I chose to take a placement year as part of my degree for various reasons. Firstly I felt that the placement year would enhance my career options as it would allow me to get one step ahead on the graduate career ladder, both through the work experience provided and the networking opportunities that would be opened up to me. In addition I have always been interested in pursuing a start-up business so before I got involved with this after graduation I wanted some practical experience of working in a more corporate environment.

My role at IBM was working in Computer System Industry in Sales and Distribution department, where I was involved in many different tasks mainly related to data consolidation & reporting, sales forecasting, keeping track of potential sales opportunities and assisting sales director with any other operational tasks. Also, I had to closely work with 7 client executives to make sure their sales forecasts reflected the most up to date market changes.

Throughout the whole year I had to demonstrate dedication and commitment as my role was based on tight deadlines and perfect attention to details, hence, sometimes it involved long working hours to make sure projects were delivered on time. I had my weekly tasks that I reported to the business director as well as various projects on top of that, which was great as it meant that my role was always changing allowing me to learn even more. Finally, I was able to get involved into activities outside my role, such as Lancaster Campus team, where I was responsible for the relationship between LUMS and IBM.

The best part of my placement was definitely the fact that my work was always recognized by the management. All the hard work I did throughout my year got noticed and that was one of the main reason why I received an invitation to shadow IBM UKI General Manager David Stokes, where I had a chance to see how the top level management works with strategy development in order to improve the business.

Besides the fact that the placement year improved many different skills that I can adapt elsewhere it also provided me with the extra motivation for my final year in Lancaster. Now that I know exactly what I want to do on my return I can focus on my academic studies to ensure my marks reflect the career I am interested in.