Pros
You get to work in an energized environment with a lot of very smart people. The projects actually go out to customers that provide us with feedback and gives you the drive to continually improve your design(s). Even if you are an engineer, you directly impact the bottom line no matter where you are on the totem pole. It's a fun place to be if you get on projects that are highly visible by upper management, otherwise, it can get pretty boring fast.
Cons
Management tends to not recognize high achievers in their immediate areas, and in some cases even promotes/awards the slackers. Projects that are funded can suddenly not be funded and the reasons aren't provided to the workers. Since the downturn in the economy, raises/bonuses have been weak and/or non-existent in most cases to the employees, but the management is tied to the stock, so they've been making out pretty nicely! Also, with IBM being a global company as they promote all over the place, all that means is that they are growing our BRIC share (Brazil, Russia, India, China) geographies while getting rid of American employees. Granted, this is a capitalist society, it's just sad to see all the expertise and quality control slip away to these emerging countries.
