This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
IBM is a great company and I was working with a really nice team however, the work wasn't challenging and it is not the industry I am interested in working in.
There was some decent banter between all the interns and also the managers and directors. The company has a nice atmosphere and you do feel valued as you are able to take control of your own tasks
Monthly and quarterly meetings to discuss progress were essential in my development and improvement. IBM spends time and effort in the support of its employees.
I was only really busy on a Tuesday when I would often be working until gone 8pm. Fridays and Thursdays I had less than 30 minutes work unless there as an adhoc task for someone. Wednesdays were quiet as were Monday afternoons. Unless it was month end or quarter end, I wasn't that busy on average.
I was able to run calls and meetings, and had ownership of a few tasks. Over the year, I gained new projects which were mine to direct and manage.
The development in my excel skills, specifically VBA will help certainly, but I think my work ethic has greatly improved and I have a much greater professional mindset. I gained business confidence as well. Though a lot of the skills are very much internal, even if they could potentially be transferred.
The Company
Where I worked it was very quiet, only really once a week was the area busy. On a large proportion of the days, there were few people in. It was good when a group of interns worked in the office as there was good banter.
The placement was well set up and there are lots of opportunities and development chances for interns and also other employees. For the most part there are no faults with this.
I attended a couple design thinking workshops but there was little that was actually invested in my training apart from the time from a few employees (my EPM and task manager).
Above 25 days holiday
There are appealing opportunities in IBM however the number of these is small as IBM don't have a great 'changing of the guard' employee cycle. The average employee age is 44; at facebook, google and amazon, that number is less than 30. But for me, it is not the industry I want to work in so it is less appealing.
The Culture
Not really, must people just want to go home after work, or live so far outside of London that its a hassle. Occasionally something gets organised but more often than not I am socialising after work with the full time employees and those on the graduate scheme.
Very High! I didn't see much of my rent
Decent after work nightlife, plenty of nearby bars and pubs that had a great atmosphere. As IBM employees, you also get discounts on drinks at a few of them.
There were, but few and far between. Most of the opportunities I signed up to were oversubscribed and subsequently I didn't get many opportunities.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
London
June 2018