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So, you want to make a mark on the business world? Working in a business role, you’ll provide vital support that will have a real impact on making our business more effective. You’ll be involved in a huge variety of tasks, so you can develop a whole range of new knowledge and skills. You will support one of our many business areas to ensure we deliver first class support to our clients. You will get involved in a huge variety of projects which could help to when you head off to university.

Examples of work tasks might include: working on presentations and documentation to support the head of a business unit; tracking customer accounts; project management; resource management; data analysis; competitor analysis; investigating current and future business development ideas and many more!

Alternatively, you could work within sales operations, where you’ll assist in supporting our field sales teams, get involved with a wide variety of activities, including tracking sales achievements with our sales managers to spot trends and successes, preparing proposals for clients and attending and supporting client briefings and demonstrations, assisting with budgeting, pricing and contracts, providing key reports to executives, and supporting marketing activities.

A business placement with us will give you a really good all round insight into how a company the size of IBM operates. Spending your gap year at IBM in one of these roles is a fantastic grounding for a future career in business. With everything you learn here, there’s no limit to where you can go.

At IBM we know technology. We work with companies of all sizes, in every country and industry imaginable; to provide our clients with the best technology services available world wide. And you can be part of this.

If you are interested in business and technology, these gap year roles could be exactly what you are looking for. The work can vary considerably depending on which area of the business you are placed in, however in some shape or form, your role will involve designing, implementing and maintaining technical solutions for our clients to solve their business problems.

Examples of activities you may get involved in include: problem diagnosis, resolution of hardware and software problems, software installations, answering client queries, web/database development, designing multimedia material, monitoring websites, project management and many more, all giving you a great understanding of how you can meet business needs through innovative IT solutions.

So, you’re a people person? Then join HR, where you’ll be involved in creating and supporting initiatives and policies that help us attract the right people, and develop and motivate them once they’re here. After all, it’s the people that work for us that make IBM what we are today. The wide range of areas we cover includes compensation, benefits, learning, recruitment, employee well being and diversity.

You could find yourself working as an HR Specialist in the Compensation and Benefits team, working with our experts on our salary program, incentive plans, or our award winning flexible benefits scheme. Alternatively, you could be working as an HR Generalist with the HR Partner team. In this role you will work on specific projects throughout your gap year and support the HR Partner team - gaining a good understanding of all aspects of working in HR and with the business.

All these roles will give you a fantastic understanding of how HR works in a large global company. There’s as much variety in the work you could do as there is in the people who work for us.

If you’re full of ideas and initiative, then put your energy to great use in Sales & Marketing, where you’ll support the business, our sales and management teams. Whatever you do during your gap year, you’ll make a personal contribution to increasing revenue, strengthening IBM as a global brand and helping us achieve our business objectives, as well as gaining a whole range of new skills and knowledge.

If your role is in marketing, in addition to advertising, you could also work on market research, managing the IBM brand, gaining insights into the rest of the industry, or promoting the company’s services. And that’s only the beginning. There are a number of specialist areas you may get involved in, including managing websites and events, creating newsletters and Podcasts and working with our suppliers on design, print and production.

You’ll gain a real understanding of IBM, but you’ll also get a real sense of achievement, build your confidence and develop skills that will be vital to your future career.

Software Development is the area of our business where IBM’s innovative and extraordinary software products, applications and processes take shape. We lead the way - and it all starts here. The people you’ll work with will really value your passion for - and knowledge of - computer technology, and you’ll have the opportunity to learn so much more, as well as gaining practical experience of fascinating new ways of working.

You’ll find real variety here, too - you’ll participate in the development of software from design, through testing, to delivery, integration, and support. On your gap year you might help with the development of new solutions, or with modifying or supporting existing software solutions, all with the expert help of our experienced software developers. They’re at the top of their game - so there really is no better place to develop the skills that could lead to a uniquely exciting and inspirational future career.