Marketing and Events Coordinator Review

The work opportunities at IBM are very good. They give you lots of chances to be able to find something you're interested in meaning that you're able to make the most of the time that you have there. My day to day role wasn't something that exactly suited my interests, but I was still given the opportunity to make it as enjoyable as possible.

My colleagues at work were probably the best I could've asked for. They make you feel very relaxed when you first join and are very friendly towards you throughout the duration of the placement. They make sure that there are times in which work can be fun, whilst still getting your day-to-day tasks completed.

I have two managers on my placement, a Task Manager and an Early Professional Manager. One was a manager for day to day tasks and the other was more of a well-being/development manager. I had good amounts of support from my EPM, helping me with any issues that I had. However, I'd say that I had a lot less support/guidance from my Task Manager.

My role was very inconsistent with the workload that I had. As it was a customer based role it meant that during holiday periods my workload was quite small, but during the end of quarter times, we were very busy. It meant I had time to do personal learning, but the inconsistency in work was sometimes difficult.

The responsibility given was fairly dependant on the task at hand. During day-to-day tasks, the level of responsibility was less as we all worked equally as a team to complete tasks. However, during projects that I undertook the responsibility was a lot greater as I was the lead of these tasks.

The skills that I gained throughout the year are probably not that relevant to my degree and won't help in that respect. However, the life skills (such as communication and presenting) are invaluable to my career going forward. I've learnt skills that you simply wouldn't be able to learn through studying and exams.

The atmosphere in my office was very good for the majority of the time. The team get on very well with each other, so it's a very friendly environment to work in. As with most places, there's the occasional conflict between people, but as a whole, the atmosphere was very pleasant.

The scheme was very well run and put together. They ensured there was plenty of support available for those on the scheme, as well as providing a wide range of opportunities and events. The communication for the interns was very good as well, with specific channels for interns to communicate with one another.

From an overall intern level, they invested a good amount in development, with such events as a careers academy being run for interns. From a Task Manager level it was dependant on how much they were able to spend at that time, however, if you wished to do something then the majority of the time they would give you finance approval to do so.

The employment opportunities for graduate are very good at IBM. They have a range of roles that you're able to apply for, from HR to consulting to sales. Being an intern here also gives you early opportunities for a graduate scheme, meaning they give you the opportunity to build a career out of your placement year.

IBM has a very large intern intake each year, meaning there are loads of interns that you're able to socialise with. Where I am based, a large number of interns get houses in the same area meaning that on weekends and after work there is a great chance to socialise with others.

The majority of IBM interns are based in either Hursley or London. My placement was based in Hursley, which is very close to Winchester. Whilst it's no way near as expensive as London, it's still not a cheap place to live and socialise in comparison to other locations in the country.

Nightlife in the Winchester area is by no means incredible. With only one club and a limited number of bars, it's not the best place to go on a night out. However, there are places near with better nightlife and with all nights out, it's who you're with that makes it a good night or not.

There's various sports clubs or activities that are available in the local area outside work. As with most places, there's the opportunity to get involved with classes and clubs that interest you. Many people at work will be members of some of these, so it's very easy to find out about activities too.