Strategy & Business Development Assisstant Review

by IBM

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.7/5

The Role

3.8
The Company

3.6
The Culture

3.9

The Role

1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

I enjoyed most of the placement. Initially the workload was slow however this worked to my advantage as it gave me and my new team time to settle in to the company and find our feet. The number of interns in the office was fantastic as we could all support each other. There are tonnes of opportunities available to you at IBM and the year is what you make of it!

5/5

2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

Very valued. My role required me to lease with consultants ranging from Graduates to Executives. This gave me great exposure throughout the year and allowed me to meet people from all areas of the business. I was fortunate to be in a team with six other interns which was great fun and made the day-to-day tasks fly by!

4/5

3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

My Personal Development Manager was superb throughout my time at IBM, always making time to chat and even providing feedback on my Graduate application form. My task manager changed half way through my placement however we were consistently provided with performance feedback and areas for improvement.

4/5

4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

The work load completely varied often on a week to week basis. Quarter end was especially busy for my team however between these times we could be quiet. This did however give us chance to make use of the great number of development tools available to you at IBM and take part in Giveback at such places as Twickenham and Stamford Bridge!

3/5

5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

My manager put trust in me and the team and very often just left us to it. If we needed advice we could always ask however we operated quite independently throughout.

4/5

6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

I don;t think my specific degree knowledge was used at all throughout the year. However realistically that is not the point of a placement. My aim was to gain professional experience and I gained plenty of that. My confidence, professionalism and communication skills all grew throughout the year and I feel I will be much more focused going back to university.

4/5

The Company

7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

Bit of a mixed bag really. Fridays were particularly dead in the office as most people chose to work from home, if allowed. The rest of the week the office was always busy and good fun. The open desk areas make it really easy to meet new people giving you great networking opportunities.

3/5

8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

Very well organised. We had an initial induction/training session and before we left we were provided with Graduate application training!

4/5

9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

I think IBM values all of their employees. You are always encouraged to develop yourself however it is entirely your choice how much you make use of these.

4/5

10. What were the perks on your work placement?

Flexi Time

Subsidised Canteen

Company Parties/Events

4/5

11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

I have got a full time position with them and I will be joining this year.

5/5

The Culture

12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

Always things going on at the weekend and drinks whenever anyone felt the need! I think there were approx 80 other students in my Southbank office so it was great fun throughout. There was a Facebook group setup before joining allowing you to find other students to live with.

5/5

13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

London is always was going to be expensive. However Opal/Walkabout happy hours certainly helped with that one.

3/5

14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

The nightlife around Southbank is pretty good with loads of bars and restaurants. For a later night out Shoreditch isn't a far Tube ride away and a walk across the river takes you to Strand and beyond!

4/5

15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

You are encouraged to take part in Giveback, where you give something back to the community. There is a database where you can apply for these or you can run your own! I personally ran a half marathon in aid of READ International which was organised through IBM.

4/5

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