Consultant Review
at IBM
Degree Apprenticeship
Computer Science
Manchester
Review Submitted: February 2025
Overall Rating
3.4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
2.5/5
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Overview of Role
3/5
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Skills Development
3.4/5
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Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
3/5
My role varies, usually it consists of interacting with different team members and stakeholders. I can be assigned multiple different tasks at once and be expected to complete them by myself and in short periods of time. On my most recent project I was given sole responsibility over a part of the project and built a relationship with the associated clients
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
2/5
Getting a degree alongside real work experience is amazing but there are some issues surrounding that. In this organisation the way apprentices are sometimes handled is with little care and we can be bounced from role to role despite none of them being in a field we are interested in or even one that relates to the work we are completing at university. This very much appears to be luck based in my organisation which means some people have a lot less experience than others even a year in
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
3/5
I have learnt new applications such as the AWS platform. I haven't really developed any existing skills technically due to the roles I have been placed on but have refined my professional and client conversational skills through everyday work and courses.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
2/5
This program is not very organised. Our year at University seems to be a change from the year before and everything is new and a 'trial', a lot of the feedback has been regarding how the exams and units are structured and how the schedules are not degree-apprentice friendly especially with a full time job alongside assignments.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
3/5
I feel like the support varies based on the issue. We all get assigned a manager to help during our apprenticeship but this doesn't translate over to projects. A lot of the roles we get given as apprentices are lacking support or just aren't suited to a junior professional. Mental health is consistently talked about and there is a very open culture but from experience there isn't a lot of support when problems do arise.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
Some of the lecturers and the MMU team have been great whenever I have had issues or questions. They are constantly asking for feedback which even though it doesn't affect my unis could be passed on for future students. There have been a few unit leaders/ lecturers that are not clear on expected tasks or don't appreciate that limited notice and large workloads are not the same for an apprentice as a regular university student.
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
I have not yet had a lot of experience in being able to put my university learning to practice in my job roles. I do feel as though some of the units we complete are not valuable or relevant to the types of organisations that employ apprentices however there are some units especially in year 2 that I feel are great for deeper learning and understanding the IT industry as a whole and how your employer fits into it as well as why they make some of the decisions they do.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
There are lots of extra-curricular activities, there are communities for sports, reading or even for different groups of people with similar backgrounds or interests. There are not as many opportunities in the North West than there are in the South but that is something that my organisation and the communities within it are pushing to change.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend IBM to a friend?
Yes
Why?
It is a great opportunity, getting a degree as well as experience in a massive company and a very competitive salary. There are somethings I think the apprenticeship scheme needs to do to improve especially the way that apprentices are handled when they first join but I don't regret not going to university, I have had the opportunity to meet lots of professionals, work with them and learn about real industry technology.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to IBM?
IBM inspire a culture of continuous learning, it is important to be keen to learn and develop skills. I would apply to IBM if you are not sure where you want IT to take you there are lots of opportunities to work with different technology or systems. However, I would note that some of these opportunities are more of less technical than another and there is not an option to choose so you need to be willing to do a range of things and not expect to get to do your dream job within the first month of joining.
