Company: IBM
Date: 2015-04-21
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Confirmed

Machine Culture
Pros: Lots and lots of access to smart people - smart meaning a deep skill set and / or a good understanding of how to maneuver within the company. Lots of opportunity to move to a different job role or geographic location. I would recommend IBM to some people, for others not so much. It really depends on your personality and your approach to work.
Cons: Machine culture isn't very personable. Employees are treated like machines. The employees who succeed here (and there are many who do) do so because they know how to set boundaries and advocate for themselves and their human-ness aggressively while still being professional. An example of setting a boundary and being a self-advocate would be letting management know that you are not willing to work more than 55 hours a week for a 40 hour a week paycheck, and getting away with that. Another con - once you're in the door your salary will not increase for years. If you come in at a high salary in an expensive market (like Manhattan or San Francisco) and then move to a cheaper housing market (Alabama for example), you can come out ahead.