by Konrad Gurbiel
MVP Technical Sales Specialist Intern
At IBM
Placement (10 Months+)
Computer Science and IT
What made you decide to come to IBM as a University Placement Student?
I’ve had an interest in technology since I was very young. IBM has such a rich history dating back decades, and being a part of such a great organisation has allowed me to gain many new skills and build my industry knowledge which will undoubtably be a great help in my career.
What hints or tips would you give to those who are interested into applying to IBM as a University Placement Student?
Always push yourself to do 110% and never doubt or give up on yourself so that ultimately you make yourself standout. The most important tip I can give you is that IBM will teach you so many new skills and everyone here is super supportive in helping you to shape the direction you want for your future.
What has your career journey at IBM looked like so far? (e.g., previous roles, training)
I started my role in July 2021 and from the very beginning I’ve gained a huge amount of knowledge through the great selection of training IBM has to offer. I’ve been involved in many areas which have allowed me to begin gaining experience with IBM technology like IBM Cloud, OpenShift and IBM Cloud Paks. Furthermore, IBM offers many giveback opportunities in many flavours which allows interns to work together and gain experience in teamworking. For example I’m currently the team lead on the Foundation Journal project which you will use during your University Placement at IBM this project is part of foundation giveback.
What hints and tips would you pass on to a student about to start the IBM Recruitment Process (online application form/CV, online numerical test, assessment centre, matching interview)?
Be yourself, show off what you are proud of and keep calm, especially when you reach your matching interviews, don’t doubt your ability as there’s a reason you received your interview and managers see your abilities to do the job you’re interviewing for.
What’s the best thing about your current role?
In my role I get to meet many new people, this may include others IBMers or clients that we work with, allowing me to build my network and gain experience with many tools that are used in my role such as Cloud Pak for Integration.
What’s the best thing about being at IBM?
One of the things that I believe IBM has over many companies is the number of different roles within different sections of the business. This provides the potential to change roles part way through your placement, or at least to help or shadow others from different areas of the business that interest you. In my case during this year, I’d like to shadow or be involved with the cyber security team as that’s what I’m studying in university.
