Mark - Dublin Technical Intern Summer 2006

Can you tell us a little bit about you? (where are you from? what did you study? final year project, etc?)
I'm from Sligo and studied Computer Science and Linguistics in UCD. My final year project was a Sudoku Tutor which was designed to teach people (at any level) how to solve increasingly difficult Sudokus.

Why did you apply for the Extreme Blue internship?
I applied to the Extreme Blue internship as I saw it as an ideal transition between university life and "the real world.” I also saw it as an opportunity to work with cool projects on the edge of technology. As a technical student, I also saw it as an opportunity to see how much the business side of things would influence the project.

How do you think your background and experience prepared you for the internship?
I feel that the best experience I had to prepare me for Extreme Blue was working as part of a team on a Software Engineering Project as part of my degree. I feel this gave me some vital experience for Extreme Blue. The program is about teamwork in order to get the project finished.

What have you learned from your Extreme Blue experience?
The project I was on was based around IP Telephony and, more specifically, XML and image manipulation in jsp and Java. Having little prior practical experience in either of these aspects, I felt I expanded my programming ability. I also learned that although a lot of ideas you may have for technology, may not necessarily make business sense.

Is there anything about the Extreme Blue program that surprised you?
The main thing that surprised me about the Extreme Blue program was the support available to each student. This support was always available; you didn't feel you were interrupting or annoying anyone by asking them to explain something (whether it be project or career orientated).

Would you recommend the program to other students and why?
I would recommend the program to other students as it is the ideal position for any graduate to be in. It leaves your options open for after the Summer whether it be to continue in IBM or to continue your education. You also make excellent contacts in IBM.

Is there something you wish you had known ahead of time? What other advice can you offer future interviewees?
I think that I knew all I needed to know before starting the program, apart from where the Extreme Blue Expo was at the end of the Summer! One thing that may have been useful to know might be the layout of IBM (i.e. all the businesses and how they interact) and what types of positions might be available to each student at the end of the Summer.