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ISV Partner Specialist- Entry Level Sales Program 2026 (Intern)

IBM

IBM

Sales & Business Development
Markham, ON, Canada
Posted on Oct 28, 2025
Introduction

Are you ready to start your career in technology sales with one of the world’s most innovative companies? IBM’s Ecosystem team is looking for a Sales Intern to join our mission of identifying and engaging Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) who can embed IBM Software into their commercial solutions, an initiative known as Build with IBM.

As an ISV Partner Specialist Intern, you’ll be introduced to the world of B2B sales, partner engagement, and solution selling. You’ll work alongside experienced professionals, receive hands-on training, and contribute to real business outcomes, all while developing the skills of a sales hunter.

Your role and responsibilities

What You’ll Learn and Do

Sales Prospecting & Lead Support

  • Learn how to identify potential ISV partners through digital research, events, and inbound marketing leads.
  • Assist in early-stage outreach and qualification of leads, helping to build IBM’s partner pipeline.

Solution Selling Fundamentals

  • Gain exposure to IBM’s consultative sales approach and learn how to align technology solutions with business needs.
  • Support the creation of basic business cases and value propositions for partner engagements.

Partner Engagement & Collaboration

  • Participate in meetings with IBM technical teams and partners to observe co-creation sessions and solution development.
  • Help coordinate activities with Partner Technical Specialists and Build Lab engineers.

Sales Tools & CRM Training

  • Get hands-on experience with IBM Sales Cloud (ISC) and other CRM tools to track partner interactions and manage data.
  • Assist with reporting and pipeline hygiene to support sales forecasting and territory planning.

Professional Communication & Relationship Building

  • Write outreach messages, preparing meeting notes, and communicating with internal stakeholders.
  • Develop confidence in engaging with professionals across IBM and its partner network.
Required education
High School Diploma/GED
Preferred education
Bachelor's Degree
Required technical and professional expertise

Who You Are

  • A Fast Learner: You have an aptitude for sales, technology, and how businesses grow through partnerships.
  • Digitally Savvy: Comfortable using online tools, researching companies, and communicating through digital channels.
  • Proactive & Organized: You take initiative, manage your time well, and enjoy contributing to team goals.
  • Collaborative: You work well with others and are open to feedback and mentorship.
  • Adaptable: You’re flexible and ready to learn in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Preferred technical and professional experience
  • Currently enrolled in a business, marketing, technology, or related undergraduate program.
  • Interest in software, cloud computing, AI, or digital transformation.
  • Previous internship or project experience in sales, marketing, or customer engagement is a plus (but not required)

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM has a global presence, operating in more than 175 countries with a broad-based geographic distribution of revenue. The company’s Global Markets organization is a strategic sales business unit that manages IBM’s global footprint, working closely with dedicated country-based operating units to serve clients locally. These country teams have client relationship managers who lead integrated teams of consultants, solution specialists and delivery professionals to enable clients’ growth and innovation. By complementing local expertise with global experience and digital capabilities, IBM builds deep and broad-based client relationships. This local management focus fosters speed in supporting clients, addressing new markets and making investments in emerging opportunities. Additionally, the Global Markets organization serves clients with expertise in their industry as well as through the products and services that IBM and partners supply. IBM is also expanding its reach to new and existing clients through digital marketplaces.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

Must have the ability to work in Canada without sponsorship.

This role will involve working with technology that is covered by Export Regulations sanctions. If you are a Foreign National from any of the following US sanctioned countries (Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhia regions of Ukraine) on a work permit, you are not eligible for employment in this position.

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