IBM

Fantastically gifted technical staff.

Easy to work remotely, with infrastructure/IT support.

Global presence.

Constant worry about job loss (reorgs/downsizings), making it difficult to plan projects at work or home.

Short-sighted executive vision, myopic focus on "quarter results" without the flexibility needed in a large, diverse organization.

Regular "harvesting" of old timers (you are old when you are 55 and face layoff).

In the beginning of my IBM career, I was loyal, worked long hours willingly (nights and weekends) because I felt that if I did my best as an employee for my company, then they would reciprocate. So, I was skilled, well-educated, honest, and hard-working, and motivated to do my best in all things. After I reached the magic age of 55, I was let go. My boss said, 'I don't have a job for you.' My record over the year included awards, patent filings, raises, bonuses, etc. I spent a long time trying to figure out what I did wrong. There was nothing wrong; I just became expensive when compared with non-USA new hires.

So, the experience really soured me for the whole IT industry.

My advice is: remember that corporations rise and/or fall when their goodness is chipped away by bad faith, bad behavior, etc. If you are not nice to your employees, then your customers and business partners will notice this, and ultimately, it will factor into their decision about doing business with you.

You can keep the corporate boat afloat and still preserve American jobs. When, IBM, did you stop believing that you could? It's all about ethics and principles.