey and so is food but you learn to have a balance and as long as you don't go out too often every week you should be fine!

In London the nightlife is very good, there is a scene for everyone. If you just fancy a few drinks then there are plenty of bars or if you want to go out to clubs there is a whole range of options. The London office is central and near a tube station so it is easy to get around London if you don't want to go to the club/bars near the office.

Yes in London there is a lot of things to do. I played in three different netball leagues over the year and this was easy to get involved in via Facebook. Some activities are cheap/free such as museums. Basically, any activity you would want to do would probably be available in the city.