Associate Strategy Consultant

IBM; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM is offering an Associate Program for university hires in Chicago to build a compelling portfolio, acquire new skills, and gain insights across industries.

As an Associate, you’ll participate in structured learning, coaching, and mentorship while exploring multiple consulting domains and opportunities for full-time progression based on performance.

Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate across teams.
• Growth mindset and willingness to learn new skills.
• Demonstrated leadership and effective communication.
• Interest in one or more consulting domains (strategy, application, business transformation, or experience).
• Willingness to travel up to 100%.

Responsibilities

• Market dynamics research and collaboration with teams on strategy.
• Support operational improvement to enhance client experience and efficiency.
• Assist workshops and interviews to document requirements across teams.
• Shadow product teams and contribute to data analytics and cloud projects.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Growth mindset

Leadership

Consulting interest

Willingness to travel

Education

Computer Science

MIS/IT

Computer Engineering

Data Science

Software Engineering

Tools

JavaScript

HTML

XML

SQL

Job description

Introduction

Come forge the future like an IBMer

Ready to think boldly, work with some of the world's most recognized brands, andkick-start your career?Welcome to the IBM's Associate Program for universityhires.

From day one, you'll collaborate with global clients and contribute to projects that help organizations solve their toughest challenges across digital transformation, cloud strategy, AI adoption, and process redesign - working alongside a global cohort of diverse, ambitious peers. As an Associate, you'll have access to industry-recognized certifications, digital badges, and a minimum of 40 hours of structured learning per year on IBM's AI-driven learning platform - supported by coaches, mentors, and thriving professional communities across practices. IBM's culture of internal mobility means you'll have the freedom to explore new technologies, industries, and career paths as your interests evolve.

Bring your curiosity. Grow your skills. Build what's next -like an IBMer.

To give yourself the best opportunity for success, we advise applying only to roles that align with your skills and experience, rather than applying broadly across all entry-level positions. You’ll receive a status update email for each application, so be sure to check your IBM Careers account regularly — it’s the best way to get a centralized view of which roles you have active applications against.

Your Role And Responsibilities

This roleprovidesan exceptional opportunity to build a compelling portfolio,acquirenew skills, gain insights into diverse industries, and embrace novel challenges for your future career.

At IBM, we prioritize continuous learning, skill development, and personal growth within a culture of coaching and mentorship. As an intern,you'llexperience this culture and could advance to our full-time Associates program based on results and performance.

Work experiences you could be exposed to:

• Market Dynamics:Immersing yourself in primary research and collaborate with dynamic teamsassistingclients in navigating market trends and refiningcompetitive strategies.


• Operational Excellence:Support operational improvement by designing models for a seamless client experience, contributing to heightened efficiency and effectiveness in operational processes.


• Stakeholder Engagement:Support workshops, meetings, and interviews to understand and document requirements collaborating with diverse teams tocapture and synthesizing essential information.


• Project Exposure:Gain hands on experience shadowing product teams and enterprise-wide data integrations. Contribute to data analytics assessments and activelyparticipatein cloud migration and system implementations across major platforms.

Preferred Education

Bachelor's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Strong interpersonal skills that enhance collaboration and relationship building, while also managing dynamic workloads in an agile environment.


• Have initiative and passion to actively seek new knowledge and improve skills while embracing a growth mindset to assimilate diverse viewpoints.


• Demonstrate leadership experience and ability to communicate effectively through active listening; while also be willing to adapt and have a readiness to take ownership of tasks and challenges.


• Interest in one or more of the following types of consulting: strategy, application, business transformation, or experience.


• Willingness to travel up to 100%.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Preferred majors: Computer Science, MIS/IT, Computer Engineering, DataScience, SW Engineering,or related fields.


• Can understand clients' needs and challenges, applying a creative and logical approach toidentifysolutions.


• Demonstratefoundational quantitative analysis skills and ability to develop data driven recommendations.


• Exposure to one of the following programming technologies (e.g., JavaScript, HTML, XML, SQL) is a plus.


• Exposure to Cloud native projects (academic, personal, or internship count); Agileways of working (ambiguousrequirements, evolving scope);Programming (read, debug, and explain code).


• Exposure to cloud and AI concepts such as Azure services, data platforms, security, and AI models through coursework, labs, internships, or personalprojects, with a willingness to keep learning.