IBM Extreme Blue

Winner of the Over 250 Employees - Short-term placements (0-3 months) category

Allen & Overy LLP

• Barclays Capital
• Centrica plc
• IBM Extreme Blue
• Morgan Stanley
• Procter & Gamble - Highly Commended
• Shell
• The Royal Bank of Scotland

“Students have the opportunity to be creative and push both the boundaries of what they and the industry can achieve.” Matthew Whitbourne, IBM Extreme Blue

IBM UK Ltd is a global technology solutions and services company employing xx in the UK including xx interns. IBM Extreme Blue is IBM’s internship scheme for top students wanting to pursue a career in software development, offering them the opportunity to work with leading technologies.

IBM Extreme Blue undergoes an extensive recruitment process ranging from careers fairs, university website advertising and presentations by alumni community of former interns. The newest way of reaching potential candidates has been through the virtual world ‘Second Life’, IBM have created a virtual territory “IBM University Relations Island” and ran recruitment sessions there to allow students to engage with staff and alumni.

All candidates undertake a full assessment process equal to that used for graduate selection including interviews, assessment centres and presentations. This ensures the students are offered a real recruitment experience and means that IBM can offer graduate jobs directly on completion of the placement.

In 2007 over 20 invention disclosures were submitted, of which approximately half are now being pursued by IBM for worldwide patent protection in conjunction with the student inventors.

• Students get their intellectual property patented in order to develop it further in the future.
• Students have the opportunity to work on real projects and present their achievements at a European technology showcase.
• Students have the opportunity to work with master inventors and industry champions.

Photography by Jacopo Pandolfi/JP Images