HR Partner Support Review

I feel that the company has a very clear plan of what they expect from interns and what they are willing to give them. The placement year has been very well structured and I know I can get the support I need any time. I have surely enjoyed my work placement at IBM.

I feel very much valued and appreciated in my team - they do not hesitate to spend their precious time teaching me new things and I feel that they honestly care about my development. I have 3 task managers and each of them treat me very nicely and support me.

I gave this question 10 stars because I feel very lucky my managers support me so much. And it is not just my task managers - I also have an Early Professional Manager who tracks my progression and development in the company - I could not imagine a better position to be when there are so many people caring for my well-being and development.

It varies every month, but usually my role is quite busy. There have only been a couple of days in the year when I felt I might go crazy because of how busy I am, but usually I have time for both my daily tasks and my personal development, i.e. learning new things outside my role.

I was quite surprised of the amount of responsibility I was given. It was quite difficult to believe my managers trust me so much, which made me strive even harder and do the best job I can so that I do not let my managers down. The amount of responsibility given also shows that I am treated as a 'real' employee, and not just a 'student'.

I feel lucky I am able to constantly reinvent my skills in this company. The company has a platform for learning that you can visit any time and learn so many new things - from HR to coding. I am glad that I was able to development my technical skills during this placement.

It is not always just fun - you have to work really hard to achieve your goals and meet your managers' expectations. There is some chit-chat in the office but I usually tend to concentrate on my tasks an do the best work I can. Overall, I like the atmosphere in the office.

10 stars - the company has deep traditions and great understanding as to how to manage interns. The structure of my placement is very clear - I know when I have to think about my goals, when they are reviewed and when my work is assessed. Everything has been very well organised.

A LOT. First of all, IBM has a learning platform you can access any time to develop your skills. Even if you only have 10 spare minutes, you can go to the platform to learn something new. Also, we have workshops and training sessions - e.g. I am attending a coding workshop next month even though my role has nothing to do with coding.

There are loads of roles you can apply to after finishing your placement year. It is great that the company is opening the application process early for the current interns - you can apply and possibly get an offer for a graduate position before enough going back to university in September.

Yes, all the interns are very friendly and we have all developed a great relationship. We always have lunch together, spend weekends together, travel to work together and a lot of us even live together. Overall, the social scene amongst fellow interns is very good and I am happy I met these people.

Cost of living in Portsmouth is OK, but I wish there was more to do.

Not too bad.

Absolutely. Besides socialising with fellow interns after work, I am going to gym and have done a lot of other activities, such as attending volleyball classes and Zumba.