Company: IBM
Date: 2009-03-09
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: former

IBM Microelectronics losing ground
Pros: Work-Life Balance allows for flexible working hours and work locations with multiple locations in multiple states.  Remote login is very easy and managers can communicate easily by messaging and are required to in some places.  Remote management is common and changes often depending on work dynamics and job description.  Benefits are the best  I've seen to date short of being free.  It is common to switch groups every few years to keep your skills current as long as you do it with management support.  IBM has the rare belief that patents are important to your career development which many take advantage of.
Cons: Pay is not comparable to market standards and raises are slow to meet industry standard salary bands.  Lately most compensation is to meet those standards but rarely keeps up with inflation.  Unless you want to be paid like your peers, it is easier to move to locations with cheaper cost of living to control your net income.  Management also struggles to keep up with the changing economy of the states they establish working locations in so it benefits you to choose wisely before looking at the job description.  While location is usually secondary, it is critical for long term job security.