Technology Intern - Interactive Developer Review

I thoroughly enjoyed my placement year at IBM. Joining a company with a large intake of interns was definitely a benefit. It was a similar experience to starting University where everyone is in the same position, not knowing what to expect, but easy to make friends. The work I did was also fulfilling - I was working with clients from 2/3 months into my placement which meant that the work I was doing was valuable. There are plenty of societies to join as well. I was part of the IBM football team, allowing me to meet people from around the office that I would never have met through work.

At the beginning it was more about getting up to speed and getting a feel for the business world. I found that once I joined client projects I was definitely valued by the different teams I was part of. We took part in of lots of activities outside of work, which is really important to get to know everyone and create a better environment inside work

At IBM you have an Early Professional's Manager (EPM) who is there for guidance that sits outside of your everyday job and someone you can turn to if you're not enjoying your role (very important). Thankfully, I was pleased with my role and the support from my Task Manager. I was fortunate enough to be given multiple opportunties to express my passion for technology and development which is what allowed me to join different client roles.

Working as a Technology Consultant varies. Sometimes I was extremely busy when having to hit deadlines. Other times I would have time to work on self learning and occasionally giveback opportunies where I travelled back to University and talked about my placement. I believe it was a very good balance especially compared to other placements I've heard of.

The further you get into your placement, the more responsiblity you attain (dependent on if you've shown you are capable). If you are able to join client work then the responsiblity is already high. So considering I was fortunate enough to be on two client projects, I had a large responsibility to ensure I hit my deadlines. I was part of an Agile methodology, meaning I had my own tickets/stories to complete.

My organisation skills have improved an absurd amount. Having this 9-5 mindset will certainly assist in my degree studies. In terms of the technical skills i've gained (programming - Javascript, React, HTML, CSS etc), they wont' necessarily help in my degree apart from simple functions when it comes to machine programming modules. However, for applying back for a grad role it will certainly help me a huge amount. Finally, communication and teamwork in a working environment is vital. Gaining that confidence to speak up when you have an idea and present it is something I would never have done before my placement here at IBM