The IBM interview process is inconsistent; some departments are very thorough, while others are ad-hoc.

Departments that are hiring a lot tend to have a well-defined process. Those hiring for an occasional backfill may not be as skilled at assessing your abilities or even following up once a decision is reached.

You could find yourself interviewing with just one manager, or a manager and a developer (separately), or up to five to six interviews.

Remember, the more interviews you have, the more thoroughly you are being assessed, which indicates the offer will be a good match. If you receive an offer after only one interview, don't expect it to be the best job.

In general, you shouldn't look to past interview experience or questions asked during interviews, because every interviewer is looking for something different.

Read the job description and figure out what key skills they are looking for, then brush up on those skills.

Be prepared to explain why you want to work for their company and why you want to do the specific work they do.

Even though most people just want a fun and well-paying job, interviewers want validation that what they do is better than everyone else. So, you have to toe the line and say you really want to do what they do.