Technical Support Analyst Review

I had an incredible year with IBM. I believe it is a great way for students to kickstart their career because of the ample amount of opportunities offered throughout the year. My role itself was a really busy role which involved problem solving on a daily basis. Through the year I have become more familiar with this popular product used across the globe and it has really improved my analytical skills. I have also obtained 2 IBM certifications in this product. Apart from your daily role, you have endless activities to be involved in. I got to attend several community involvement events and shadow inspiring people from across the business units. You also get to network with people across the business, helping you to understand how a big company like IBM functions. There are also several tools for you to pick up new skills. I am absolutely delighted with the amazing exposure that I received in just a year!

Every IBM intern is valued just like any other employee in the company. We interns get to take part and be involved in all the IBM-er events and our ideas are also equally welcome and encouraged. I have never felt like I was treated any lesser because I was an Intern.

The culture in IBM is professional and friendly. All of my supervisors have been very friendly with me and were always approachable. You are encouraged to ask questions if there are any. They also give you feedback consistently which helps to transform you into a better professional over the year.

I have been continuously busy with work since my role was a rather demanding one. We also set goals and objectives that we aim to achieve, every 3 months. We are however always welcome to take time off for personal development activities like Shadowing, Community Involvement events, Workshops and so on.

I was responsible for handling client issues pertaining to a popular IBM Business Intelligence product from EMEA and NA regions. I got to directly interact with big clients via phone and email on a daily basis. This is a huge responsibility but I am glad IBM trusted me with it.

My placement role was all about problem solving and talking to clients on a daily basis. Therefore, I think it has really helped to develop my problem solving skills and analytical skills. It has also immensely helped to improve my communication skills and made me a much more confident person.

IBM Foundation did a great job in structuring the year in a way that we benefit from the placement the most. We had 3 reviews in the year where we could share what we have done thus far and also express any concerns that we might have. This helps to ensure that we make the best out of our year here. They also arrange several useful events for us throughout the year. For example we had an event a few months before Graduate Scheme applications came out so that we can get a good understanding and exposure to the roles and sectors available to help us make an informed decision in our applications.

There are endless number of opportunities and tools available for us to develop ourselves. You are able to learn new skills that are not even related to your role. You can also study for IBM certifications and take the exams during your placement year. You can also attend several workshops put together by IBM to help us develop professionally.

There are a great number of opportunities ad exciting roles available in the IBM Graduate Scheme. As placement students, we get to start applying as early as May which is way before the external applicants. We can also get internal IBM-ers to endorse our application. Depending on how well you fared in your placement, you will also then be able to kip the other stages and directly go to the Assessment Centre stage or the Final interview. These factors give the placement students an edge over the external applicants!

One of the best things about working here is that there are several activities that you can get involved in. Some of them include representing IBM at University and School Events, helping out with Wimbledon, Women in Technology events, Shadowing, Workshops at IBM and big client companies, submitting your own Patent and so on.