I Got Hired: Business Change Analyst at IBM

Posted on: 10 October 2023 by Richard Finch in Graduate stories

Rio is a Class of 2022 Philosophy and Politics graduate now working as a Business Change Analyst at IBM.

In this blog post she talks about her career after graduation and offers her top tips for current students.

Following my last exams at university I instantly began looking for jobs. My friend from home had suggested I look into consultancy, as it was something with huge breadth and would give a significant lot of learning and opportunities for starting out in a career. I sent out a number of applications for graduate roles in the technology field (even though I am not much of a technology person myself). Before I knew it I had three that came back to me offering interviews, from which I finally accepted a role with the IBM Client Innovation Centre! After I joined the company, I participated in a 10-week training programme whilst my mentors found me a role and account to start my consultancy journey on. I then began my first role on an NHS account in the South of the UK. My colleagues on this account worked in London so I had the opportunity of paid travel to work alongside them in their IBM York Road office. This role offered me insight into so much - with teamwork, aligning with clients, delivering with success, and having to learn how to adapt quickly. At the end of this role I joined a brand-new project that was starting up in Leeds as a Business Change Analyst, assisting the client in transforming their ERP systems. Within this role, I focus on the end-user to make sure any changes that the business, users, and clients will be facing are captured and managed effectively, to help both the client and their clients through this change as fluidly as possible. I enjoy this role so much more and thoroughly enjoy working with my team. I also work from home most the time, other than client integration sessions and visiting client site three days a month- so it's nice having that flexibility. Working in this type of job is highly rewarding when you have spent the most of your teen and early adult years doing supermarket assistant, bar, and restaurant work! My favourite experience perhaps, is being able to work alongside people who have worked in this business for decades and to be guided through the beginning of my career until I found my own feet.

Everyone I have come across is so kind and helpful, and the company also pays for any qualifications you would like to do, which is brilliant for expanding your knowledge and employability. You also aren't restricted in your role either, for example I have signed up to a coding camp where you do after work coding lessons where you learn how to create a website and at the end you get a credential - it's a great growth opportunity.

 The advice I’d like to give to current students is:

1. Qualifications, qualifications, qualifications... and yes that's just number 1! If your job offers you qualifications, then do them. It is a key requirement for getting promoted, it will develop you so much, and you may even find something new you like.

2. You can change the role you are in if you don't like it. Whilst I enjoyed my first role, I I wasn't afraid of looking for new opportunities and decided to look around and found a new one within the CIC.

3. Manage your finances! You leave university (or any least most of us do) with no concept of earning a wage and then all of a sudden you start earning, and it’s just the best thing ever!! Just make sure the excitement of this doesn't build up and leave you struggling till the next month!