IBM Work Experience Day
Seun Onile-Ere, City of London Academy (Southwark)
After verifying my name on a checklist and chatting cooly with 3 other attendees, a cheerful looking woman beckoned us downstairs into a room holding a projector, positioned purposefully in front of an array of tables and chairs. We were specifically advised not to sit with any familiar faces, and so the shuffling and scooting of chairs ensued until all students were sat with strangers. Nice. Only moments later everyone was on their feet, participating in an impromptu icebreaker — this involved ordering us by the size of an animal we had to pretend to be! (Naturally, I knew I had to be a Flamingo).
With the mood adequately lightened, we jumped straight into a series of insightful talks on what working within the IBM community really felt like. One rather heartfelt talk detailed the transition from a background of bullying and low self esteem, to being accepted by IBM’s welcoming and supportive atmosphere. This has since given her the confidence to network unapologetically with industry leaders while still finding time to give powerful presentations on her journey thus far. This resonated strongly with all of us.
A tour of the premises provided yet another eye opening experience. It hadn’t dawned on me earlier, but the whole interior was far ‘fresher’ than expected. Admittedly expecting a stuffy, somewhat bleak setting, IBM shattered my misconceptions with open spaces, comfy chairs and a Google-esque focus on design, with the adoption of departments like IBM Studios (and there emphasis on user experience) clearly exemplifying this.
The staged assessment centre involved interesting (but arguably unusual) group exercises, such as a numerical assortment task that involved identifying which vegetables were owned by an individual, using 3 additional pages of related data as a guide. Interestingly enough, I found that the moderators of this task were far more interested in the process utilised to solve these problems than an entirely correct solution, indicating what traits employers seek in prospective employees.
By far the most memorable event was participating in the ‘business proposal’ presentation. Armed with pens, paper and a hypothetical budget, we pitched Puppy Pick Up — a bespoke network of volunteer dog walkers and groomers that could be contacted and compensated all through our App. We covered all bases — from verification and safeguarding procedures, to user retention with our PP Premium service, which (in addition to other perks) included a guaranteed monthly crate of doggy grooming tips, tricks and treats for dog lovers across the board(walk)!
That being said, what interested me the most was how versatile roles in the tech industry are — it isn’t just a field for those with interests in maths, science and engineering, but also for those who shine in consulting, sales, marketing, management and more! Ultimately, this experience has given me more food for thought on how roles within this industry are changing, and the career paths opening up as they continue to do so.
