Sales and Operations for Financial Services Review

by IBM

Best Student Employer

This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.

Rating

3.8/5
  • The Role
    4.5
  • The Company
    3.6
  • The Culture
    2.9

    The Role

  • 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?

    • Had a brilliant team, superb manager and a variety of workload. There were periods of time when work was limited.

    5/5
  • 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?

    • Welcomed well into the team, everyone is very supportive and willing to help.

    5/5
  • 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?

    • Sat down numerous times with high level management and discussed Financial Services, the wider IBM and career options. Everyone is very willing to talk about what they do and how they got there.

    5/5
  • 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?

    • There were a few occasions when my manager was too overwhelmed by work to delegate tasks, this meant I had to search for work outside of my immediate team. Never the less it taught me to manage my own time and keep myself motivated.

    4/5
  • 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?

    • Exposure to sensitive data and discussions. Reporting on Financial Services Sales Opportunities to the Industry Executive which was used when he reported top IBM management.

    5/5
  • 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?

    • During really busy periods, time management and prioritisation skills were tested. Working with a team highly developed my communication skills and confidence to voice my opinions. IBM had plenty of training days on offer in addition to online training tools.

    5/5

    The Company

  • 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?

    • Very friendly, 'flexible' desks enabled you to sit anywhere you wanted. Friday's would be very quiet as a lot of people would work from home.

    5/5
  • 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?

    • Extremely organised. IBM run a two day induction, assign you a 'Buddy' (a graduate at IBM) and a Professional Development Manager (PDM). There are 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 month reviews with your PDM to discuss your role, progression and career interests. Foundation, who arrange the placement scheme, offer many Giveback opportunities (students help out with events outside of their role). For example; University Presentations, Schools Outreach Programmes, Experiences Hire Assessment Centres etc

    5/5
  • 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?

    • My biggest fear before joining IBM was giving presentations, a Graduate personally coached me to find ways to confidently deliver presentations. I voiced my interest in data analysis to my manager who ensured that I was exposed to as much analysis work as possible.

    3/5
  • 10. What were the perks on your work placement?

    • Working from home
    4/5
  • 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?

    • Very appealing. The Graduate Schemes on offer are exiting however quite tough to get into so you need to stand out from the crowd.

    3/5

    The Culture

  • 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?

    • I lived over an hour away from London so socialising with the team and interns after work hours was a bit awkward as you would need to go home relatively early. However all the interns I came across were very friendly and easy to talk to.

    4/5
  • 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?

    • I lived at home so the cost of living was minimal however travel costs were ridiculous as I end up paying £400 a month which would not be far from renting a room in London.

    3/5
  • 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?

    • Southbank has really nice restaurants alongside the river, quite a few bars within a 5 minute walk from the office and close to Waterloo tube station so very easy to get across London.

    3/5
  • 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?

    • At the beginning there was a weekly Wednesday drink with the Interns after work however as friendship groups formed everyone began to do their own thing. If you live in London it is alot easier to socialise after work or on weekends.

    3/5
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Details

Placement (10 Months+)

Investment Banking, Retail Banking

London

June 2011

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