EMEA Talent Marketing Co-ordinator Review

My internship at IBM was above and beyond what I was expecting. I had the opportunity to work in an amazing team alongside two other interns. The work I completed was not monotonous, I worked on a number of different campaigns across the year. I have really enjoyed the opportunities I have been presented with whilst as IBM and have gained so much experience along the way.

My colleagues made me feel extremely valued whilst working at IBM. I was not referred to as an 'intern', but instead an important member of the team. Inputs and suggestions I added in team meetings were taken into account and I felt the team always listened. I was always given credit for the projects I worked on.

The guidance and support I received from my manager was amazing. I was trusted to complete tasks without being micromanaged, but at the same time knew that my manager was there to provide any support I needed. This also expanded to the rest of my team and the global team, they provided mentorship and guidance throughout the course of my internship. Someone was always available for me to contact if I needed it. Each week I had a one to one with my manager to discuss all questions and raise any concerns. We also had multiple other calls throughout the week with my manager on specific tasks and projects.

During my internship, the team I was part of went on a journey. Each day was not the same and we defined and reinvented our strategy. This meant that there were always tasks to be completed and projects to work on. This was great and allowed me to fill the time in my days with impactful work. When things were slower, I was involved in global projects. However, I always knew I could go to my manager if I felt the workload was too much and if I needed to drop any projects.

My role involved a lot of responsibility. There were many projects where I held a key position and had tasks to complete in order for the project to be completed successfully. There were also many projects which I ran on my own, working with suppliers and stakeholders. I was also presented with an opportunity to expand my role, taking on more responsibility. This was a role which allowed me to build upon my stakeholder skills and cover all branding activities.

The skills I learnt and developed will definitely assist me in my degree and beyond. Many of the transferable skills I developed include organisational skills, team work skills, project management and communication skills. On my placement at a IBM, I was presented with opportunities to earn IBM badges in areas that are outside my role. The badges are then visible on my LinkedIn profile.

The atmosphere in my office was always fun and professional. I shared my time between the office in Hursley and London. Both offices had a great atmosphere. Many other interns are based in the offices so you can all go to lunch together. Being in the office is very productive as you are sat with your team and can brainstorm strategies.

My internship was very organised. I had both a task manager who supported with my role specifically and setting my tasks. I also had an EPM which stands for Early Professional Manager. They were there to make sure that my placement was going well and just incase I had any problems that I may not have been able to share with my task manager.

During my placement, there were many enablement and training sessions that were offered to me. This helped develop my skills that I can take away with me once my placement has finished. My manager knew I was interested in design and I was able to have the Adobe software installed on my work laptop.

The graduate scheme at IBM is very appealing and an avenue I am hoping to pursue after I finish my placement. There are so many aspects of IBM that I haven't yet explored, the graduate scheme will be able to open my eyes to other ares of the business that I may not have considered before.

Both at Hursley and London, there was a great social scene. In Hursley, the group of interns had the Hub room at the office to play pool, table football and arcade machine games. We were all in different roles so it was great to all catch up with everyone on their experiences.

In Hursely where I was based, the cost of living was reasonable. However, I lived at home and travelled into work. The cost of socialising was great! We travelled into Southampton for social nights out which had great student night prices. London is more expensive but there are certain places that offer great deals.

In Hursley, we are very close to Southampton by train and had a number of nights out there. This was great as there were many University events on going that we could join. In London, there was the National Theatre next door to the office where you could go out for a drink after work with colleagues.

There were opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work. The office in Hursley hosted many activities throughout the year including a Christmas Fair, Firework Night and Summer BBQ. We also had team meals and a Christmas party on the Thames.