Summit Training

Recently, I traveled to Armonk for Summit Program training. I spent a few days meeting my peer IT Architects as well the other Summit attendees which included sales representatives, client representatives, and brand specialists. The training was a phenomenal introduction into the culture at IBM. Understanding where the company came from and what adversities that IBM has overcame turned out to be extremely invigorating. Furthermore, most companies don't zero-in on their financial statements when bringing new hires into the company. However, IBM wanted to focus our attention on what direction the company is attempting to head in. While every single cog within IBM is essential to the entire unit operating seamlessly, we were presented with knowledge of what industries and sectors the future of computing and services resides in.

One interesting part of this experience was taking a tour through the IBM headquarters. It was mesmerizing to see how the company has evolved over the past one hundred years. Viewing some of the first envelope sorters, the first type writers, the personal computer, the system 360 is indescribable. Only pictures of these inventions can delineate how captivating these machines were. Furthermore, the illusive history of IBM will show us where the next hundred years will take the computing world. Not to mention, I had the chance to snap a once in a career photo along the way.

However, I am leaving out one of the best parts of the Summit training program -- the people! The other architects that I am working with are incredible and outstanding people. They all come from technical backgrounds, but are social, fun, and energizing to be around. I know that our architect class will accomplish great feats in the future. We can leverage our backgrounds and experiences to better improve ourselves and push each other to reach new heights.

Not only were the architects motivated individuals, but the atmosphere of combining the technical architects with the sales people of the Summit program was astounding. As architects, we received a glimpse into the minds of successful people that are excellent at inspiring others. The social energy that the sales group brought with them encourages me to not only remain technically competent, but also to enhance my social skills at every opportunity so that I can become a well rounded individual. 

I wore a suit everyday, but I enjoy dressing up. I was glad to be surrounded by other like minded people who are intelligent, technically sound, and personable. I will be looking forward to meeting up with my section of trainees as we head to Raleigh next month for Global Sales School training. It is an exciting time to be an IBMer.