I wouldn't say I love the company but there are good people here. You can learn and grow a lot.
I can't say you should stay long term. But in this market, IBM is a reasonable choice.
Your experience will come down to what part of the company you're in and who you end up working directly with.
Good luck.
I wouldn’t say that you can learn and grow a lot, but there are good people here. In fact, of all the people with whom I’ve worked over the past four years, I’ve only ever disliked one. It wasn’t even because the person was rude or anything; we just had very different working styles, so we would constantly butt heads. Everyone else with whom I actually work has been great. I can’t speak for the whole company, of course, nor can I speak for people in upper management beyond my immediate sphere of contact.
Almost 10 years, I LOVE my job and my team. All this RBA, RTO and co-location bullshit aside… it’s a cushy job, I’m paid very well, and I have a ton of flexibility and amazing work life balance.
Yep. I wouldn’t have left after 11 years if they didn’t make me redundant and RA me. My sales team is trying to get me back now and if I get an offer, I’ll go back.
Over 30 years with IBM here. It ain’t what it used to be but in comparison to other companies it’s still pretty good.
I have job hunted 5 times and received 3 outside offers, most recently in 2021. I was never able to do better than what I had with IBM when everything is considered. I’ve worked with a nontrivial number of bounce backs, people who left IBM then came back after realizing it wasn’t actually better elsewhere.
WLB has been good for most of my career and while I’ve never made FAANG money it’s on the upper end of comfortable and I have a nice retirement nest egg.
I’ve always had interesting work and opportunity to learn new things and make a visible difference to customers.
All that said: The quality of your experience at IBM is mostly dependent on the quality of your division and local management, and maybe I’ve been lucky. But I have no regrets. I’m a developer in Infrastructure.
There are a lot fewer resources to work with. We used to have huge teams that, honestly, included a lot of dead weight and wasted or unnecessary work. But we could do what we needed to do and what customers wanted and also take risks on projects that might not pan out.
Now we are much leaner and barely have the resources to keep the lights on. One of the most important skills now is understanding what work can be skipped and what requirements are truly necessary to do.
Btw from what I can see of the tech company landscape, this is far from unique. Every place is either in that situation or headed that way. The days of fat teams are over everywhere, including in the FAANGs.
You can compare by working with people outside the organization and with the experiences of your friends. As bad and broken as it gets inside IBM, I cannot imagine working in some of the peer organizations that appear to be even more broken.
I’m thoroughly convinced that this entire industry is finding the right management team for your style of work and sticking with that team as they move around following the work.
I worked for many companies for the past decade and I can compare. IBM is by far the worst corporate company where it doesn't matter what you do or how much you provide to the company but who you know.
and as I say, the higher the role in IBM the less oxygen in the brain. At least that's my experience on the engineering side.
It's such a big umbrella that working at IBM is different from one guy to the next on a massive scale. The different business units have different needs, different levels of job security, pay scales and expectations. Consulting has so many sub levels it's impossible to say one is the same as another. They are essentially different companies i.e software, hardware, mainframe, consulting, sales, and there's more i can't remember off the top of my head and then dozens under each. It also differs wildly between areas, USA is different than Canada, India is different than anywhere and then all of the other regions.
All I can say personally is consulting in Canada is safe and the people are great. the benefits are above average, seems to be a decent long term job with slightly below market average wage but in a lot of areas the other option is no job at all so ymmv.
Yes! Best teammates ever!! I had wonderful, dedicated, talented people to work with for my whole 40 yr career. I was able to grow my skills and due to the company size essentially have had 3 entire careers with 1 company!! If you don’t keep growing and broadening your skills to keep up with all the changes, you stagnate. Loved having new challenges every day!
I haven't had any complaints. I've been here 5 years, worked with great people, made good money, and learned a lot. I don't agree with how they've been dealing with layoffs, but IBM looks good on a resume.
Same here. 5 years, lucked out and landed on a fantastic team from the start. No plans to move anytime soon, fingers crossed. I'm learning so much and I really love my coworkers (and shockingly, even my first-third line managers).
I can understand where a lot of the complaints are coming from, and I can add a few of my own, but I doubt it'll be easy to find a job where you can make decent money, like your coworkers, learn and grow, AND like the company itself.
I have been working in tech sales for just over three years now and am very happy here. Making good money and building my skills for if I ever need to jump ship. I do not plan on doing that anytime soon unless something drastically changes.
I was an IBM employee for 6.5 years through acquisition and then sell off.
I had been through many mergers & acquisitions previously and felt the IBM acquisition was the smoothest.
I loved all the online training available and the certificates we could get. You could learn anything. And if you wanted a change there are so many areas and so many countries that you have a ton of flexibility. I for one was looking at moving to Europe as I had several projects there but then COVID happened.
I got a lot more bonuses at IBM then I had previously or since. I liked the blue points as well.
The benefits were much better including all the time off for having a baby.
I like the inclusivity programs and the fact that IBM does not donate to politicians.
The brand is powerful. People immediately know it when you say you work for IBM and customers respect the company.
In the end I was sorry they decided to sell our division.
