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
I enjoyed the placement more than I thought I would because of the numerous additional opportunities in place for interns in IBM. These opportunities include: - Online learning courses in an area of your interest. You can receive recognised badges for this too. - 1/2 month intern projects in areas of the business outside your day to day role. For example I had the chance to work on the Watson Customer Engagement Project which gave me a great insight into a different area of IBM. - The opportunities are there and presented to you, but it is up to you to be curious and get involved. The people and culture is great. I really liked the work-life balance. Working home on Fridays was a perk. I was based on client site so I got a lot of great experience in a client environment which has added to the value of my placement. Good social life too! Everyone loves to socialise after work.
I was handed a lot of responsibility early on, and as a result it has changed my perspective of what an intern does and the value they have in a team. They established me as head organiser of socials and would always attend anything I had planned. Having more regular review sessions/praise from the team would not of gone unnoticed though.
I have had a lot of support throughout my year. At IBM you have a task Manager and an Early Professionals Manager (EPM). Both are there to help you get involved in areas of the business to help you find what you do and don't like. They hold quarterly reviews to talk about opportunities to get involved in and make the most of your time.
Being on client site, I have found myself to be busy almost all day everyday. Early on in my placement, when I was getting use to the ropes, I found myself not as busy but even then, all the additional learning courses kept me busy. It was great as from these courses, I applied the knowledge I learnt and was able to take on more work and responsibility.
I was handed a lot of responsibility early on, and as a result it has changed my perspective of what an intern does and the value they have in a team. If you prove you can take on the little things, they wont look to carry on giving you small things, they look to build the size of the responsibility they give to you in relation to your ability to complete those before them.
I'm not sure how transferable the skills I have learnt during my year out will be in relation top my studies, It may have made me better with my time management and organisational skills. However, beyond studies, the skills I have learnt will be invaluable going into a job in the future. I have learnt a lot this year, especially being on client site.
The Company
Very friendly atmosphere. Willing to help you when they can. During difficult times on a project, it can become quite intense. Lots of friendly banter, all round good atmosphere.
Very well organised. it is clear they have been running the schemes for multiple years. I liked the careers day they had in place which gave me a useful insight into what I wanted to go onto after my degree within IBM. Lots of support. I think that interns on client site in IBM, like myself, should be moved around different projects to get a better idea of what IBM do as a whole. I was kept on the same project for a year.
The training in place has been fairly good. I liked the careers day they had in place which gave me a useful insight into what I wanted to go onto after my degree within IBM. They also have lots of additional learning courses where they suggest particular courses in relation to your interests.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Company Parties/Events
Working from home
Travel loan
They encourage you to apply back if you feel IBM has been the right fit for you, you have had good feedback throughout your time and you have enjoyed your year with them. They have multiple grad schemes, the biggest being their consulting one. They offer quick progression early on and competitive pay.
The Culture
Yes there was. However being on Client Site in Reading and the only intern there, I was unable to join the majority of interns that are based in London. However, my manger was very flexible with letting me go up to London to socialise on certain occasions. The interns organised their own boat party on the Thames which went down a real success.
I lived at home so my costs were very low. My team were all staying at hotels in Reading so they all were happy to go for drinks and food in Reading after work which was nice. It was a good way to get to know the members of my team better. As they were all based on client site they had no living costs, and If I wasn't living at home, neither would I.
The nightlife in Reading is fairly good. It's a university town so there is a lot on. We rarely went on heavy nights out, but there were many bars and pubs around us which we utilised throughout the week after work. A good social scene for certain and is not a bad place to be.
Yes. I was Social Sec and I organised a range of social activities ranging from Kickboxing fitness sessions to Go karting and trips to watch the football. The only downfall is that we had to get the train to other cities once we had exhausted all the extra activities in reading. With regards to opprtunities outside my day-to-day role, there were loads of addtional projects/learning to get involved in which provided a solid platform for my self-development.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Business Management
South East
April 2019