IBM Assessment Day

I'm currently looking for companies to work with for my placement year and have been invited to one of these this month, however, I do not know what to expect at all.

Can anyone who's been to one of these please fill me in on what goes on there?

Thanks.

Reply 1

Ash_69

I also have an (final) assessment day this month however its for a graduate posistion. You cant really prepare for the first round assessment since it's group exercises and a test. Good luck with it anyway.

Reply 2

Jiser

There should be help books etc around in your Uni libary or you can order off the net. Look around on google for advise.

Read up on the company and learn as much as possible. Also prepare for speaking in front of people. Get your 10 best points and learn about them and how to sell yourself. Think of some weakness and how to make it into a positive.

Write a list of examples of jobs/tasks done in previous employment and what you have learned and how it might have been positive including any hobbies etc you might do.

Why did you want to do your degree? Come up with a good reason.

What are your future career plans and where do you hope to be in 5/10 years time. How will you get there and how would IBM potentially fit into all of this? For example: "I want to be a network engineer because and I enjoy this...because its a challenge...I hope to get my MCSE here and then bla bla "

Monster.co.uk has a good career/interview section, I advise you read up there. Write a list of questions down and get a family friend if possible or someone you know on a less fammiliar basis to practise Interview you. Maybe your tutours could help or career helpers?

Reply 3

ThePants999

Jiser's advice is all very well and good for general interviews - however, it's all basically irrelevant if this is a first assessment day for IBM. I'll caveat that I don't know if it's different for placement applications, as I only did a graduate application, but the first assessment day for IBM has very little (if any?) one-on-one contact with assessors: it's all tests and group exercises.

Reply 4

shinding1990

jus wanna know what kind of grades did u have for the placement year and what course ur applying for at uni and which unis :biggrin:

Reply 5

senab

I attended one of these the other day (and passed it :biggrin:

).

They've recently changed it so that you have the two group excercises and confirmatory IPATO test (it's a short version). For the group excercises they mark you on 'IBM values' Then at the end of the day, the assessors will decide whether you go to the next stage or not. They'll then sit you down and call out some names, these people will go onto a personal interview that day, while the others will go home.

The personal interview is very informal and chatty, basically similar questions to what was asked on your application, just try and think of some more examples to sell yourself.

Biggest piece of advice I can give you, be yourself and don't lie about anything: they can see straight through you.

If you pass they'll ring you up (they're ringing me this Monday) to discuss where and what type of placement I want. I'll report back when I hear more. :wink:

Reply 6

Ash_69

Good job Senab. I'm glad to hear the interview was fairly informal, that's when I can best express myself. Where was your assessment day/interview taken? I've got mine in 6 days but for some reason i'm not really nervous.

Reply 7

senab

Both my assessment centre and interview were the same day. We had some current placement students there looking after us, they're really nice, and from what they said the group excercises are the main thing they mark you on. The group excerices are there to see if you have the IBM values, linked above. The interview is more like a confirmation that you're normal lol.

That came from the placement students so don't 100% take my word on that, but it worked for me. :smile:

Reply 8

Staaar

How do you demonstrate the IBM Values by way of a group exerices?

Reply 9

wendyhuyen

I am a bit struggling with the question 5: What is the one key thing that IBM has achieved (in a business context) or developed (in a technical context) in the last 5 years that you think has made a difference and why? Please tailor your response towards technical and business in accordance with the area to which you are applying.

I am applying for Finance division. The only thing I know about IBM is IBM's PC division was bought by Chinese company Lenovo in 2005 :frown:

Any help will be appreciated because the dealine is tomorrow :s-smilie:

Thank you guys so much.

Reply 10

iliketurtles

wendyhuyen

I am applying for Finance division. The only thing I know about IBM is IBM's PC division was bought by Chinese company Lenovo in 2005 :frown:

Any help will be appreciated because the dealine is tomorrow :s-smilie:

Thank you guys so much.

There are *loads* of areas other than the hardware division, which was sold to Lenovo. It's perhaps best not to mention that. Instead perhaps mention WebSphere, CICS, Transaction Processing, Java Technology Centre, etc - anything UK based. If you research the company there is a lot to talk about. As for something finance related, just mention any form of transaction processing. As for the last 5 years, I'd be inclined to mention the advances in Websphere. These systems are used by banks all around the world, millions of pounds per second flow through some form of IBM system/software.

I presume finance is on South Bank? I worked in Hursley (Winchester/Southampton). If anyone wants any general advice, or to know about Hursley specifically, then just PM me. Oh, and they take the core 'IBM values' very seriously. Answering and relating questions to these values will earn you major brownie points.

Reply 11

ThePants999

@wendyhuyen

Umm... you urgently need to find out publically-available information on one of the world's biggest companies, and instead of getting the answers in seconds from Google you post on here?

Reply 12

khi3ar

Hi I got an assessment day with IBM coming up!

Please could you tell me more about the assessment centre i.e how many people are to a group and what ype of exercises there are?

And also if you get past the group stage what type of questions do they ask in the interview?

Please reply ASAP thanx