I applied through a staffing agency. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at IBM (Indi, Karnataka) in Apr 2014
Interview
ost IBM interviews are competency-based, focusing on the candidate’s past history and motivation for applying. The most important interview preparation you can do is to think of examples of how you have demonstrated each of the company’s eight core competencies:
adaptability
client focus
communication skills
creative problem solving
drive
passion for IBM
taking ownership
teamwork
Examples don’t necessarily need to be work-related; you could consider your academic work, as well as anything else you do in your spare time, such as voluntary work, involvement in clubs or societies, travel, hobbies or sporting activities. Come up with two or three for each competency.
IBM’s graduate website has more detail as to what each competency means. Also take a look at ‘Gwenyth’s Mind Map’, in which an IBM campus attraction manager outlines how she used her own experiences to land a graduate job at IBM, despite not having an internship or anything similar on her CV.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What do you know about IBM?
Why do you want to work for us?
Tell me one thing that IBM has done recently that has impressed you.
What is IBM's current stock price?
Who is the CEO?
Who are our main competitors?
Why are you applying to this role?
Why should we pick you?
What was the most challenging part of your previous job?
How did you deal with this?
What would you do if you won a million pounds?
Is there anything else you'd like us to know?
What is your approach to leadership?
How many petrol stations are there in the UK?
Tell me about a time when you solved a problem creatively?
Give examples from your own experiences which show your leadership and initiative skills.
How do you feel about having a job which requires you to travel frequently?
How do you feel about having a job that requires you to spend a lot of time away from home?
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at IBM (Dublín, Dublín) in Apr 2016
Interview
I applied on line and within 2 weeks I was contacted over the phone to discuss my reasons for applying. It was a 3 stage interview. 1 onsite, 1 over skype and 1 over the phone. Feedback was over the phone one month after the initial contact with the recruiter.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a typical Saturday when I was a young boy
I applied online. The process took 6 months. I interviewed at IBM
Interview
The entire process from resume submission until I received an offer letter took almost 6 months. No pre-screening - my first interview was with a portfolio manager, the following one with the manager. Both very professional.
I was invited to the orientation session with a minimal lead time (1-2 business days) where air travel was required. The orientation session was totally useless (waste of time). The only benefit of it was to get a laptop, a badge, and to provide required documents.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
I was hit by questions including terminology commonly used at IBM. Especially abbreviations.