Junior Commercial Manager Review

I have really enjoyed my placement at IBM as I have been very lucky to work on a project where I have direct daily contact with our clients. I have been given a great amount of responsibility for delivering a number of key activities for the project and have continuously been challenged by my manager to grow further.

I have felt very valued by my colleagues and am not scared to go and ask questions or chase people up. I have been lucky to work on a project where the majority of people work in and travel to our office every week rather than working from home so there is a good sense of community.

My manager and I get on very well and he has always kept challenging me with new tasks and pieces of work to get involved in or own. Although he does this, he made it clear from the start that he was not going to 'spoon feed' me and he wanted me to be proactive in finding solutions which I have been grateful of as it has meant I have learnt more.

I prefer being constantly busy and for the majority of the time in my role I have been very busy. The key to being successful in IBM is putting yourself out there and going beyond your comfort zone to get involved in tasks you never thought you could do. In doing so, I have ensured I am always busy.

I was given a great deal of responsibility on my placement, being the direct point of contact for our clients on many activities is a notable one. I joined the project when the deal was signed so I have seen the team grow and change, picking up and managing many different tasks at once.

My manager has always pointed out to me how my different activities relate to Business & Management course modules but the main skill that I have developed on my placement is the ability to speak to and manage clients effectively. I am sure the other skills I have picked up will also show in my degree studies and beyond as I have grown a lot as a person.

I was working on a project in IBM Woking away from my base location of IBM Southbank. The general atmosphere of IBM Woking was good however the project is a very serious one for IBM so people were constantly busy. Also, having the client in the office made us less free.

When joining IBM there is a thorough induction so you can get to know the company and your fellow interns. Aside from my manager, we also had an Early Professionals Manager that monitors progress throughout the year through regular reviews and meetings.

There are many courses to get involved in with Think40 (40 hours of training needs to be completed per year!). There are also many face to face training activities that you can actively seek yourself.

The future employment prospects seem fairly good and we are certainly encouraged to apply back. There are many different areas of the business that you could go in to and it is a company that looks after you but it is also incredibly competitive for graduate positions. Completing a placement at IBM will definitely give you a greater chance of obtaining a graduate position.

There is a very good social scene with my fellow interns at IBM Southbank and Thursdays are normally our nights out as many work from home on Fridays. IBM discount applies on a variety of bars in the Waterloo area. There is a good sense of community and it seems as though everyone knows everyone!

I have lived in the Clapham/Battersea area for my placement year which is 10 minutes on the overground train to Waterloo. I would definitely recommend this area but it is expensive due to being one of the prime spots for young professionals in London. Everything is expensive in London but it definitely is worth it.

Very good nightlife as we are in a prime area of the city with good links to all areas. Thursdays nights are the best as all the interns get together and go to local bars/clubs.

I know there are some sports clubs outside of work but I would not know how to get involved.