Pros
- You learn a lot, all the time - Ability to work on game-changing projects for big name clients - Some teams have a great culture, without "drinking the kool-aid" - Flexible work environment, lots of independence in how you work (maybe too much independence) - You work with some genuinely brilliant, creative and friendly people - A lot of say in which projects you work on - Lacks the suit & tie culture of most big consulting firms (or the rest of IBM) - Ability to make career changes unheard of in most big companies
Cons
- Based on your team and project, the overall experience can vary wildly. I've gone from loving my job to despising it and back again... all in a few months - Bureaucracy can really slow down innovation - At several points early in my career I effectively had no manager - We're all subject to IBM's quarterly performance: If profits are down, people get fired with no rhyme or reason - IBM has lots of great ideas but often lacks the follow-through to see them succeed