Technical Specialist / Developer Review

by IBM

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5

The Role

4.3
The Company

2.7
The Culture

4.0

The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

I have really enjoyed my placement year at IBM. I have been doing a varied range of tasks with no two days being the same. The team I was working in has been very supportive and has given me interesting things to work on. The workload has been fair with never too little to do.

4/5

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

I have feel very valued by my colleagues. I have been doing work which is very important to the team and has driven some new innovations. They have been receptive to my ideas and have welcomed me really well. My team has consistently given me excellent feedback on the work I have been doing.

4/5

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

My manager has been very good at supporting me both in terms of work and personal development. I have always been able to do the work that has been given to me, and could always go to my manager for technical help if I needed it. He has also pushed me to develop my professional skills by extending my network within IBM.

5/5

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

Typically I have always had enough work to fill a day. When there have been slow days I am able to go off and do independent learning which will support my work. I have never felt overwhelmed by the amount of work I have had to and could always rely on my team to help me if needed.

4/5

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

The work I was doing for my team has been critical in helping them achieving our goals. I have developed two new solutions for our team to increase client engagement, one of which now has 1000 users in IBM. The team has really relied on me to deliver my work on time and to a high standard so that they can continue to engage smoothly with clients.

5/5

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

The work I have been doing will definitely help me with my studies and work in the future. As the work I have been doing has actually been used in production, I have experienced the whole process from conceptualisation to release which has given me a good understanding of how software is developed.

5/5

The Company

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

The atmosphere within my team has generally been fairly positive. We all engage really well and get enjoy coming into work. The office is normally fairly quiet day to day with not a lot going on. However there are times when the office is quite lively when there's a birthday or a company event.

3/5

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

The placement was organised very well, with the induction being run over 2 days when it started which gave me a good introduction into the company. I had several reviews throughout the year which allowed my placement manager to keep up to date on what I was working on and how I felt the year was going, as well as monthly meetings with my placement manager and other interns in groups.

4/5

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

The company does offer a learning portal which you can use to learn new skills and practice existing ones. There was not a lot of active investment in skills for interns due to budget restraints that were in place at IBM however you were free to go off and learn skills independently on company time if your workload allowed for it.

3/5

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

Flexi Time

Sports and Social Club

Working from home

2/5

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

Within IBM it depends on which department you will be applying for. Many job roles won't be hiring my graduates next year, however developers are still being hired. The rehiring process for becoming a graduate is fair, with your performance over your placement year being used to help decide whether you should be rehired as well as follow up interviews before you finish.

3/5

The Culture

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

The social scene among the interns was excellent, with a lot going on. There were many opportunities for nights out in the town as well as other activities to do during weekends. I have made a good group of friends here and look forward to keeping in contact with them.

5/5

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

Portsmouth is a fairly cheap area to live in, with the placement salary covering just about everything. Rent for my house was £400 per month, sharing with 3 other IBM interns excluding utilities. Nights out and drinks in pubs in the area were also fairly reasonable. There are a wide range of shops to choose from so living in Portsmouth was overall managable.

4/5

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

Nightlife in Portsmouth was fairly good. There are 4 main clubs in the city which are normally fairly busy as there are also a lot of students in Portsmouth. Other interns were always up for going on a night out, and Southampton is also fairly close if you want a change of scene

4/5

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

As Portsmouth is a university city, there is always a lot going on. Portsmouth town centre often has some special event going on which can be interesting. There is also the IBM club which organises trips and activities at weekends with other IBMers. This has meant there are a lot of opportunities to do activities and trips outside of work.

4/5

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