Company: IBM
Date: 2010-07-26
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current

Ship out to Move Up.
Pros: Flexible work hours (can be a con even though it's 'promoted'), Usually OT is allowed if you're non-salaried (and definitely encouraged if you are salaried), paid sick time, possibility of bonus, 401K, health and dental probably still on the 'cheap' side for the employee out of pocket if compared to other jobs in the area.
Cons: You come in at whatever pay you negotiated (or didn't).  After that, especially since 2001, you would be very fortunate to see 3% raises.  Half of any given department receives zero increase.  Promotions have become so rare, there is much talk of leaving altogether (from all but those who only have a couple/few years left).  I personally have made amazing improvements (yes, I'm blowing my own horn here) and positive changes that have amounted to only one, that number again is One, promotion.  I've done the work of an engineer for most of my time here as a tech and recently have been given a new job.  It's purely a lateral move with more of the same promise of 'the possibility of movement'.  I've even had my schooling paid for, and so now (over a year) have been basically throwing away at least $30K a year by not moving to an engineering position.  But internally, it would be a pittance of a raise even if I was offered a move to engineering.  So what does IBM want?  Something for nothing.  And then more of the same, for even less.   "Take what we give you, or leave."