Concierge team Review

I find it hard to say an average level of enjoyment as it varied hugely from month to month. At the very start of the placement, I really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and loved my team as I was with other people my own age, so it was fun. As I went further into my placement I struggled a lot more due to workload, getting my head around processes and support. Towards the end of placement, I enjoyed it a lot more as I was comfortable with my role and started to take on responsibilities that I enjoy.

I felt very valued by my colleagues in the sense that I did feel like we were a family. Even my superiors were quick to be friendly and make jokes with me and my fellow interns. We had regular socials together and I was often thanked by superiors for the work I was doing.

Again it is hard to give an average score as it varied throughout my placement. During the first four months, I found that the level of support that I needed, wasn't given to me. I felt afraid to ask questions or ask for help as it was clear that people were too busy to help. However, the rest of the time, when I've needed help with something, my superiors have stepped in and been a real support to me with difficult clients or even difficult colleagues.

This varied depending on multiple factors. At the beginning of my placement I had far too much workload for one person and really struggled to complete all my work on time and to the best of my ability. However, from November onwards it was more up and down. There were days where I had very little to do and became bored, and there were again days that were very busy and stressful. I think some of this could have been evened out if we had a better way of splitting responsibilities in the team.

I feel I was given quite a lot of responsibility, especially in the last 6 months of the placement. I was organising events on my own with Business Partners, engaging with Business Partners about business development and largely left to deal with queries and onboarding independently, which felt very rewarding.

In terms of my marketing degree, I don't believe I gained much experience here apart from mentoring from member of staff in the marketing department. I did gain a qualification in marketing campaign software which may help me with my future marketing career. I have gained good experience in a corporate organisation and have learned the type of roles I might like or dislike.

It was a fun atmosphere in the office as there were a lot of young people and we often had socials outside of work. Usually once per quarter, as well as birthday celebrations. Morale had decreased during my time there due to many colleagues leaving and management changes, but the office still had a good atmosphere.

The organisation of the placement was excellent. We had a great induction and I could not emphasise this enough. I had an Early Professionals Manager (EPM) that was assigned to me that I could talk to about any issues inside or outside of IBM. I had 1 to 1 reviews every so often with my EPM outlining my goals and whether or not I had achieved them.

I did manage to do online training in many areas and completed badges in campaign software which was great. I also received mentoring from a member of staff in the marketing department which I felt was useful. IBM overall does have a lot of training and general opportunities for interns.

There is the opportunity of coming back for the graduate scheme after I finish my degree, but I personally wouldn't. There isn't a job role that interests me, as I wish to have a career in marketing and there a very few marketing jobs at IBM. I also feel that the staff could be treated better, having to pay for your own hot water for example is quite poor in my opinion. IBM is potentially a good company to work for if you are a seller or on the tech side though.

Yes there was a good social scene amongst fellow placement students and colleagues. There were often parties that placement students organised and we had socials with colleagues on the team that weren't placement students every quarter, and celebrated birthdays by going out for lunch together. I thought this aspect of IBM was good.

It is very expensive! Eating out, drinking and general leisure is very expensive in London. Rent is also very expensive according to my colleagues. However, at the same time, it is worth it in my opinion as there are great places to see and visit in London, which makes up for it.

Nightlife is excellent in London, it is expensive, but there is lots to do and see. There are plenty or restaurants, bars and nightclubs. There will be something for everyone in London. Southbank is a good area to work as there are lots of restaurants around and bars too. That way you can go straight from work.

There were many opportunities to get involved with activities outside of work. In IBM they call it Giveback, where you can help with assessment centres, interviews, university talks and much more. There are also opportunities to take part in placement competitions, creating video and customer journey stories. Helping with Wimbledon is another example of something you can get involved with.