Pros: Flexible schedule, free education, plenty of training, and the ability to invent and create software.

Cons: Any software you create while working here is property of IBM. The company is so big that you are just a number. Literally, you are given a serial number and you have to reference this number whenever you contact any departments in the company. There's a clear separation between executive level and non-executive level.

Pros: This internship was a great introduction to a larger, more traditional company. My co-workers were all intelligent people. My boss was good at encouraging and providing continued work with IBM (part-time work during the school year). I was allowed to work overtime and to take time off or work remotely whenever I needed to.

Cons: There was a lack of passion in the work being done. The compensation is average. There were not many opportunities to meet with other interns. There were no company outings or trips. For the most part, I had no opportunities to interact with the people on other teams.

Pros: IBM has a number of projects and initiatives that you can take advantage of outside of your "day job." They reward based on performance, and that has always been a selling point. I had a recent opportunity to participate in the Corporate Services Corps (CSC) program and travel to Senegal for a month to provide free consulting services. I also had an opportunity several years ago to do a three-month assignment in Hursley, England, and work with my product's development team. There are non-travel assignments as well that you can participate in, and the culture for innovation is very much encouraged.

Cons: The downside of working for IBM is changing jobs. It is sometimes very difficult to change jobs within IBM.