Project Management Office (PMO) Analyst Review

Despite my role not being directly related to my degree area, I enjoyed my placement as I was able to develop several transferable skills and was given the opportunity to gain some experience in my preferred field of finance. I have also been able to work with wonderful people with different professional and personal backgrounds and I have learnt a great deal from them.

My colleagues were very friendly and welcoming when I started and were always approachable throughout my placement when I was looking to take on more responsibility. I felt highly valued by my colleagues as I was always considered an equal member of the team and assigned tasks accordingly.

I was given a thorough handover by a colleague who performed the role before me and was provided with process guides which I could refer to if I was in doubt, during my first couple of weeks. My task manager was always available when I required guidance and support. I also reflected on my placement objectives during reviews with my Early Professionals Manager at the 3, 6 and 12 month milestones.

During my first 6 months, I was not very challenged in terms of workload and would often find myself lacking motivation to complete mundane and repetitive administrative tasks. However, my workload gradually increased as I took on additional responsibilities and by the end of the placement I was quite busy.

I was given responsibility of important tasks from the onset of my placement. The amount of responsibility only grew as performed tasks efficiently and gained the trust of my manager and other colleagues. However, I was only granted more responsibility after I took the initiative to actively seek them out.

I have enhanced my communication, organization and presentation skills while learning the importance of prioritizing urgent tasks. In addition, I have improved my technical skills especially in Microsoft Excel - learning to create simple macros, pivot tables and improved my knowledge of advanced formula. The placement has also given me an invaluable experience and insight into the IT industry. These skills and knowledge will prove useful during my studies and while applying for graduate roles.

The office atmosphere was very lively in the first couple months but got gradually quieter as employees relocated to new roles. Fridays were also generally quieter than during the week as majority of employees worked from home but was a good opportunity to network and socialize with those that did come in to the office. Overall, it was a conducive environment to work in.

The on-boarding process was smooth and the induction was very helpful to learn about the company culture and network with other interns. Also, the reviews with my EPM at regular intervals was helpful in reviewing my progress at each milestone and deciding what opportunities I wanted to pursue in the coming months. However, the recruitment process could be improved in terms of the time taken between passing an assessment center and being offered a final interview. It could also have been structured better to ensure that interns have sufficient responsibilities to fill up a working day rather than only having to perform administrative tasks and being forced to actively seek out additional responsibilities to make their placement experience worthwhile and fulfilling.

I gained considerable amount of knowledge from on the job training and online courses on the THINK 40 platform. The UP Careers Academy event organized by interns was quite a useful endeavour and helping me learn about the various career paths available at IBM.

The future employment prospects at IBM are quite high in the technical field but limited in my preferred field of finance, which is understandable since it is primarily an IT company. The graduate applications were opened internally for current interns and there were some roles that interested me. I will be applying back since I really enjoyed working and being part of a pioneering organization like IBM.

Yes, there were regular social events organized by placement student and IBM colleagues.

Since I was based in Preston, the cost of living and socializing was quite affordable.

The nightlife was decent with a good student atmosphere during the academic year.

Yes, there were quite a few activities to get involved in such as social and charity events organized. I took part in completing the Yorkshire 3 Peaks with fellow colleagues, to raise donations for Alzheimer's research, which was a great experience. There was also regular Tuesday night football organized.