Business admin Review

I have so far been enjoying my placement year at IBM as you are not limited to one role but are given the opportunity to shadow and learn about the many different roles and departments within the company. With that you can get involved in many projects and you're never really bored due to the large amount of things that are always going on.

The teams in IBM are quite social and always plan on either getting lunch together or doing something outside of work. Everyone is friendly and always willing to help no matter the task which is crucial in a team especially when you are not sure of the task or just need some extra guidance.

I was given a handover and quite a bit of training for my role. Even though I don't work closely with my manager, they are willing to help or point me in the direction of someone who can which is important when your first start the role or a new task.

My role has really busy days and really quiet days. On the quite days there really is a limited amount to do so IBM encourages online learning. There is a vast amount of learning you can do and if not there is always events you can help at or shadowing you can do.

I was given quite a lot of responsibility which at first was overwhelming however has helped shape me during my placement year. These responsibilities are always different but give me the chance to learn something new and add to the current skills I have.

Everything I have learnt will definitely benefit me in the long run. I am now more confident managing a project, working in a large team and my technical skills have really picked up. I have had a number of chances to put this into practice and each time I have been given feedback on how to improve.

The office is very quiet and formal so gives the placement students an insight into the very formal side of the business such as working with the clients. There isn't much to do in office other than a small table tennis table however the location makes up for that.

My placement year has been very organised so far. I have quarterly meetings with my manager to discuss my progress, what I have been up to and the challenges. We have channels that allow us to communicate with each other and are given information such as extensions in advance.

There are always training workshops going on that you can get involved in as well as online training and badges that are open to everyone and can be done at any time. Your managers will push for you to do something outside of your job such as these trainings that will help further your knowledge in the role.

As long as you do well in your placement year, it is fairly easy to apply back as long as you express your interests to your manager and the managers you would like to work for. You are given opportunities to apply back and can spend time in different departments.

The early professionals tend to organise their own parties which you can always express your interest for and get invited to. IBM is very social and always has events to help with networking or just to have fun such as a Christmas party and a leavers party for interns.

The prices of most things around the area are quite high due to the location such as drinks for going out for a meal. For someone paying rent or not living at home this can be a struggle especially when buying lunch everyday also but most places accept IBM discount.

There are quite a few bars and clubs around the area but if that is not what you are into, walking long the river is really nice to do at night also.

IBM does plenty of events outside of work such as careers fairs etc. They also have corporate games which you can get involved in if you find a sport you like and can compete against other companies.