Pros: Brand and company are great to have on your resume. Everyone knows Big Blue.

Cons: Innovation in the company is less and less; the focus is shifting more and more to cater to Wall Street. The days of IBM being a company of thinkers and great innovators is long gone. For employees, especially American-based, every day is lived in fear that today will be your last. Raises and bonuses, even for top performers, are below standards, if even given at all. Negotiate up front only. Newer employees from outside have remotely competitive base salaries. Once in, be prepared to live with that salary regardless of duties, position, or band prerequisites. If cost of living and above-average performance combined is worth 1 or 2% a year, then this is the place for you.

Pros: There are so many smart people and talents inside IBM. The working environment is very flexible, as long as you complete the work with quality. The work-from-home policy is very helpful for people with families, though the home connection is sometimes not so good. The managers are also very flexible and understanding (of course, you need to meet such a manager; I haven't met a manager who is sales-style in software development work). Every year, we can hear that IBM has so many patents and so many achievements, so I will feel proud of being part of this company.

Cons: The company is just too big. I feel I have little chance to know a better picture of the company. It might need to take 7-10 years to really understand how IBM as a whole company works. That leads to confusion about company strategy. The upper management often talk about strategy, but as a bottom developer, I cannot really feel it is being executed. We are just doing the way we did before; change is very slow. There are too many people giving their opinions, and in the end, progress is made after a lot of meetings. Also, the patent application process is a bit abused. Sometimes, some people are not doing patent for passion or interest but for promotion. But as I heard from some colleagues, in the US, this process is much healthier. I also feel we have too many products. As an IBMer, I'm also often confused. Microsoft has been moving very fast to reinvent itself. Now IBM needs to catch up.

Pros: Best place to work. They have flexible working hours.

Cons: IBM is probably one of the best places to work. I can't think of any cons.