Communications Specialist Review

I really enjoyed my work this placement year. It was challenging and pushed me and I had a lot of opportunity to try different types of work. I have developed so much throughout the year personally and professionally.

As an intern, it is easy to feel as though you are not valued, however, at IBM that is different. You are given responsibility and trust to get the job done and it makes you a valuable member of a team. All the work you do, you get to see them outcomes of it.

I was given lots of support from a task manager, EPM (early professional manager), and my mentor. This gave me the support I needed to succeed and flourish.

It really depends on what is going on at the time as to whether you are super busy or not. I found the workload manageable but the most important thing was that if you did feel swamped then there was the opportunity to honestly talk to your task manager about it.

Lots. I was responsible for campaigns end to end, which can be scary but is such an amazing opportunity to learn and see outcomes.

I really value the skills and training I learnt and received during my placement as they are transferable and will certainly assist me in my future career.

The general atmosphere in the office was positive as you are surrounded by your team and not too far from other interns which is a good balance. It is a place where you feel inspired, motivated and can get creative. The office is big so if you need to find a different setting to suit you needs, for example somewhere quiet, then you can do so as there are many options available. Overall it is a great atmosphere.

The placement was set up really well with a great organisation. There was sufficient training at the start of the placement as part of an induction which ensured we were in the right place to start and make the most out of a placement. Throughout your placement, you had different managers for specific needs that you could go to depending on the help needed and the intern community was very social. There were regular check-ins and lots of additional learning activities throughout the year.

Our training and personal development was invested in a lot as they were regularly updating the training and skills/ badges that you could take part in. They recommended different training specific to your role that could challenge you or add value to you. Throughout the year there was different checkpoints where you would give presentations about your achievements and also in that time review your goals and plan for the next part. It was very motivating and great to see the company investing in our growth and development.

Future employment prospects within the organisation are appealing as the culture and environment suits me. I also feel you could make lots of progression throughout this company which is motivating. I would be proud to work for this organisation in the future if given the opportunity to do so. It is a company who inspires and uses tech for good and that is something I am very passionate about. I hope I will be accepted back as a graduate.

There was a great social scene amongst fellow placement students/ colleagues. I believe that is down to the great location of IBM and the culture that attracts local minded individuals. Around IBM there are loads of restaurants, bars and other things to do which naturally encourage socialising. The are plenty of social occasions put on IBM which provides the opportunity to make new friends as well as improve your network. It is always good fun!

The cost of living is obviously more expensive than in other places due to the location of IBM. However, you can find some cheaper accommodation in the East/ South of London which don't have long commute times to the office. What I did was rent a house in Tooting with 3 other IBM interns who started at a similar time to me and it was £625 per person a month which is cheaper than a lot of others.

The nightlife in the area I worked in was really great but obviously expensive in some places. We tended just to have house parties as a lot of nightclubs have entry fees. London is a great place to be as a young adult as their first job, it is so fun and busy and never a dull day/ evening! There will always be someone up for a trip to the pub or bar or food.

Yes, there were so many opportunities to get involved in outside of work. There is a lot of giveback opportunities at IBM including working with charities or different things and/ or working on a project with a new time. the opportunity is endless. My advice would be through settle into your role first before signing up to all of the opportunities as you need to be able to manage your workload and don't want to have to pull out of something.