Company: IBM
Date: 2015-04-27
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Junior

Great people, somewhat misguided motives
Pros: At IBM Research, you have the opportunity to work with some of the best research brains in the industry, and some of the most ambitious problems. The company has great global collaboration practices, so you have access to all Nobel award winners, Turing award winners, fellows and whoever you wish to reach out to. Also access to resources, and the might of a big company behind you opens up a lot of problems that smaller companies just wouldn't have the wherewithal to attempt. There's a lot to learn.
Cons: Like any large organization, IBM suffers from a fair amount of bureaucracy and politics. Research is fairly insulated, yet there is an epidemic where people try to do work that makes them look smart, aligns with buzzwords instead of things that are fundamentally meaningful. The appraisal system is non-ideal and not always meritocratic. If you can shield yourself all of these and keep your focus on good work, you will be fine.