Buyer Support Review

On a whole, I think the placement was relatively enjoyable. I gained very rewarding experience working in a multinational company which I know will be valuable when I start my career after finishing university. My specific job role was very demanding and perhaps slightly under-acknowledged at times, but the business did provide opportunity to explore elsewhere which I will highly appreciate, specifically when being thrown into the job market.

If, like me, you are not extremely confident - it is hard at times for others to acknowledge the hard work you are putting in. My specific role meant I had to work on demand. If there was a lack of work from my primary role, I would participate in "giveback" or support my co-workers, in which I was valued by my colleagues significantly. However, when my primary role was extremely demanding, and I sometimes had to work 12 hour days, I did not receive the appreciation I think was deserved.

As IBM is such a large company, managerial roles were split as we had personal managers and task managers. When personal struggles occurred, the company were not as supportive as I hoped they would be, and put emphasis on the way it impacted my performance. My personal manager did provide some great advice and I am very thankful for the support provided. However, my task managers were very "white collar" and at times, unsupportive of the needs of placement students.

I think it is completely dependent on your job role. As I socialized with many other students, they complained about their lack of work, however there are so many opportunities to participate in different forms of work from your primary task, therefore it is down to you to actively seek these sorts of opportunities. As I have mentioned, my job role was perhaps slightly too demanding to be given to a student.`

When being introduced to my daily task, I was shocked at just how much responsibility I was given, but I saw this as a great thing. IBM do treat placement students as normal employees when it comes to responsibility, and at times this can make you feel great! But when put into tricky situations, don't expect to have any additional privileges just because you are a student.

I think the experience has definitely made me more prepared for the future. My role required hard work and this will really help me cope with my final year of university. Although, I don't think I will be considering this as a long term career path, IBM has opened doors and given me the confidence to look into jobs which I would not have imagined I would be capable of doing.

The offices are not very modern and everything just seemed slightly too grey for me... The majority of co-workers really make an effort to make you feel welcome, but there are others who are more concerned over the hierarchy of the company as opposed to appreciating the new outlook on business which placement students can provide.

Working for a large company which employs hundreds of students means it is more than likely that they have plenty of employees focused on the placement scheme, and IBM is definitely one of those. During your induction, they really push for you to socialize with the other interns, and they even make a facebook group before you start where you can meet other students in the same position as you (which is where I found all my housemates).

My personal manager seemed to genuinely invest in my development, and there are tonnes of opportunities to branch out and experience many aspects of the company. With some of my tasks within my role, only I knew what was to be done, so I wouldn't rely too heavily on my managers for training. I think IBM as a company do not really invest in those who are still uncertain of their career path, however the students who focused on getting a graduate role at the end of their placement and know that they want to become a lifelong "IBMer" definitely received investment from the company.

To me personally, I would not consider re-applying for my particular role. Perhaps if I was offered something more rewarding in a more sociable location, I would consider. IBM sets up tonnes of events and activities for you to look into the opportunities they provide after you complete your placement, but at the end of the day, I think there are hundreds of companies who can/do present more advantageous career paths- so I would not necessarily put all my attention into applying back.

At first, people made the effort to socialize and I have met some friends which I will stay in contact with after I leave. However, as everyone settled down, there didn't seem to be many opportunities to socialize, which resulted in many of the students eating at their desks every day for lunch! All the companies investment is spent in making sure students socialize at the beginning of the placement, and it seemed to fade as our roles become more demanding.

As I am northern, I was expecting everything to be significantly more expensive down south. However, Portsmouth does not follow suit. The cost of living and going out doesn't seem to be any more than where I live. To sum it up, Portsmouth is like a working class town in a middle class location. The lack of time the company provided to find accommodation meant I am spending quite a lot on rent due to lack of choice - but the flat is slightly nicer than your average student housing.

If you like to choose between 2 (3 at a push) clubs every weekend, then Portsmouth is the ideal place for you! I would recommend you branch out and catch the train to some more interesting towns on the coast - trust me, its worth the money after living here for a whole year...

My job role sometimes limited my ability to get involved in other activities outside of work. I would highly recommend you take advantage of the giveback system if your task manager is lenient. They allow you to travel across the country and take part in events and activities which help either the community or the company (usually the latter).