IBM

  • Introduction

    Welcome to the Ideas Lab. If you have the imagination to help us build a smarter planet, this is the place to be. Because this is where we generate the ideas, innovations and mould-breaking inventions that are creating a better world.

    Our pioneering heritage stretches back over a century. Today, our passion for world-changing new ideas remains undimmed. No topic is off-limits, because there is no area of life we’re not looking to improve. More efficient energy; more sustainable cities; better business; fresher food; smarter systems. Creating all of this demands imagination that’s as broad as it is deep.

    That’s why we hire smart, switched-on people from all academic backgrounds who are keen to use their unique insights and opinions to do something incredible. Right now we need a wide variety of students and graduates, mainly to join us at our Software Development Lab in Hursley, Hampshire. This is the European nerve centre of our ‘smarter planet’ mission – a diverse, relaxed creative community of 3,000 brilliant minds working together in a state-of-the-art facility to decide what the future will look like. Are you ready to take your place?

  • Opportunities

    Graduate opportunities

    £27,000 (up to £35,000 for PhD applicants). Most roles based at Hursley

    We are currently looking for graduates to work as Software Developers at our Hursley lab. As a Software Developer, you’ll work at the heart of IBM software innovation and play a key role in developing the technologies that shape the future. Your first two years will see you rotate around a series of product areas and roles, giving you a deep and comprehensive understanding of the complete lifecycle. Beyond product knowledge, you’ll learn the business context of our software products, through the valuable networks you build with both colleagues and IBM customers.

    You’ll need to come to us with a 2.1, although the actual discipline is less important than an overriding passion for IT. In simple terms, you love the idea of developing the very latest technologies for our clients. More to the point, you have the problem-solving, teamworking, numerical and analytical skills to deliver.

    Click here to apply now

    Student opportunities

    £15,000 (pro rata). Most roles based at Hursley

    If you are looking to take a year out as part of your degree, look no further than the IBM Industrial Placement Scheme. We are no longer accepting applications for the scheme starting in 2010. However you can register your interest in the 2011 Industrial Placement Scheme by clicking on the link below.

    In this role you might help with the development of new solutions, or with modifying or supporting existing software solutions, you’ll participate in the development of software from design, through testing, to delivery, integration, and support, not to mention having the opportunity to learn so much more and gain practical experience of new ways of working. 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 on your placement that could lead to a uniquely exciting and inspirational future career.

    Click here to register your interest in the 2011 Placement Scheme

  • How to apply

    We are no longer accepting applications for the Industrial Placement Scheme starting in 2010. You can register your interest in the 2011 scheme by clicking the link below.
    Click here to register your interest in the 2011 Placement Scheme

    To apply for a graduate software development role, you will need to download and complete our CV template before starting the application form.  You can do this by clicking on the link below.
    CV template

    Once you have downloaded and completed the CV template, click on the link below to start your application. The application form will ask you to upload your completed CV template. CVs in any other format will not be accepted.
    Software Development – Graduate Scheme

    We look for a set of core competencies in our applicants – Adaptability, Teamwork & Collaboration, Communication, Creative problem solving, Drive to achieve, Client focus, Passion for the business and Taking ownership. To find out more about these please click the link below.
    Click here

    To apply for the Graduate Scheme, you'll need to have achieved or be expecting to achieve a 2:1 honours degree. International students must have a Tier 1 General visa.

  • Explore Hursley

    Set in beautiful countryside near Winchester, IBM Hursley has a global reputation for product and service innovation. Pushing the boundaries of technology in an increasingly demanding world is a way of life here. It’s a dynamic, inventive culture that produces scores of patent applications every year. At the same time, the relaxed, non-hierarchical, ideas-focused atmosphere is often likened to a university campus. Explore Hursley with our interactive map

  • Profiles
    • Yue Wang – Software Developer
      Yue Wang

      I joined IBM in July 2009, having worked for a small software company as a software developer for two years. I was initially impressed by IBM’s size, obviously, but also by the fact that graduates are given so much training and flexibility in their career choices. There are many different roles and the two-year rotation scheme allows me to try different things before deciding which path is the most suitable and enjoyable for me. One of the really great things is that we have a graduate manager who is purely focused on our individual career development.

