Consulting by Degrees FAQs

Transcription

1 Consulting by Degrees FAQs What is Consulting by Degrees about? Consulting by Degrees is IBM s entry-level and development program for Global Business Services! Consulting by Degrees is designed to provide top entry-level Graduates with the full-spectrum of structured training, development and practical experience necessary to successfully launch and accelerate your career in consulting business. You join a community of talented consultants and contribute to a dynamic team environment You leverage the expertise and intellectual property of IBM s consulting business You help top-tier clients to solve their business and technical issues You take the opportunity to do challenging, exciting work in many different areas - from strategy consulting and application services to business analytics and optimization. You benefit from personalised career planning and mentoring You gain consulting and leadership skills through a defined education path How to apply? The first step in IBM's application process is to take an online test. The test assesses problem solving and rapid learning skills. If you pass the test we will invite you for interviews. Applications for the Graduate program are accepted online: ibm.com/employment/emea/cee-graduates Please apply with your complete set of documents (CV, motivation letter, bachelor/master certificate).

2 What s the Training Like? Throughout the program, you ll benefit from continuous on-the-job learning and mentorship from your Consulting by Degrees Manager, your local Buddy and Project Managers. You ll also have a tailored education plan with both required and optional courses that will act as building blocks to developing your expertise and promotion to the next level. You are offered the guidance and tools you need to build core consulting capabilities and accelerate your career. Within CbD career development is broken into four six-month quadrants. Each quadrant focuses on specific objectives and includes a blend of classroom education and developmental project assignments. To gain broad experience and develop broad consulting skills you will work on a diverse range of client projects from the beginning. As you enter the 2nd year of the program, you ll work with your manager to develop a path to a speciality area.

3 How do the project assignments look like? Is it possible to work on projects abroad? How much will I travel? As participant of Consulting by Degrees you are assigned to shorter-term engagements across different sectors and service lines to provide you with diverse experience and development opportunities. In general you'll work on globally integrated teams delivering solutions for our clients from your home country. Depending on business opportunities you might as well be assigned to projects abroad. Be prepared to travel Monday - Thursday, and Fridays as needed. Your travel will always vary based on your current project, and there is possibility of being assigned to a local project in your core location, but as a rule, expect to travel! How will I be assigned to clients? There are several ways to be assigned to a project: Your Consulting by Degrees Manager works with Practice Leaders, Project Managers and Resource & Capacity Management team to identify available roles You will be considered for these roles based on availability and timing, required skills, your career goals and development needs, your location, etc. Working on proposals can have an influence on you being selected for roles In many cases Consulting by Degrees resources identify additional needs on projects and bring in other Consulting by Degrees resources You will also have access to professional marketplace to identify potential opportunities yourself and review them with your manager Networking with Partners / Managers in your office can also generate assignment opportunities for you.

4 How will I spend my time? You will spend the majority of your time on client work. Between assignments you may also be involved in practice building tasks such as proposals and other initiatives. You ll also join your peers for development and collaboration activities in your GBS Core Location on Friday s as available as well as participating in recruiting events to ensure we bring the best and brightest on board.. And anytime that you are not staffed on projects, you ll should plan to work from your local IBM office. Whom can I ask for help? You ll work with your Consulting by Degrees Manager for deployment and development, with your Local Card Holder for approvals per local procedures, terms and conditions, with Project Managers for guidance at the client site, with Executives for mentorship and with a Local Focal and Local Buddy to help you integrate into your local IBM GBS community. The Consulting by Degrees community itself will be a great resource for you, as there are many others who will likely have been in similar situations like you. Can I choose my specialty? You can strongly influence vs. choose, depending on business needs. You will work with your Consulting by Degrees Manager throughout the program to identify your areas of interest and chart your career development goals. Your manager will employ these directional goals in deploying you as opportunities arise. But it is important to remain flexible as you work through your development plan and take advantage of all opportunities to gain exposure and broaden your skills. Flexibility and adaptability are core competencies of all successful consultants. As you work toward specialization, your manager will work towards finding the best fit that meets the needs of both, you and IBM GBS.

5 How does the consulting career path look like at IBM? There are four primary career paths in IBM Global Business Services: Consulting Practitioners can progress their careers by acquiring breadth and depth in multiple capabilities. Strong management experience is required to progress to the Executive level. Consultant Senior Consultant Managing Consultant Senior Managing Consultant Executive Consultants and Associate Partners Partner Progressing from one level to another is based on opportunity, aptitude, experience and demonstrated capabilities.