My IBM Grad Hire Learning Journey

Fresh out of college, I really just had one goal: to get a job. I applied to many different companies, beautifying my resume and spending late nights on JobStreet. I was determined to find a job where I would be able to grow, not only as a professional but as a person.

As I was hunting for Business Analyst roles, one company caught my eye. IBM Philippines was hiring, so I applied, hoping they would give me a chance. A couple of days later they called and invited me to interview for an Advanced Programming Specialist role. I was a bit skeptical, as I didn’t want to do programming for a living, but I knew this was an opening to move into a Business Analyst position, so I went.

I passed the recruitment process and was told that I would go through a Java Fullstack training for 2-3 months. The training wasn’t bad. It refreshed my memory on old concepts and introduced new terms and technologies I hadn’t encountered in college. Being in a fast-paced, ever-changing industry, it is important to keep up with different technologies, and this course hit the nail on the head.

But what really hit home for me were the people. You had trainers who wanted you to pass, who were accommodating and with whom you felt a sense of camaraderie. They were always trying to make sure you understood each lesson, and if you didn’t, encouraged you to do better. You also had fellow trainees making sure you all fought to see another day. The environment didn’t feel competitive at all, it felt like a family. Strangely enough, I had only known these people for about a month or two, and yet, we all relied on everyone else to be there until the end.

And sure enough, we made it. And just when we were thinking, “Finally, I can call myself an IBMer,” they put us through another training. Multi-Cloud training was something else. You always hear stories about the cloud and how you can’t trust it, but I believe this is because no one understands it (and I was one of those people). I had a very basic idea of what the cloud was but this month-long training shed light on everything the cloud could do.

If Java training was great, the Multi-Cloud training was even better. Entering this new battle with the same soldiers you had won with previously definitely made it better. Again, the trainers were accepting and took us under their wing right away to make sure we learned what we needed to in just a few short weeks.

The whole process, from applying to my first day with IBM, was such a ride. Though it could be tedious work completing the training and difficult to absorb all the information in a short span of time, it was definitely worth it. IBM is a place where growth isn’t just welcomed, it’s thrust upon you. It drives you to always learn, improve in any and every aspect. IBM teaches you to be essential, to find a purpose and strive to accomplish it. IBM is a place where work is difficult, but the people are a family, one you grow with and work with make and who inspire you to be better.

About the Author:
Keziah is an Information Systems graduate from De La Salle University. Fresh out of college, Keziah underwent the NHT Brighter Blue Program. After passing the Java training, she was one of the 23 women who participated in the first multi-cloud training in PH CIC.