Extreme Blue Review
by IBM
This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
-
The Role
4.8
-
The Company
4.9
-
The Culture
4.6
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
It was the best job I've had. We were all given a lot of responsibility from the very beginning.
The team of people I was working with were some of the best students from around the UK. We all lived together in student halls and just had a great time.
The support from management and supervisors was excellent, the only reason I've marked it down slightly is that my team's mentor was based off site which sometimes made things a little difficult but this is part of working for such a large company.
I was busy from the minute I got to the office until the moment I left but I never felt that I was working too hard or wasn't being appreciated. All the work that me and my team put in was worth it at the end of the internship with the feedback we received about the work we had completed.
From day one me and the team were given full control of our project and actually changed it to suit our strengths more. Every decision was our decision to make.
The skills I developed during my placement will stay with me for the next few years and will give me confidence whilst working out of my comfort zone in the future. The work that I completed during the placement really helped me present my dissertation results whilst back at university.
The Company
Working in the Extreme Blue office was similar to what I imagine working for a startup is like. Plenty of innovation and excitement around the office. Truly a great place to work.
The placement was extremely well organised although sometimes it was difficult to find information within the IBM network as there are so many places to look.
IBM provided training for all of the tools that we used during the project, including large pieces of enterprise software.
Flexi Time
Sports and Social Club
Subsidised/Company Gym
National Travel
International Travel
Company Parties/Events
Working from home
I have been offered a position with IBM starting once I graduate based on my degree results.
The Culture
As we all lived together in student halls we had a great atmosphere with different things going on all the time. It was a really great way to spend the summer.
Winchester is quite an expensive place to live but IBM paid for our accommodation during the placement which really helps with living costs
For me, the night life in Winchester was perfect. Plenty of pubs and bars to enjoy. The clubbing scene wasn't great but Southampton and Portsmouth aren't too far away for a night or two.
I was so busy with all the other things I had going on during the placement that I didn't join any clubs.
Details
Internship (1 Month+)
Computer Systems Engineering, Computer Science, Intellectual Property Law, Market Research
South West
April 2013
