Company: IBM
Date: 2015-03-11
Overall rating: 1/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

Great ambitions, poor execution.
Pros: If you're looking to escape to Austin and the middle of Texas for cheap, go for it.
Cons: Lots of omissions and lies about what the state of company actually is. It hasn't been the era of the Eames for decades and even when those legend designers were hired, they were brought on as famous contractors with a blank check, not the for-cheap designers that are being hired en masse as a work force. You won't have their impact.

Workplace is dull and tired. Terribly designed office, despite the aim of the organization it supports. Most startups with mediocre incomes can support better perks, benefits, salaries... and cool projects. Some IBM offices are thrilled to offer free coffee for an hour a day! Meanwhile smaller companies offer free lunches, gym memberships, cleaning services, and higher salaries. Don't sell yourself short on a nice interview dinner.

Austin is great, but Texas is only for some. Don't move here from a big city, unless you're looking to settle down.

The management is more of a survival class than a meritocracy. Most people expect respect because of how long they've lasted, not because of what they can do — that makes for a corporate culture that is overwhelmed with bureaucratic, safe, risk-averse behavior and very little desire to follow even brilliant design ideas. 

There are challenges in your career that will build character, growth, and fortitude in a designer.... and then there will be challenges like IBM that forever remind you what not to do ever again.