Blockchain Enagagement Operations Lead Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my year placement at IBM. My team were incredible to work with and I improved my all-round skill set. I will be sad to leave at the end of the year and hope to come back as a graduate after completing my final year at university.

I felt hugely valued by my colleagues. You end up spending more time with your team than with your family and friends, so it is crucial to get on with them. My team gave my lots of responsibilities and I felt that I became an asset to the team.

There was always support as and when I needed it. I was given an early professional manager (EPM) who helped me with my own personal growth and challenges through the year. I also had my Task Manager who managed me in my specific job role. Support was always at hand.

My specific role wasn't hugely busy. This had pros and cons. The pros were that I had time to work on my own projects and identify new strategies for my team to improve their efficiency and team collaboration which I enjoyed. However, every role differs in this area.

I was given a fair amount of responsibility. I was treated as a normal employee, not just an intern so often was given tasks that were of high importance. I enjoyed having reasonability as this made me feel valued by my team as well as accelerated my learning.

The skills I developed in my placement year are invaluable. They are skills that cannot be taught in the classroom. My confidence has dramatically improved due to working with real clients, giving presentations and attending conferences. Working at IBM has increased my drive to learn and do a job that has a real impact on other businesses. Going back to university I will have a stronger work ethic and believe I will have a much greater chance at succeeding than if I didn't come to IBM on my work placement year.

The general atmosphere was very positive. The team would often have discussions about the work that was being completed and weekly team meetings were had to keep the team in sync. We would go on coffee/tea breaks often which was nice to break up the day and chat to the team about other topics besides work. Everyone in my office became my friend over the year.

Overall, I would say my placement was well organised. We were given a journal which we had to keep updated with our achievements and skill developments throughout the year and had 3, 6, 9- and 12-month presentations so our managers could make sure we were getting the most of our placement. Many other opportunities besides our main role were offered as well to further our development.

IBM invested a lot of time into the interns. I was able to attend different events and conferences to further my understanding of what my team was doing. I was also able to volunteer for other events outside of my role to enable my understanding of other parts of the company. Online learning tools were also available so we could do further learning during quieter times.

Very appealing. IBM encourages all of us to apply back as graduates. As IBM is such a large internal company, there are roles that suit everyone. There is also so much opportunity to move around the company and try different roles during your time as an IBMer. We recently won graduate employer of the year for a 5th time. I am certainly going to reapply to come back after graduation.

Yes. Where I was based, there were about 50 interns. We often organised payday meals and Christmas and summer parties. I became very good friends with many of the interns who I will be keeping in touch with after this year ends. It has been a great social scene as well as an amazing work and growth environment.

I was based in Hursley just outside of Winchester. The rent in Winchester is relatively expensive and pubs/restaurants are also a little expensive. However much cheaper than London. With the salary from IBM, I had plenty to cover my rent and have a fair amount left over to spend for the month. I could have even saved a bit of money this year but as I only had my weekends free, I often spent my money going out and doing things with the other interns.

There isn't much nightlife in Winchester. However, Southampton is very close by which does have a good nightlife scene. The norm for the interns living in Winchester was pub nights and the occasional venture to Southampton.

IBM have plenty of clubs on offer. In Hursley we have a very large site with lots of facilities such as tennis courts, football pitches etc. There is lots to get involved in.