Applications Developer • Former Employee
Pros: Pros:
1. Global Clients
2. Flexible work environment
3. Brand Value (That's for IBM of yesteryear's)
Cons: Worked with IBM for more than 3 years, and it was a tough learning curve. The following captures the gist of those swings:
1. Absent HR teams. Project assignment is in the hands of so-called RDMs, who aren't competent enough. They will work from their homes and transfer you to multiple cities without giving a second thought. Business is agile these days, agreed, but that doesn't mean you have a license to throw anyone anywhere.
2. Poor paymaster and increments are something IBM'ers would avoid discussing even before their loved ones. Taking into account inflationary pressures, guys are moving in the reverse direction as far as pay is concerned.
3. MS Office is a luxury. Just 10-15% of people on a project get MS Office on their machines. What's default in the outside world becomes a luxury in IBM. These measures can go up to the pantry and washrooms.
4. Legacy management in the last stint of their careers. These guys have assumed roles of People Manager, Delivery Manager, Auditor, and Trainer and try to stay afloat on the efforts of their new hires. You won't feel any excitement or anticipation working with them, considering the fact that technology is evolving at a fast pace.
5. Your career in IBM will end up striking an uneasy balance between terms like utilization, billing, People Manager, and RDMs. These topics shouldn't matter a lot, at least in initial pay bands.
6. Ratings are fun to keep everyone busy during Christmas holidays :).
7. The company is US-driven (that's fine), but IBM India is a mere supplier of flesh and bones to claim client billings. No value add (apart from sweat and destroyed aspirations).