HR Partner Support Review

I really enjoyed working in HR at IBM. My role was really varied and I learnt so much over the year. I was also able to get involved with projects outside of my role which enabled me to get experience in different areas of HR. The work was meaningful and it was easy to see the value that it added.

The HR Partner team are a great team to work in. The HR Partners are mostly very appreciate of the work you do for them and you feel like a valued member of the team.

My manager was not based in the same location as me so I didn't see her regularly however we had a weekly call to discuss what we'd been doing and what topics were going to be coming up soon. We were given mentors in HR to support us and HR Partners were always around to offer help and support. This role is quite independent so no one holds your hand but support is always available for when you need it.

Most of the tasks in this role are ad hoc and demand fluctuates throughout the year. Most of the time I was really busy (sometimes too busy, but I didn't mind doing some extra hours as I was learning a lot and getting a lot out of it) but during the more quieter times you can get involved with other projects. You can make this role your own so to some extent it is down to you to look out for work.

I was given a lot more responsibility during this placement than I expected to get. Once you have demonstrated your capability to the team, you get trusted with my important work. The more you put in, the more you get out! I was able to run some events, cover for more senior members and I became an integral part of the project team for a very high priority project.

I developed some really key skills eg. reporting & analytics, communication, working globally... I received regular training on HR topics which have helped me with my role and will also help me in the future. I have learnt a lot about HR and business in general that will definitely help with my degree studies

The atmosphere is not bad at North Harbour, everyone is nice but there's not much going on there. The lake is really nice and often we'd go for walks around it at lunch and have a chat. There are lots of interns at North Harbour so interns usually meet for lunch.

The placement is set up really well with clear milestones for all interns eg. 3 month review, 6 month review, 9-12 month final presentation

All interns attend the same induction at the beginning of the year and then training is offered throughout. Most of the training is online but some is over calls and sometimes in person.

There are very few grad places in HR, however you can apply back within the business. I'm not going to apply back as I'm going travelling but if I did apply back I could apply and be fast-tracked through the application process. The amount of graduate places varies each year due to budget and business need.

There are lots of interns in North Harbour. At the beginning there were lots of social activities arranged but this died done a bit once everyone got busier with their roles.

Portsmouth is fairly cheap for living and socialising. I was able to live at home so I managed to save a lot of money but for the people that lived in Portsmouth, their rent tended to be fairly average. Interns usually live together in student houses which usually get passed down from last years interns to the next years interns.

Their are lots of bars and pubs in Portsmouth and quite a few clubs. Gunwharf has the more dressy and expensive bars/clubs and Guildhall walk/ Albert Road have the cheaper, less dressy ones.

IBM have some sports teams that you can get involved with but they don't put on many clubs/activities. You can join the IBM Club where they offer discounts and or travel to certain events but these tend to be theatre tickets etc and are not really aimed at younger people