Alumni features

Molly - La Gaude Intern
Summer 2003

Currently completing her master's at the EDHEC Business School in France, Molly's decision to become a 2003 Extreme Blue™ intern is a great way to add an important aspect of commercial knowledge to the scientific background she's already developed through her bachelor's in biology. According to Molly, her experience with the Extreme Blue program has deepened her appreciation of the marriage of these two fields even more.

"My choice to pursue a career in marketing was really confirmed by my Extreme Blue experience," says Molly. "Not only am I getting the opportunity to work with extremely talented people, but I'm learning how product management is carried out in a large, international company."

Molly's role on the project team was to manage all of the business aspects of the application and act as project manager for the team of four.

"The skills I've gained while working on this project have spanned both business and technical understanding," she says. "It was essential for me to learn the technical specifications of our applications in order to build the marketing plan and carry out the customer interface aspect. In addition, the hands-on experience in managing the sequence of steps taken for marketing our application has been invaluable."

In handling the business aspects of the development of our application, Molly says she's also enhanced some personal skills such as independence, persistence and rigor.

"As the sole person in my role, I've had to work and problem-solve unaccompanied and under my own motivation," Molly adds. "Although the goal was clearly defined for me on the outset, the path to carrying out the necessary steps was left to my discretion. I have appreciated this level of autonomy as well as the support I have had access to when needed. As project manager of our group, I've gained the skills necessary to handle the daily running from start to finish of a project. I have also seen the positive results from my efforts to maintain the motivation and focus of the group throughout the project. I really found this side of my role challenging and rewarding, and I think it's something I'd like to eventually continue in my future positions."

Q: How was Extreme Blue internship experience overall for you?

My summer internship with Extreme Blue has been a fascinating experience. Within the context of a single internship period, I had the chance to follow the development of a real solution from start to finish and create the business plan and explore the route-to-market surrounding our tool. It is a big task to produce a working demo of a solution within the span of three months, but once the team put their heads together--and with the support of the mentors--the objective became surmountable. I enjoyed and appreciated the well-rounded business training that I received through this program

Q: How did you relate to your mentor(s)?

We were lucky to have some great mentors. They provided us with guidance and valuable input without trying to control our approach to completing the project. Despite their own workload, they were always happy to give us their time for any questions or further explanations, and we've really appreciated that. They encouraged periodic check-point meetings which really helped us keep track of where we stand in comparison to where we need to finish. This gave us incredible insight to how project management is really handled in a true, day-to-day sense.

Q: Was this networking valuable for you? Why?

Right from the start, the Extreme Blue program was about networking and meeting very interesting people that are important in their field. I would say that other than the hands-on learning, the networking was the most beneficial aspect of the experience. In this economic climate and as a job-seeker, I need to make as many contacts as possible, and this has been the perfect opportunity for me to do this. By talking to managers in my field, learning about what they are working on and having them learn about my work, I'll have a stronger profile and increased visibility at IBM. It's also allowed me to explore the various career possibilities within my field.

Q: Comment on how Extreme Blue internship compared to other internship programs you've heard about or been involved with.

I've done other internships and the difference between those and my Extreme Blue internship is huge. For example, in my previous placements, my role was much more of a supporting function and my tasks were centered around administrative responsibilities--often spanning more than one area. Although mine was a business position at a Fortune 500 firm, I was not given nearly as much responsibility and hands-on experience as in my role in the Extreme Blue program. The culminating expo that we will attend in Böblingen has been very well organized and has served as a motivating goal for us from day one. Overall, the Extreme Blue experience has been one that more closely resembles working in the real world compared with other programs that I have been involved with.

Q: Were you impressed with your Extreme Blue peers?

Within a team of four, I'm the business student while my three colleagues work on the technical development of our application. Without a technical background, I've appreciated their aptitude and their level of dedication. This placement was important to them, and I could see them working hard to make the most of it. As they are undergraduates and came with no previous work experience, I've seen them develop a sense of working in the real world. I've also been impressed by the talent of my business peers. We've had several telephone conference calls together during each of which I have learned something new from them, making it a very enriching experience for me.

Q: What are your future plans?

After finishing my internship at the end of September, I'll take a month to write my master's thesis, then I'll begin to look for a full-time job. My goal is to work in marketing or product management and continue my positive experience at IBM. I feel confident that a job opportunity will arise thanks to my experience here in the IBM Extreme Blue program.