IBM

A good place right out of school to learn the ropes and engage with some of the brightest minds in the industry.

Opportunities and pathways can be boundless, offering unlimited potential for getting involved in an area that is of high interest to you or as an avenue for skill growth.

The recent transition to a new performance management system is definitely a very positive step in the right direction, though first-year results are yet to be determined.

Salaries are fairly competitive by geography, especially at career start.

There are a lot of extras that can be taken advantage of, though you will need to seek those out (discounts, education, etc.).

You're merely a number. In such a large corporation, you are surely bound to get lost in the hustle and bustle. This can have an impact across a number of areas, especially compensation. I tend to steer folks away from anything 'services'-related specifically because of this.

If you don't know, it's very easy to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and that can have dire consequences.

A lot of teams are very distributed, which can result in isolation. If your preference is work-at-home, that can work in your favor, but if you enjoy the collaborative aspects, then make sure, before signing on, of the distribution of the team make-up. You could end up deserted in a cube.

While mentioned also as a pro, I'm unsure as to what the new performance management system will bring, especially as it relates to final end-of-year reviews.

Benefits are not nearly as competitive as other companies in the immediate area.

Not so much management advice, but more so to those interested in IBM. It's somewhat difficult to provide a very clear review of IBM due to its size.

There are too many different business units and organizations where one can land that will have drastic impacts on what could be conveyed here. I've tried to be org-neutral in this review.

At the time of writing, the hottest places to be are in anything Watson and in IBM Cloud by way of Bluemix. Very cutting-edge work is going on in those places, and the opportunity for broader industry impact is absolutely huge. Though, with that, I would venture to say that the work/life balance for someone in those areas (or any DevOps as well) would suffer a bit compared to others.

All of the rating areas here are going to be highly subjective based on where the reviewer sits and what unit/team they are aligned with, so it's difficult to have a clear view as to what you're walking into unless someone specifies that. This review is based on the IBM Cloud business unit.