IBM

Work-life balance/integration.

Compensation, excellent benefits.

Looks great on resume.

Good experience.

No micromanaging (!!) I loved this.

I was a mechanical engineer. I liked that I could manage my own work and come and go without a problem (no one was watching me, or the clock, etc.). If I had an appointment, I just blocked off the time on my calendar and went. Vacation time was easy to get, with a very lenient approval process. People with kids were always able to go to important things or even just volunteer in their kids' class. As long as you are meeting deadlines and not really screwing up, they were very flexible. On the flip side, sometimes long hours were necessary.

Stability.

Stress level: Schedules are so aggressive, it makes for a very stressful environment.

Little to no investment in employees' learning.

So many people just waiting for retirement.

If you're an early-career ME, there aren't a lot of options for you; it can be very frustrating. A lot of hardware has already been sold, and there's always a threat that more will be sold, so stability is not good in this area. It's hard to get money for certifications and school—not impossible, but you have to really go after it.

My first line management was awesome. Exec level – tell employees what's going on. If you're going to lay them off, tell them as soon as you know. And the pep rallies are kind of annoying when you just say, "Good job. I know getting that product out was crazy, stressful, ridiculous, but now 2 weeks later it's time to start again at the same clip or faster!"