IBM Placement Year Review

My role involved working for the Consulting Associates Programme, alongside a team on Associate Managers and other interns. As the recruitment analyst, I was responsible for the end-end recruitment process; including booking interviews. arranging assessment centres and providing regular hiring updates to the Programme Lead and Practice representatives. I also used Excel on a daily basis and held weekly meetings for members of the team.

The year definitely developed my Excel skills - using it on a daily basis made me comfortable using various formulas and creating ways to display data. Working with a team and people of all ages and seniority levels, has improved my collaborative and communication skills. This year has also enabled me to grow in confidence, meeting new people regularly and having opportunities to present in front of people.

I was given more and more responsibility in my role as my placement continued. This was especially the case as my role was unique - I was not working as the same role alongside other interns, and therefore had individual daily tasks.

My manager was very supportive throughout my placement - She was extremely patient in helping me understand my job role at the beginning and was always supportive in growing my Excel skills. Additionally, my manager encouraged me to gain experience in the wider business and gave me advice for my future career.

I found IBM a very friendly place to work. The London office is quiet on a Monday and Friday, but usually fairly busy on certain floors from Tuesday-Thursday. I found it to be very sociable and, even though people are busy working, the environment is not too serious.

Overall I enjoyed my placement at IBM. At times, my particular role was not what I expected as my workload was lower than anticipated. This was demoralising at times but my manager was supportive in finding me additional work I was interested in. The team I worked with were very friendly, and there were also lots of other interns which created a nice community culture.

Yes

When applying, really think about the type of job you want to do for a whole year; You want to ensure you are in a role that will challenge you and provide lots of opportunity for growth. Additionally, IBM are of course very focused on technology so perhaps think of ways you can demonstrate your passion for this.