IBM

Sector:

Information Technology & Telecoms

Ranking in Times Top 100 Graduate Employers:

2006: 18
2007: 21
2008: 23
2009: 18
2010: 19

Link to Careers Web site

Graduate Job Programme

Applications Opening Date: Now Open; for some roles not currently open register interest
Applications Closing Date: Role specific

2010-2011 6-12 Month Placements

Link to Placement & Vacation page
Now Open. Closes 31st December 2010

2010 Summer/Vacation Internships

Link to Placement & Vacation page
Now Open. Closes 31st December 2010

Competencies and Other Requirements

Adaptability

We look for people who are flexible when things change. How do you cope with changing demands, uncertainty and stress? Do you remain calm and composed? Can you demonstrate that you have successfully completed several projects or assignments with competing deadlines?

Teamwork & Collaboration

How do you work with others to achieve shared goals? Do you respect and value others’ differences? Do you easily build and maintain relationships with others? Do you offer support and help others and share your expertise with them to enhance the effectiveness of the team?

Communication

This competency focuses on how you communicate with others. Do you present oral and written information clearly, precisely and succinctly? Do you match the way you communicate with the requirements of the situation and your audience? Do you listen carefully to others, asking questions when necessary to ensure understanding?

Drive to achieve

You need to be committed to success and accomplishing challenging goals. Do you take the initiative to learn new skills that will be useful for your future career? Do you learn about things beyond the scope of your current job or assignment? Are you prepared to put in as much additional time or effort as is necessary to ensure high quality results?

Creative problem solving

This is all about using ingenuity, supported by logical methods and appropriate analysis, to propose solutions to problems. Do you conduct thorough fact-finding and analysis, anticipating any potential problems and then plan accordingly? Do you think ‘outside the box’ when proposing solutions to problems? Do you put forward new ideas for activities at university or work and offer innovative ideas to overcome challenges?

Client focus

We’re a client focussed organisation so we need people working with us who share this focus and can anticipate their needs and respond appropriately. Don’t think about ‘clients’ just in the sense of ‘customers’ – clients’ can also be colleagues, study groups, maybe even lecturers. Do you build rapport quickly and easily and think about a situation from their point of view? Do you recommend solutions that meet their needs? Do you act with their satisfaction as top priority?

Passion for the business

This is all about being able to demonstrate a passion for our company and the industry in which we operate. Do you know what IBM does, and what recent achievements we have had? Can you demonstrate knowledge of recent trends within the IT & Consulting industry? Do you understand the message behind our current ‘Smarter Planet’ TV advertising campaign?

Taking ownership

This is all about identifying and taking responsibility proactively for tasks and decisions in a timely manner. Can you demonstrate when you’ve accepted responsibility for mistakes and worked to correct them? Do you focus on resolving difficult situations rather than finding someone to blame? Do you anticipate potential problems with a project and then plan accordingly, implementing decisions with speed and urgency?