My name is Brannon Courtney and I am a senior at the University of South Carolina majoring in Integrated Information Technology (iIT). My internship this summer is with the IBM Technical Exploration Center (TEC) in Chicago, IL. At IBM I am a Technical Sales Specialist Intern for the software and distribution entity of the company. With that said, I help the TEC prepare and facilitate various presentations that IBM’ers are presenting to their clients. These presentations can consist of proof of concepts (software demos) or proof of technology (hardware demos). A lot of preparation and organization goes into these presentations before the client even arrives.
Helping with the preparation for the presentations, on an average day, I assist with deploying images to computers that will be used during the demonstrations throughout multiple classrooms. Throughout the day I work on some of my short- and long-term projects that include collaborating with other interns at other TECs around the US, and a few other individual assignments. This summer there were a couple of presentations in which the interns had to present to the IBM Summit Managers, a few business clients, and before the end of the summer, I will present one final time about my internship experience as a whole.
Information Technology has always been one of my passions, since I could remember. I have had numerous internships since high school centered on IT and every internship has had me recall my experiences from before and apply it to the current, whether it is to fix a problem or help me think outside the box. The idea that I can do what I love and get paid for it is a huge factor in why I love IT and the many opportunities that are available.
When I graduate from USC this December, I hope to join a company that has a strong IT presence, a growing future and one where I can make a difference. Whether it is in South Carolina, the US, or overseas, I’m sure that I will find the right place for me to continue to do what I love most and ideally, travel the world. My long-term goal is to become the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of a strong standing company with a bright future – where, again, I can make a difference.
This summer at IBM has proven to be a great opportunity and I encourage everyone to work hard and take advantage of what is out there, and most importantly – overcome adversity and have fun!