Security Specialist 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
3.6
-
The Company
3.6
-
The Culture
3.6
- 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
I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year. IBM provide excellent training and really make you feel welcome. Some periods were quite stressful however that was team specific.
I felt extremely valued by my colleagues. My team was relatively small so I played quite a big role in the team, providing tooling support for a variety of security tools. There were times when I often felt "alone" and had to fend for myself. Fortunately I excel in high-pressure environments but I know other interns wouldn't have liked it.
When joining IBM you are given both an EPM (Early Professionals Manager) and a task manager (Who you work for). We were provided with excellent support however it was often hard to reach your manager's due to them being mobile/unavailable.
My job was very ad-hoc based throughout the 12 months. I was always busy enough to keep myself going throughout the day and sometimes found myself being too busy.
I was given quite a lot of responsibility in my job role. I was responsible for running important education sessions to IBMers all across the world.
The confidence and professionals skills will be invaluable throughout my university studies / future career
The Company
The general atmosphere was "okay" in our office. Due to working in Manchester it meant that the office was empty at times due to people working from home. The offices aren't the most exciting places to work.
I feel that the IBM placement year was very well organized, there's a reason why they won best placement scheme in 2015. The company really do care about you and want to make sure your enjoying the year.
Personal development and training at IBM is excellent, and is one of the best perks of working there. You have the opportunity to get involved with almost anything, as long as you can invest the time alongside your day job. Despite being based in Manchester I frequently traveled to London/Winchester to organise events, attend education sessions and much more.
Working from home
I've really enjoyed my time at IBM and believe the graduate scheme is one of the best in the industry. I'll definitely be applying back,
The Culture
In Manchester there were only 5 interns. The social life wasn't great however in locations such as London the social was excellent. Interns would go for drinks on a weekly basis and there was a real buzz in the office.
One of the benefits of Manchester is that accommodation is relatively cheap compared to London. A flat was easily affordable and you could enjoy going for meals/drinks.
Manchester was great.
You were able to attend charity events on behalf of IBM, run sessions at schools etc.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
North West
July 2015