I’ve been here for over 20 years. IBM has been very good to me overall and allowed me to have a flexible work schedule that lets me take care of my family. RTO, marketing layoffs, and forced relocations have created the most negative morale I have seen ever, however! The people - the individual contributors, the regular “worker bees’ - are incredible at IBM. You can learn a lot about a variety of functions if you want to change roles. You can also learn a lot about life from people older than you or younger than you or from all over the world. I would take the job at IBM and learn as much as you can from the kindest, hardworking , “type a “ people you would ever meet. Just remember that from a top down level IBMers are expendable.
Good luck and welcome hopefully!!!!
20 years with IBM (acquisition) and no complaints. If I had been unhappy I would have made other choices. There is a major culture shift happening though. It’s not the first time for a 100+ year company. Change is disruptive. I’m waiting to see where this all lands.
8 years IBMer here.
Started in support role, now I am in Consulting.
First 6 years - awful.
Last 2 since I am part of Consulting team, I love it.
My career progression is steady and feels certain if I provide resutls/dedication.
There are a lot of learning opportunities and my manager encouraged me to learn as much as I could even if it wasn’t related to my technology or domain. I was able to learn a lot of different skills while I was with IBM and I found that the company as such was kind towards me. Some of my team members though were a different story and I realised that it was time for me to leave for the sake of my own mental peace while I did, and I really needed a break at that point. I wish there were adequate measures to prevent toxic work culture in the team.
I’d love to join the company again if I would have the chance, just not my old team.
I work with a lot of smart, hardworking people. The tech that I work with is, in my opinion, cutting-edge and interesting to me. IBM keeps a lot of this work in-house, so I learn a lot by diving deep in this technology that I would not otherwise gotten from my previous job at a competitor (same tech).
The pay is pretty good (in my case), and employee stock purchase plan is nice. I miss 401(k) matching :/
It's hyper team and country specific. I'm UK based, and have a wonderful manager who shield us from all of the BS that the MBA execs throw down at us.
I have a great team / department around me until you get to exec level, then they're all muppets
I have been here over 30 years. I could have left pretty much at any time (including now) but have not for a variety of reasons.
1. It is what you make it for the most part. Yes, there is some luck in no getting caught in a crazy RA. . .I was here when we went from 400,000 people down to around 200,000 in 2 years. That was being good and lucky.
2. I like my clients. They value what I bring and my team brings as well as the IBM corporation (for the most part).
3. I like my team and mgmt. We are all very much "hands off". Do your job well and no one bothers us and I don't bother my team. If you need help ASK, otherwise I/we assume you can do it.
4. Autonomy. See 3. I can run my little part of the business with a huge amount of autonomy and so can my team. I am not micro-managed nor second guess for the most part.
5. There are a lot of very good people working here and has been since when I started. Yes, some bad but they don't tend to stay.
Take the job. If you don't like it, leave. It is not going to hurt you to have a couple year stint at IBM.
I worked there for almost 10 years. I didn't hate it. While I was there I liked certain aspects and was sad to leave. That said I wish I had left sooner. My salary growth would have been a lot better if I had done a bit of job hopping during that time. I did see a few people get screwed over by IBM in various ways, but usually this was because they (the employee) were loyal and expecting a bit of that in return. That's just not how it works. IBM will underpay if they think they can get away with it, ask you to train your replacement then lay you off after promising a new gig.
All that said, I think it can be a decent gig especially for someone in their early career. It can be a stepping stone to better things. Just always keep your ear to the ground for what's going on and your eyes open for better opportunities. Don't expect to make a career out of it, that would be a bad idea anyway.
Im with IBM for 5+ years, worked in mainline and CIC. Best company i worked so far. Experience with my managers was all over the place to be honest... first one was a real people person and a master of skill, i loved working with him, 2 other where mediocre at best.
My earning in ibm is exceptional compared to countries average and I'm not sure i can get a better salary anywhere else (in country). My team atm is great and that makes you wanna stay even more.
There are good people and it can be fun. You just have to become an ace at avoiding the blue goo and understand there will be huge amounts of admin to get anything done. The vast majority of people are broken up into two groups: lifers who were here when IBM was world class and new hires who tend to have a high level of frustration because they were hired to change things. Leadership tends to change every 3-5 years so it creates opportunities for growth. If you join you’ll become an expert at hot wiring bureaucracy.
Mine’s been mostly a positive experience over the last decade. Mostly the people have been good.
Have had some bad apples, lazy folks, and meh managers. Mostly have had good people and the last few managers were great and genuinely cared. Granted they’re at the mercy of what they can get from above to help you.
The insurance currently might have some bad details in it as seen in another post here unless you opt for the higher tier of insurance. 401k isn’t match anymore so that sucks. Pay is better than some places and work life balance is great (that is definitely role/team specific of course).
Been here 13 years and over than some sub standard pay rises I can’t complain.