      My day-to-day job is Software System Tester. It’s our job to understand the product we work on in the way our clients would use it, rather than focusing on just making a single function work. This requires a set of solid analysis and problem-solving skills. We also need to develop test programs to automate the test process, so I never stop developing my programming skills.

      Innovation is always encouraged here. I’ve been given opportunities to work on many projects outside of my day job, for my own interests and personal skills development. So far I’ve signed up for two projects that I found interesting and educational, both of which have helped me learn new technologies and build my network.

      Focusing on projects and day jobs all the time can sometimes be stressful. I find that attending events and signing up for communities can reduce work pressures. Hursley has sport activities and various clubs that are open to all employees, such as a club house and sport halls where you can spend time outside of work. In some ways, working at IBM is like being on campus again: learning never stops and we always enjoy our time here.

    • Andy Stanford-Clark – Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor
      Andy Stanford-Clark

      Andy Stanford-Clark is a Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor who works at the IBM Hursley Lab in the UK. He is best known for his work on pervasive messaging technology. Check out some of the links below to find out more about what he does and watch some really interesting videos. To find out more about Andy’s house that tweets and twittering ferries, check out the Stories and Innovations section.

      A Master Inventor at work: http://www-03.ibm.com/innovation/us/innovation/master/inventor_b.shtml

      Take a look at this video where Andy talks about some of the cool things he’s worked on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiOn2fGeGdM

    • Ed Moffat – Software Engineer
      Ed Moffat

      One of the best things about working in software here is the flexibility to try different roles: you can easily move between development, test, customer support and other related roles as your career progresses. It’s something I first saw during the placement year I did as an accountant with IBM. I read Maths at university, and in my first 2 years I took all the finance modules I could. I sort of stumbled upon an aptitude for programming through a few computer science modules that were included in my course. But I didn’t think I could pursue a career in it because anyone who’d done a more computing-related degree, or who’d been into computers from a younger age, would have an advantage over me.

      However, on my placement I took the opportunity to apply my coding skills to produce software that sped up balance-sheet accountants’ monthly tasks. I enjoyed it so much I realized there and then that I had to go for a career in software! The support I received was amazing. I was encouraged to work on more accounting-related software projects and introduced to people at Hursley who could give me advice and let me job-shadow them.

      I returned to IBM in 2008 after graduating, this time as a Software Engineer. I’ve now worked in three different types of Testing, and I’ll soon be moving into Customer Support. The changes have helped me experience a wider view of the product I work on, as well as get a feel for which job will be best for me in the long run.

      I often hear people say testing is dull, but I couldn’t disagree more. A good tester has a very strong desire to break stuff, but in a constructive way! We think ‘what’s the most awkward way I could use this feature of the product’ or ‘if I stress this to breaking point, will it fail cleanly?’ Then if we manage to find a way to get an unexpected behaviour out of our product, we become intrigued. Why did it do that? What part of the code made it happen? If I did this similar thing, could I make it fail in the same way, or would it be different?

      At IBM, the importance of testing in the development process is recognized and that makes it a great job. The really cool thing though is that any Software Engineering role I did here would be just the same. The level of responsibility, the opportunity to innovate and be creative, and the passion of those around you is very motivating.

    • Cathy Tucker – Extreme Blue Manager, UK
      Cathy Tucker

      I joined IBM straight out of uni in 2003. I came from a business degree and I was attracted to the technology industry because of the need for a constant flow of new ideas and inventions to stay ahead of the competition. It’s easy to be passionate about our products because of their potential benefit to our customers.

      I work in our development Lab in Hursley, Hampshire. My first role was as an Information Developer. In this role you are really an intermediary between the people who make our products and our customers, I work with lots of developers and testers to learn about our products and the new functions being implemented in them. It was my job to then create product documentation that enables our customers to get the most from our software. After a couple of years I became the team leader, a really enjoyable role. I got to experience project management and had a great team of professionals to work with and lots of responsibility to challenge me.

