Strategy and Market Development Consultant Review

I loved my placement year, it was an amazing experience and I was exposed to so many different opportunities in both the internal space and client facing work. I have worked with a plethora of clients and been represented as an important member of the team and delivered important work to clients.

I felt highly valued at IBM, if you put in the effort you get the return, people treat you how regarding the work you do and how you present yourself. So, as long as you are working hard and being professional everyone will treat you like any other employee and expose you to the same opportunities.

I was very fortunate to have a very supportive management team to push and steer me in the right direction, giving me a good amount of situations where I was out of my comfort zone, but also putting me in situations where they actively support me the whole way. I have been given great responsibility and have been recognised for the work I do.

I was as busy as I wanted to be. If you want to get stuck in and try new things and make the most out of your placement year (which you definitely should!) then you will be super busy, there are plenty of things to do and usually in areas of your interest.

I was given great responsibility across a range of client projects, from high-end luxury retail to big players in the sports industry, I have delivered work and solutions for IBM's clients that is enjoyed and viewed by the public. Having a view of what you have helped deliver is what makes the job even more enjoyable.

I have developed skills in Design Thinking, Agile, Scrum and Garage methodology, all of which are highly valued across a range of work practices and environments. These frameworks have made me transform my way of thinking and how I tackle problems. I study International Business and this placement year has truly put my degree into practice. There have been multiple occasions when the research I have conducted as part of my degree has supported me in a range of tasks and actually been used in my delivery to clients.

Extremely appealing. I have applied for the graduate scheme because IBM is not only a great and positive place to work but it is also somewhere where you can excel quickly in your career. The consulting industry is not quite like others where you need to work hard for years just to get noticed. In consulting you are praised by how hard you work and your results, your contacts with clients, client feedback and ultimately how much revenue you yield for the business. If you are doing all of those things there is no reason why you will not progress quickly.

There is a really good social scheme at IBM, colleagues of mine and other interns regularly attend our local bar after work (usually on a Wednesday/Thursday) and if you are based in Southbank, you are surrounded by an array of restaurants and the London Eye on your door step. Everyone is lovely to be around, very positive, friendly, intelligent and interesting. IBMers are definitely interesting characters to have a debate with. It is not all work and no fun, you often go to have drinks with your managers after work or even people who are very high up in the business. People are honestly very friendly and approachable.

I live in London, so London prices are no surprise to me. If you live outside the area it may come to a bit of a shock, as you are often paying around £10-14 for a drink (so not terrible) - these are usually for bars, you could probably find cheaper in a pub. So it depends on your scene. Food is reasonable depending on what you like to eat. If you are based in Southbank there is a great food market every Friday, with a LARGE selection from Thai, to Mexican, pancakes, cakes etc.

I usually went out in Mayfair because I do not live far from London, although there are an array of places to go near Southbank, some of the other interns usually went to Ministry of Sound and places like that. Everyone is often willing to go out, so do not be scared if you do not live in the area and do not know anyone, people are often in your same position, so they are also looking for friends! The majority of my intern cohort did not live in London, so for them it was like the University experience all over again. But there is also the option to not get involved if that's not for you, there are IBMers who prefer a quiet night in aswell, so it depend on your preference.

I personally am not a big fan of 'activities' as I'm not really into sport or anything like that, I usually spend my weekends shopping or catching up with friends. Although my friend joined the IBM football team, he attended every (Thursday or Friday - cannot remember) - he loved it and made loads of friends through it, and from there got client opportunities in work. ALWAYS NETWORK! The majority of the client work I got involved in was through just chatting to people and telling them what I was interested in.