Procurement Business Controls & Sourcing Buyer Support Review

I really enjoyed my placement year at IBM. My role was very diverse, and I managed a wide variety of tasks. I had exposure to management, suppliers and buyers from all lines of business. Although I had no knowledge or experience of Procurement, this did not matter and I learned a lot on the job.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. The local team were very welcoming and always willing to help. Throughout my year I was never made to feel like "just an intern". Although my role meant that I supported multiple different Procurement 'squads', I was able to join the twice-weekly meetings with one of the squads, which made me feel more part of a team.

I had a task manager who supports me in my daily role and an early professional manager who manages foundation related tasks. They were both willing to help whenever I needed it.

When I first started, I wasn’t overly busy which enabled me to get to grips with my role and complete education to learn more about IBM. As I progressed through the year, my workload increased, and I had the opportunity to get involved with projects and other tasks outside my role. This meant I had to put extra hours in, but it was manageable.

For some of my tasks, I was the sole person responsible for those in the UK, meaning I had a large amount of responsibility. I was trusted to carry out my role very early on. Although it was a large responsibility, there was always support from managers if I needed it.

My placement year was a huge learning experience, which has turned me into a more confident and well-rounded person overall. When I joined, I had a handover period with the previous intern to learn about the role. I used Microsoft Excel on a daily basis, learning how to create pivot tables and perform a vlookup. My time management skills have improved, since I juggle tasks and have monthly and quarterly deadlines. I also communicated with suppliers and colleagues on regularly, improving my interpersonal skills.

I was based in North Harbour (Portsmouth), which has a smaller number of IBM employees than the other main intern location in London, giving it more of a community feel. Most teams got involved with initiatives like cake sales and Christmas jumper day. Every Friday, food vendors would come to the location selling burgers, burritos, noodles and more. There is also a lake on site which you can walk or run around.

The placement year was very well organised. The managers have new interns every year so are experienced with handling newcomers. We have a two-day induction before we start our role, to set up laptops and icebreaker sessions. We had reviews every quarter, at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months to discuss our progress and goals for the remainder of placement.

IBM has a website dedicated to learning and personal development. You can learn about almost anything – from IBM products and services to soft skills development. We are encouraged to do 40 hours of learning over the year and can earn badges while doing so. They also ran a day course on accounting techniques for the interns.

You are encouraged to apply for a graduate scheme around the 9 month time-frame of your placement. The process is similar to the usual application process, however you do not need to do an assessment centre. These are for mainly consulting roles, so if you are not interested in a consultancy career then the prospects are not as appealing.

There was around 20 interns in Portsmouth, which meant we got to know each other quite well. We had lunch together every day and there are opportunities to work together on projects. We would regularly go for drinks at the end of the week. At Christmas there was a Boat Party in London with interns from nearby locations.

I would say the cost of living was average overall. Housing costs are very manageable with the salary we are given. Gunwharf Quays is pricey, especially in the cocktail bars, but the atmosphere is great. The independent restaurants and bars in Southsea are reasonably priced and there is a Wetherspoons nearby if you are on a budget!

There is plenty to do in terms of nightlife. We often went to Albert Road which is home to independent pubs and restaurants. There are also clubs such as Pryzm and Astoria in Portsmouth City Centre. You can go to the pool bar, cinema, pub quiz, bowling – so it doesn’t get boring.

We were actively encouraged to take part in activities outside of work. For example, I took part in giveback at my university and helped out at an assessment centre. There were also plenty of opportunities to shadow more experienced colleagues or get involved with different projects. In addition, I attended several procurement industry events and a design thinking day.