      The variety of roles you can do within IBM is pretty mind-blowing, and makes for a really exciting career. Since then I have gone on to work with the students that come to Hursley for internships as part of their university studies. I help them get the best out of their time at IBM; I make sure that they have work that stretches them and that they are learning lots of new skills. There are so many professional and technical skills that will give them a great head start back on campus, it’s really satisfying to see them develop and improve through the year. I also run the Extreme Blue internship program. I help to recruit our students and find exciting projects for them to work on. The best bit is that I get to work with the interns every day of their summer internship.

  • Training & Support

    When you start at Hursley you’ll be welcomed into close-knit community of graduates from recent years. The spirit of this community is particularly evident in the education and training that you’ll receive in your first three weeks: this is organised and run by recent graduates, who know the sort of education that will most benefit and you, because they were in the same position not so long ago.

    The first week welcomes all the new graduates to IBM, helping you to learn about the company, the labs and the people you’ll be working with: from relaxed conversations with recent graduates who work in the department you’ll be going into, to presentations from Executives and Distinguished Engineers. The second week is dedicated to User Centred Design (UCD): through a series of hands-on exercises, you’ll get to experience working with the products you’ll soon be helping to develop, whilst feeding back information (via presentations) on improvements that can be made to the usability of our software. The practical education continues into the third week, which combines presentations about each of the major products at the lab (some given by recent graduates) with afternoon sessions in which you’ll get to apply the knowledge you have acquired by working on practical sessions with these products.

    When the first three weeks are over, you’ll have the chance to request topics for the ongoing monthly education sessions that the Graduate Induction team organises. The hope, of course, is that after seeing the enthusiasm of the current Induction team, and the benefits of having the recent graduate community so closely involved in delivering the education, you’ll then deliver just as strong an Induction for next year’s graduates!

  • Looking for a summer internship?

    Extreme Blue

    If you are thinking about doing a summer internship, how does 12 weeks running your very own micro business in IBM sound? IBM Extreme Blue is no ordinary summer internship. You’ll be part of a project team where you’ll develop the technology and business plan that will bring a new product to life for IBM.

    Ideas for products to develop come from our own employees across all areas of our business. This approach means the projects tackle real issues or make the most out of current and future market opportunities. We’re not afraid of taking risks. Not all products will make it to market, but what’s the point in always playing safe?

    We are looking for top business and technical students. After the 12 weeks are up, you’ll showcase your product to our senior executives, Business Partners and clients.

    But Extreme Blue isn’t for the faint hearted. It’s about pushing boundaries. It’s intense, challenging and tough. The projects are real. They move quickly, expectations are high and the results are subject to scrutiny. However when millions of people around the world are using the product that your team helped develop, you’ll find that all the hard work was worth it.

    Are you up for the challenge?

    To find out more about Extreme Blue and to apply click here

    Don’t forget to check out the Big Blue Brother Diary Room where you can see how the class of 2009 got on during their 12 weeks with us.

  • Interested in working in Dublin?

    IBM Ireland is currently looking for a range of skills that you as a Graduate may be able to fulfil and may wish to be considered for.

    Are you ready to embark on a challenging and rewarding career in the computer software industry? Do you have a passion for technology? IBM’s Dublin Software Laboratory (DSL) is looking for talented, innovative and motivated graduates to join our existing expanding team of grads and professionals. Our expansive product portfolio offers opportunities within technology fields such as web 2.0, social software, high performance computing, Services Oriented Architecture (SOA), Portal development, Developer Application Tools, eLearning and text analytics. Immersed in leading-edge technologies and with strong ties to academia you will continue to learn and contribute to the innovations emerging from the lab. As part of a matrix organization with a strong mentoring ethos you are encouraged to excel within a team that promotes risk taking and rewards success. We offer a defined technical career path, flexible working arrangements and travel opportunities to represent the lab at conferences or customer engagements.

    IBM is a world leader…You can be part of that global team and reach a future beyond your dreams!

    Visit the ‘How to Apply’ section above to apply for one of these roles.

  • Stories and Innovations
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    Updates from Hursley

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    • To find out more about our opportunities and to apply click here
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