Business Operations Review

From day one I was enjoying my placement at IBM, I think it has been a great way to begin my career in business. My job roles twinned with the other IBMers has made for a brilliant first experience working in a large company. The option of extending my core role and participating in Giveback has meant I have been to expose the areas of IBM in which I have had a genuine interest in and therefore been able to enjoy.

Throughout the entirety of my placement I was treated like just another IBMer. There is absolutely no stigma attached to being an intern and everyone values your work and your opinions. The community is strong at IBM meaning you end up with offers to include yourself in all work events - internal and external!

The management and support that I received at IBM was fantastic. I felt extremely fortunate to have a great direct Task Manager who always had time for my questions and for any personal mentoring. But not only my Task Manager had time for me - the entire of my team were approachable and I was never intimidated to ask a question. All interns are aligned to an Early Professional Manager too which is really useful. This is someone you can go to with any problems at all - not just work related ones. They remain responsible for your welfare throughout the year and they do a great job!

At the start of the placement the work was very much provided on a task by task basis as I settled into my core role. But as I became more comfortable I was given more and more to do, meaning I was never bored! You are encouraged to set yourself role-oriented goals meaning you can challenge yourself to learn/perfect certain tasks/processes. And when your work does quieten down you are actively encouraged to get involved in Giveback activities which can make you stand out in the intern community.

I was responsible for a lot of the core roles in my team increasing my sense of value. I was given the lead role in project implementations and dealt a lot with client requests for help/information. You are definitely 'thrown in at the deep end' in terms of your roles and responsibilities but it certainly does pay dividends in the long run.

I think a lot of the 'softer' skills such as time management, team work and problem solving will benefit me a lot in my final year at university - especially with group projects and coursework. It has also increased the confidence I have in myself, so I'm hoping this will benefit me when it comes to finding a graduate job to extend my career.

There was always a buzzing atmosphere throughout the office. I was fortunate enough to be based in the Southbank office which is now seen as the 'hub' for IBMers in the UK. In my immediate office area there were always team members about so you were never sat alone. There are also flexi desks so you can change where you sit to be with different people each day, which is nice!

IBM have a very well organised Foundation group in which they take great care of overlooking your placement as an Intern. You receive a two day induction to begin with and have quarterly checkpoints with your EPM so you can always ensure you're on track with your progress. You even have the option to extend at the end if you enjoy it enough!

Every employee - not only interns - are encouraged to do at least 40 hours of personal learning every year and this can be on pretty much any topic. Find any area of the business/industry that you are interested in and you can find relevant tutorials and courses to improve. You are also able to receive personal accreditations through online courses to improve your internal IBM status.

I would be delighted if I got another opportunity to work at IBM - I'll certainly be applying back!

The intern community at IBM is huge - there are always people doing something. It's so easy to meet new people and there is bound to be plenty people with similar interests to you.

Expensive. Prepare to dig deep into your pockets!

In the direct office area there are more pubs and restaurants that clubs, although you can get pretty much anywhere you like in London fairly quickly and there are loads of clubs all over. Something for everyone for sure!

IBM actively encourage your participation in Giveback which can include a wide range of things - customer projects, school visits, university talks etc. There are always more opportunities!