It can be difficult to pinpoint IBM’s area of specialization because the tech company excels in so many areas. IBM has been around for so long that it seems to have been involved in nearly every significant technological advancement of the last century.
If you’re interested in being a part of these developments, you should consider pursuing a career at IBM. You might be thinking this sounds tricky, and you’d be correct. However, it is possible. Let’s discover the types of IBM careers available and how you can get a job at IBM by writing a successful application.
The good news is that there is something for everyone at IBM. Whether you are an aspiring data scientist or computer programmer, IBM will have a place for your skills.
IBM: Company Background
IBM, or International Business Machines Corporation, is over a century old. As such, IBM has been around for some tremendous leaps in technology, software, hardware, and electronics.
After starting out by patenting impressive electronic gadgets and industrial machinery, IBM soon transformed into the company it is today. Its activities now run the gamut from helping cure diseases to predicting weather to cleaning oceans.
Today, IBM is one of the world’s leading tech giants. In 2019, its total revenue for the year was $77.1 billion.
What’s It Like to Work at IBM?
Whether you are employed full-time or through an IBM apprenticeship, IBM is way more than just computers. Although that’s how the company made its name, it has since branched out into everything from sales to community outreach. Below, we’ll take a look at what it’s like to work at IBM.
Innovation and Collaboration
It probably comes as no surprise that IBM fosters innovation and technological advancement. In turn, that support for innovation helps lead to a workplace culture of openness, collaboration, and trust.
At IBM you will be working alongside other extremely talented employees and developing new ways to view the world. This could involve learning about artificial intelligence or creating new UX/UI designs for IBM software.
A Culture of Diversity
If inclusiveness is a priority for you, then IBM might be a good fit, as the company places an emphasis on diversity. The tech giant wants to ensure that all of its employees feel comfortable and have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or beliefs. Below are some stats on IBM’s employees:
- 87% of IBM employees say they feel they can be themselves at work.
- 15% of IBM’s new hires in the US last year came from nontraditional backgrounds.
- 41.8% of those promoted to executive positions last year were women.
IBM isn’t just paying lip service to ideas of social equality. Over the past year, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and fight for racial justice, CEO Arvind Krishna stated:
“As we fight one pandemic of global disease, we cannot lose sight of the fact that another pandemic of racial injustice is deeply afflicting our communities. We have a responsibility to confront the dangers and inequalities exposed by these threats.”
IBM is one of the most prominent companies leading the charge to ensure diversity in the workplace.
Skills That Never Go Out of Style
Learning to code and build attractive UX designs can open many doors. These hard skills are of the utmost importance at a company like IBM, where the learning never truly stops. Employees are required to continually learn and experiment. The tech corporation has made a name for itself by hiring employees who are the very best in their field.
Whether you are working as a consultant, sales associate, or a project team leader, you will need to be genuinely talented to be able to contribute to the company’s technological advancements.
Getting a Job at IBM
Now that you know more about why IBM has become so successful, it’s time to see how the company could help your career growth. Let’s dig a little deeper to see how difficult it is to land a job at the tech leader by reviewing its application and interview processes.
How Hard Is It to Land a Job at IBM?
It is very difficult. IBM wouldn’t be the company it is today without strict hiring standards. IBM requires that its employees have a combination of innovation and raw skill. That means that some of the best and brightest apply for openings at the company.
Applying for a Job at IBM
Luckily, the application process at IBM is pretty straightforward. Let’s take a look at the steps you should take to apply and how you can prepare for the interviews.
IBM Application and Interview Process
Before you apply to a prominent corporation like IBM, you should make sure your resume is up-to-date. Include all of your relevant skills and credentials, whether they are related to software or business acumen.
Like with any job application, after you decide which position you are interested in, you can apply online. It is crucial that you edit and refine your resume before submitting it, otherwise you will not make it to the next step. IBM has professional resume screeners who will compare your resume with the specific position you are applying to, so make sure you have included all of the proper hard and soft skills listed in the job posting.
If you get tapped for an interview, you may also have to take online assessments. These are used to glean information about your personality before the formal job interview. These tests may be related to your cognitive abilities, coding skills, or English language proficiency.
If you pass these fairly standard tests, you will be contacted for an interview. At this point, you must make sure you have researched the position you have applied for, and the company at large. During your interview, you can impress the hiring managers with your knowledge of your field, and how IBM can help you fulfill your professional goals.
The content and format of these interviews can vary greatly. Sometimes, a candidate may go through multiple phone interviews. Others may only get interviewed once by a panel of IBM hiring managers. These managers will base their discussion on a regularly updated list of behavioral interview questions.
If you pull off the interview, IBM will keep you in the loop. All you have to do now is wait for a callback.
IBM Career Opportunities: Job Titles and Descriptions
We highly recommend that you join the IBM network if you want to stay updated on future job opportunities at the company. As recruiting and hiring cycles will ebb and flow, this is the best way to keep track of any upcoming networking events and career opportunities that match your interests.
You can also connect with the company via its blog and social media profiles, as well as on job websites such as Glassdoor.
Below, we’ll take a look at some common jobs at IBM to help you get a better idea of what the tech leader expects of its workers.
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IBM Consultant
- Salary: $91,239
- Benefits: 401(k), health insurance
- Level: Entry level
- Required education: College degree in business or finance
IBM consultants have a wide range of responsibilities. This is the perfect entry-level position for someone who wants to land a job at IBM without going through extensive schooling. Consultants work intimately with clients to solve problems with innovative solutions. An IBM consultant position is also a great way to increase your future career opportunities.
The company hires many types of consultants, such as application consultants, business transformation consultants, package consultants, security consultants, and strategy consultants.
IBM Data Scientist
- Salary: $55,000 – $210,000
- Benefits: 401(k), health insurance
- Level: Entry level
- Required education: College degree in computer science or technical field
IBM’s data scientists must sort out relevant information from large data sets. Data scientists spend their time forming easily digestible pictures using information. They work directly with other industry professionals, offering them insight, support, and advice on business and technology decisions.
IBM Designer
- Salary: $45,000 – $120,000
- Benefits: 401(k), health insurance
- Level: Entry level
- Required experience: Design experience
- Required education: College degree in art, design, or communications
IBM designers aren’t sequestered in a room far away from other teams in the office. Instead, UI/UX designers work right alongside the departments they have been assigned to assist. This gives their designs a more cohesive feel, and removes any frustration that can come from lack of communication.
The IBM design team is all about openness, collaboration, and teamwork. This ethic encourages the designers to succeed.
IBM Machine Learning Engineer
- Salary: $111,869
- Benefits: Health care, parental leave, flex spending
- Level: Senior level
- Required experience: Extensive work with AI, computer science
- Required education: College degree in computer science or a related field
This is where IBM truly shines. The supercomputer Deep Blue, developed by the all-star team in IBM’s artificial intelligence wing, went up against chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov and won. That’s the magic of machine learning.
The AI department at IBM is at the cutting edge of technological advancements. If you love artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, there is no better company than IBM to work for.
What Does It Take to Get a Job at IBM?
Whether you are a data analyst, software engineer, or a web developer, working at IBM can offer lucrative and impressive opportunities that aren’t available elsewhere.
IBM and the technology it develops are ever-evolving. To succeed, you will likely need multiple college degrees and a strong skill set related to the position you are applying for.
If you are looking for a job that will allow you to thrive in an inclusive, collaborative, and innovative environment, then this is the tech giant for you. Working at a company like IBM can be life-changing, so if you have the credentials and the drive, why not give it a shot?
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
