Acquisition Review

Working at IBM has endless opportunities. You can get involved with a large range of projects and give back events on top of your day to day job. My actual job on placement took me at least 6 months to feel fully comfortable, it is hard to adapt to not working with your team in person but via Webex or calls most of the time. However, IBM are extremely flexible and I would recommend this placement if you want to work for a large organisation where you can explore multiple areas of the company.

I do feel valued by my colleagues at IBM, but I would say it took a while for me to experience this since I joined in the busiest time it was difficult to be a valued member until I established myself within the team. Due to the lack of face to face working it was difficult to get to know my colleagues so this is a limitation especially when you first start working. It is essential that you can work independently.

I was given a medium amount of support from my management, again it was hard to constantly be supported when they were working remotely. I do see a positive in being given little amount of guidance as you have the opportunity to shape the role suitable to your own strengths, but it takes a while to be able to do this with confidence.

I think I had the right amount of 'busy' in my day to day job. I did not need to work much over time as I could always finish my work at a high standard within the working hours of my contract. If you have any 'quieter times' then you have so many resources available to keep yourself busy and develop on yourself. The YourLearning tool is brilliant and you have endless amount of learning opportunities.

I would say I was given a great deal of responsibility once I established myself within the team. You do become a real employee where people do not even think you are a placement student anymore. As long as you show in your first few months that you are capable of taking on more responsibility it will be given to you.

The skills that I have learnt from doing a placement will be skills for life. You do really grow and develop from being given responsibility, being in difficult situations and working with new people. I feel so much more ready to go back to Uni and finish my final year with so much determination, working techniques and increased productivity.

IBM does not have much of an atmosphere at all, since most people work from home and the office is not very 'fun'. However, there is a great placement community and you will make great friends for life.

I would say the placement was very organised in terms of starting and leaving. Your monthly appraisals and feedback was also a structured and had an organised set up which helps with your development.

There is learning and development available to all IBMers on the Yourlearning site but there was no specific personal training investment on me.

Future employment after a placement is still extremely competitive, you still need to fill out an extensive application form, psychometric tests and multiple interviews. However, due to the investment in choosing us for the placement year you do have a great chance to be employed back at IBM.

Social scene was great at IBM Southbank, there is a huge amount of placement students, grads and apprentices so you will meet a lot of people! Drinks are most weeks and the interns organised a great Christmas party.

Cost was very high as I worked at IBM Southbank in London, but this is to be expected in London.

A few bars but I personally think the nightlife is better in the city centre.

Not really recommended or advertised about.