Global Markets Operations Analyst Review

I had a really good years experience whilst doing my work placement with IBM. I have has the privilege of working in a client facing role with in an integrated team of professionals from all brands of IBM which has given me a thorough insights into the functionings of a huge MNC.

I have been lucky to have been in a highly interactive team that gave me a lot of responsibility from the day I started. Being able to own both my own projects and forecasting responsibilities from the outset of my year made me realise that I was not just an intern but a fully valuable member of the team.

I was told from early doors that I would be thrown in the deep-end and be given a lot of responsibility. As a result, I was expected to pick up skills quickly without too much help from my manager. Although this may seem daunting to most people, I have learnt that the best way to become competent at something is by doing it and learning from mistakes so I value this form of management.

Being in a sales role, I found that you can often be waiting for your clients to get information back from you. As a result, you tend to have waves of quiet periods and very busy periods. Some days I would be able to finish early whereas others I would stay late.

For an intern, I have been given a lot of responsibility during my placement. I own the internal and external account review processes and often help my superiors with producing sales pitching for large deals and then chasing down actions to ensure these deals close. I also have been given responsibility of my own including owning the newsletter we produce for the client and managing an internal investment allocation.

In terms of skills relating directly to the Economics in my degree, I have not used or developed them very much. However in terms of soft skills such as communication, teamwork, leadership, creativity etc I have gained more experience in 9 months than in the previous two years of university! I will certainly carry the skills I have learnt into my career and I feel I will be more successful because of them.

I would describe the attitude in the office as work hard play hard. During the days, the team get there heads down and get a lot of work done... in 2018 the team achieved very highly against their targets. Although hardworking, the team also has a lot of fun including social events every Tuesday and parties to celebrate key events throughout the year.

The internship was very well organised from the induction I received at the beginning to the support given by my HR manager throughout the placement. My managers have always been available to discuss next steps throughout the placement and conducted reviews every three months to review my progress against the goals I set at the beginning of the year.

IBM as a company invests a lot of time and resources into insuring there is plenty of education to get involved in. I have joined webinars comparing our competitors products to ours, attended workshops organised by the team I work in and have completed 20+ hours worth of education on IBMs YourLearning website spanning soft skills education to learning about IBM products.

I am interested in future employment and will be applying back to IBM. I have really enjoyed my year and am intrigued to find out what I could achieve within the business. However, given my economics background and strong interest in the financial services industry, I will also be applying for jobs in the high finance sector.

I tend to spend the majority of my time around the professionals team I work in. However, I am aware that there is plenty of opportunity to socialise with other interns and that there is a very close knit community wherever you are based!

I lived at home in my parents house just outside of London. This saved me huge costs on rent however the cost of commuting everyday was still expensive. Working in London, the cost of socialising is high. After living in Newcastle for the last two years at university, I have found the price of a pint of beer in London astonishing!!

Working in London has meant that there are a vast range of places to go on a night out. Whether you prefer quiet drinks with friends, visiting nightclubs, having a nice meal or going to rock concerts there is always something you can do.

There are plenty of opportunities to get involved in outside of work ranging from charity work in the area around you to joining sports teams.