IBM

If you find a position right for you on a team that is in one of IBM's core businesses, you'll probably be happy. There are lots of good people in "Big Blue," some of whom are extremely well connected in global terms, opening doors to potential opportunities. Strong work and leadership are likely to be recognized, leveraged, and, in time, rewarded. Size and stability can raise security, which is especially useful for people with families or other long-term responsibilities. There are a broad range of businesses and roles; lateral moves into areas of preference or growth are quite possible.

The company is a behemoth. With large scale comes processes and cold impersonality; it's unavoidable.

The company had laudable policies regarding "people first" and compensation. Much of that has gone away.

If you're outside the mainstream business, you'll likely be struggling for resources and the attention of policy makers.

Much of the internal technology is not competitive with what we find on the internet, and this is an unfortunate burden for the company.

Opportunities are subject to the usual competition. Do not go to IBM expecting to be a software architect without proving yourself for a decade or more of dues against a bunch of talented others.

I suspect senior management is doing a wonderful job, given the problems of scale. The closest I could come to advice would be to "figure out how to free oneself of the burden of antiquated processes."