Pros
IBM offers employees a solid brand name, ample benefits, and compensates managers well. There are many smart people, with a positive overall culture. Employees and managers enjoy helping each other, and IBM can be a great place to develop your skills and become a stronger person. Don't confuse personal development with career opportunities, though.
Cons
Raises are rare and bonuses small, so either negotiate a high salary before being hired, or expect to be underpaid for some time. A bloated, bureaucratic management structure weighs down the whole organization, so innovation comes slowly and way behind most of the marketplace. All aspects of work at IBM are process-driven, so expect mountains of rules and documentation that frequently confound common sense. Probably the worst thing about IBM is the employee rating system. You are assigned your rating in a group meeting with all first and second line managers, and there is literally no objective criteria built in to the process. To be rated well, you must be very good at managing relationships with your manager and his peers. The people who thrive are frequently not the top contributors, but the ones who self-promote and manage perceptions well. IBM enforces a brutal ratings curve on the first and second line managers, so if you are not the leader of the pack, do not expect raises or promotions. You may or may not have job security, depending on the year.
