I applied in mid-December 2014 and completed an aptitude test at the start of January. I was invited to the assessment centre at Hursley at the end of January.

The day consisted of:

• A logic/reasoning exam
• A few group exercises
• A group interview
• Two one-on-one interviews
• A presentation that I had to prepare beforehand.

There was plenty of time to mingle with other applicants in between sessions.

The first group exercise was one of those '5 houses, 5 people, 5 pets, 5 house colours, 5 hobbies' puzzles. Sentences provided basic information, leaving us to complete the rest.

In the second exercise, we were each given a 'zany' product, like chocolate teapots or umbrellas for dogs, with descriptions and pictures. We had to discuss our thoughts with each other, pick a product, and pitch it to the invigilators.

The group interview involved one interviewer and three interviewees. The interviewer would start with a scenario, asking the first person for their thoughts, possible risks, or solutions. Then, the interviewer would move to the next person, ask if they had anything else to add, and then add a bit more to the scenario before asking again. This was repeated three times with different scenarios, so each person had a chance to start.

The first interview focused on my technical knowledge, and the second was a very casual 'getting to know you' interview.

The presentation was on 'why I want to work for IBM'. I sat next to the interviewer, with a laptop on the table. I flicked through the slides and went through my points.

What are your thoughts on Object-Oriented Programming?

What's your life story? (Prompted, I believe, by my talking about growing up with computers in my cover letter.)

Hobbies? Interests? Pets?