Business Operations & Marketing Intern Review

I tremendously enjoyed my placement at IBM, as I have been given a lot of responsibility from the beginning. Furthermore, I was able to take on a lot of other tasks, like doing some website content design changes or organizing events. I highly recommend doing a placement at IBM.

I have been working in a very supportive team, which loved to see people grow. A lot of team members have either asked me to get involved in projects or I have asked them to get involved. Being able to contribute to major business decision is what I appreciate about IBM, as I have learned every idea is valuable. I have done market research and have been part of expert teams in which we combined this knowledge with our offerings. Hence, I have contributed to several go-to-market strategies and felt highly valued by the team. I have become the first point of contact for client executives to track opportunities and for the sales team to set up new customer records.

Working in IBM is a "learning by doing" process. I have had a handover period of 1 1/2 weeks with the previous interns when I have joined IBM. Getting engaged in tasks and always asking questions when needed, is how I have learned what my tasks are about. Having a weekly meeting with my manager has been tremendously helpful, as I could either ask questions or update him about the latest things I have worked on. My manager has enabled me to grow as an individual and professional from the beginning, by either offering me to get involved into projects or by allowing me to take on extra tasks. He has been extremely helpful, supportive, friendly and always made sure he made time for our weekly meeting to ensure I am comfortable with my tasks.

I have been fairly busy from the beginning. There are days when I had over 8 meetings in one day and there are other days where I had no meetings. However, there is always a set of core tasks I do on a weekly basis and projects I have worked on throughout my placement which have involved me dedicating a lot of time to them for a specific period of time. Averagely, I have been fairly busy, as I have been involved in so many tasks and projects.

I was given a lot of responsibility from the beginning. I have done some research and prioritized key players for several projects, which have been influencing our go-to-market strategy in healthcare. I have taken ownership of organizing several events, have been a key player in adjusting the new UK Healthcare websites and was trusted to lead calls with sellers when my manager was away. Furthermore, I am leading mini-cadences on a bi-weekly basis on my own, in which I go through opportunities with the sellers, to ensure have updated all the deals.

I have learned a lot of things during my time at IBM, which will benefit me in my degree studies and future employment. I have learned that every contribution and idea is valuable and shouldn't be hold back, as every idea can contribute to major business decisions. I have demonstrated leadership and have learned to be proactive, which has helped me to get involved in a lot of tasks and interesting projects. I have improved my time management significantly.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere within my team. Most of the team members I have been working with have been very helpful from the beginning, have asked me to work on projects with them or have been happy for me to get involved when I offered a helping hand.

The work placement was very well organized. IBM has an extremely well-organized placement scheme structure, ensuring we get all the support we need. We needed to present our progress to an Early Professional Manager every three months, which has been extremely helpful for me to see my growth and development over the year.

IBM has enabled me to develop significantly. I have been able to attend several educational sessions within Healthcare & Life Sciences. We also been offered to do online courses for specific areas, ensuring we are on top of the latest.

I am applying to come back to IBM as a graduate. Having worked in Healthcare & Life Sciences in IBM during my placement year, has shown me how much IBM can make a difference in improving healthcare services in the UK, ranging from improving a hospital’s infrastructure to personalised medicine and decision support. Making an essential difference to our clients, while offering a creative environment and embracing change is what I highly appreciate about IBM.

As there are many interns at IBM Southbank, it is normal that there are different groups of interns. I have found a group of about 8 interns, with who I became friends and had lunch with on a daily basis.

London is quite pricey. I have lived in a house with other girls doing their placement with IBM. I have paid around £800 for the rent and bills. IBM Southbank is a great place to go for doing a placement, as you will have the best work environment, while being able to visit a lot of things on the weekend.

There are bars and restaurants next to IBM. Very recommendable.

Yes, IBM has a number of different social clubs which we can get involved in.