RFS Manager 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

3.6/5
  • The Role
    3.8
  • The Company
    3.4
  • The Culture
    3.4

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
  • Working for IBM has been an enjoyable experience, especially living in London. The benefit of working for IBM is being a part of their Foundation Community, which hosts a wide range of extra activities to be involved in, whether it's mentoring students, or working at Wimbledon. If you want to get stuck in, you can.

    4/5

  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
  • In my experience, I have had a very close team, that sits within a wider team. In my close team I am treated as an equal, and my opinions and suggestions are taken on board the same as any other person. My wider team were always happy to help, and this creates a great network with the future, as I am able to work along side senior staff.

    4/5

  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
  • In IBM you have a dedicated Early Professionals Manager who will host quarterly reviews to keep up to date on your progress and you can ask them any question at any time. Also your task manager is always happy to help, especially if they are not remote and you get to work with them.

    4/5

  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
  • In terms of being busy, I had a perfect balance. At times the work was very demanding a fast paced, which was a fun challenge. However at certain times the work load slowed down. However this was valuable time to work on dissertation research or giveback opportunities such as a hackathon or customer journey project.

    5/5

  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
  • I was responsible for for a number of daily tasks and activities such as hosting calls or meeting the client. I believe how much responsibility you take on is how much you ask for, so it is completely up to you. If your job is not giving you enough responsibility, you can always talk to your EPM or task Manager, or look outside to giveback for responsibility.

    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've developed skills in how to act in an corporate environment. I've developed in a way that I now know how to approach a working lifestyle in the future. For example I understand the importance of networking to move up in your roles etc. In terms of practical technical skills, or business skills, such as those learnt on my course, were never really developed. I.e how business strategy is decided with macro economics - all of these high level business plans are not practiced.

    4/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
  • We had a cheery office atmosphere on our client site where I worked. It was a young technology company that always had exciting exhibitions going on from different tech companies giving away freebies etc. My team would always buy snacks for the table as well which was good bonding. Everyone is always happy to talk to each other and offer advice

    4/5

  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
  • Very well organized. IBM has been doing this for a long time and they have a very organised structure. i.e quaterly reviews, meeting your task Manager, organising giveback events, offering advice, displaying opportunities. Also the module I did with my university was easily carried out with IBM who helped a lot with my research needs.

    4/5

  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
  • As you are only there for one year, it would not make sense to invest a lot of training into you, therefore they do not. However, there is plenty of online resources to train youself. They have an abundance of helpful courses you can do online. You can learn more about IBM's technology, or some other skills such as sales.

    2/5

  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
  • Flexi Time

    Subsidised Canteen

    Sports and Social Club

    National Travel

    Company Parties/Events

    Staff Sales/Staff Shop

    Working from home

    4/5

  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
  • They have a wide range of future opportunities available to come back as a graduate. You can choose to be a part of a rotational scheme, or a project based scheme. You have the chance to shadow all roles you might find interesting, so you know what you want to come back and do. You will have a lot of help in this respect.

    4/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
  • Yes, parties, nights out, friend groups etc.

    4/5

  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
  • Expensive, it's London!

    2/5

  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
  • Come on, it's London!

    4/5

  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
  • Yes, lots of giveback opportunities.

    4/5

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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

London

May 2017


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