Sherry Nguyen

Country of origin: Vietnam

Placement: IBM

In the context of the graduate job market getting more and more competitive and a good degree is no longer enough, the placement year provided me with professional working experience even before graduating from university, which looks more appealing to graduate employers.

My role had its main focus on supporting IBM employees with disabilities in the UK and Ireland to address and solve accessibility issues associated with technologies that affect their daily jobs. This involved managing queries via various communication channels, liaising with different parties to get issues addressed and actively searching for solutions to help employees improve their productivity. I also provided Project Management support to my manager and team members Other tasks included designing/ compiling monthly internal newsletters, organising departmental meetings and updating organisation charts.

IBM is a great company to work for and the placement scheme is very well-organised with two full day inductions getting students to familiarise with the work life before starting the role in their own division. During the year I was never short of support and I was encouraged to get involved in different areas and actively gain more responsibilities to take full advantage of working for such a global organisation. There were several review meetings with my manager where I demonstrated how I achieved my objectives and developed my skills which saw remarkable improvements with much more impressive evidences. Networking was among important skills that I learned to build upon; my network grew significantly and the feedback given was excellent over the year.

The working culture at IBM was great, colleagues were friendly and my manager and team members were supportive throughout the year. There was always a relaxing atmosphere in the office and it was nice being able to swing by someone’s desk and having a chat from time to time. What I liked most was the exposure to such a large global organisation, having the chance to talk to different people and build positive relationships with them.

I received a lot of support from LUMS, especially the Careers team to secure my placement with IBM. The application check, mock interviews, assessment centres and a great number of workshops were very useful in helping me prepare satisfying documents and successfully pass all the stages of the selection process. Throughout my placement year, there was frequent communication from the Careers team; a member of staff also visited me in my work location to ensure I was doing well in the role and obtain direct feedback from my manager.

I have successfully secured a summer internship at JP Morgan following the placement year at IBM. Both of the business and personal skills that I learned during my year will definitely play an important role in helping me effectively fulfil my role for this internship. Likewise, they will also act as the firm foundation for my career in the future.