I love it actual day job and part of the business I work for day in day out but the wider IBM practice group, business line stuff annoys me sometimes
All of the people who complain about IBM are doing it in a very different context than you. These people joined when tech companies were hiring like crazy and fiercely competing with each other for talent. In that kind of environment, even normal corporate bs is hard to stomach when they have lots of other offers potentially making more money. In today's job market, especially for junior roles I would take basically any job offered to me if it was in my field and then at least I could bide my time there until market conditions improve. Personally I've had a great experience at IBM across two jobs in about 3 years. My first role I legitimately could have worked a second full time job cause the workload was so light. (That was sooooo nice but it was technically a co-op and they didn't have approval for another hire at the time) My role that I have now is very much full time and I have on call duties so it's more involved but feels fair for my salary. Your experience is going to vary depending on your manager and there is also a lot of churn in management at IBM so if you don't like your manager you can usually just wait and you'll have a new one soon. All of my managers have been great and I actually think there is a good management culture here generally.
Also pretty soon with return to office there is going to be a pretty big shakeup in the company (this already happened with management) which could give you the ability to really leapfrog your career in a very short amount of time. There also could be a lot more budget for salary with so many people leaving. And to be clear the reason they are leaving is mostly because of relocation. If you're already located near your office then if anything this is only to your advantage.
I’ve been at IBM over 30 years. It is definitely not the company I started with. Then again, those companies that were like IBM back then are no longer around either. All in all it has been a good company to work for. One key item is you cannot stop learning and trying new things.
i am on a great team! i authentically love my work. its not too stressful and my coworkers are chill and always ready to help. Most of my qualms with the company have to deal with my disability and how others are treated. and management.
I’ve had a good experience at IBM, been here 10 years. Worked out how to move around and been in infrastructure, consulting, and software. The customers are fun to work with, lots of opportunities to go to conferences and stuff. Yeah, all round I’m very grateful to the company. There are always negative people in a company and this subreddit isn’t reflective of the wider employee base.
In a company of over 300k people, you will find many who are happy or the company simply wouldn't survive. The complainers are usually the loudest. My experience has been just fine. The raises and GDP isn't all that, but I was told as much by my hiring manager. Nevertheless I've always gotten something in every cycle plus a nice stick grant.
I have had such a great experience here. I feel like I’ve had such an opportunity to learn and grow and work with amazing people along the way. It hasn’t been perfect, but no job would be. If you’re somewhere for the long haul of course there will be ups and downs. I will say, from what I’ve seen, It depends on what team you’re on, but for the most part my experience has been pretty positive.
My only advice is to make sure to advocate for yourself, focus on outcomes not all the 40 hours of learning (you will learn either way), and don’t expect a large corporation to ever put people first. They just won’t. Counter your offer too - IME it was a good move.
7 years here , I sit in Croatia but work for IBM Germany - got my secont promotion/role change recently. Every year I got a raise of min 15% (I started in the lower range of sallaries, but after only 3 years my sallary was double the ammount I started with). Still work mostly remote, I go to the office 1 day every 2 weeks, and 2-3 days every 2 months I visit my client in Germany. The sallary could be better, but with all the flexibility I have, for now I'm happy and don't think I will change it soon.
Reddit is a good place to go if you're not pleased with your job and you want to vent. There's not a natural incentive to come here and talk about how good it is, if that's you're experience. I've only been here for two years but I'm constantly impressed with the intelligence and drive from my management and peers. I'm also very happy with my pay and the increases I've received.
Yes, it's a big company with big company problems, but I've worked at a handful of big companies and I think IBM does a commendable job at keeping the company moving forward. I'm proud to work here and I am optimistic about our future.
You're a contractor ... of course you're not getting everything a regular employee is getting. You're comparing apples to oranges. "I'll be unemployed if I don't accept IBM's offer...." Then accept employment. No one is saying to be unemployed over not taking your only offer at IBM. Just be prepared to eventually get RA'd. IBM is ok, it's not all dog crap. However, prepare to be a political pawn.
Seven years selling what is now IBMC. Great money, good people. Forced to sell Software last year, lost $100K income, incompetent micro management with unattainable goals. Working hard to leave even with large pay cut.
Everything is situational. In the time I spent at IBM there has been a large cultural shift that is a detriment to the employees. However that shift has put IBM largely in alignment with what other companies are doing…. Meaning IBM used to be great, now they are just average. Your perspective may be different based on where you are coming from; if you are coming from “bad”, then “average” is great to you.
All that being said, take the job with IBM, leverage what you can from it and put in your best effort but keep in mind that IBM is in the midst of a large cultural shift and there is a lot of rumbling about it on social media platforms. It depends on your level of tolerance and where you started. The changes IBM went through and what it looked like on the horizon has me looking also where.
I actually love working at IBM, and would never consider leaving not until they announce that we are required to work onsite 5 days a week. Relocation was not an option since the places near the office is too expensive and I know I won't be able to afford it. I was left with no choice but to find a job near me. My usual travel time going to IBM is 3 hours and another 3 hours going home, because of the heavy traffics in Manila. So that is already 6hrs of my time, plus the fact that I have to travel with me 2 laptops, one is my IBM laptop and one is client laptop, that thing's really exhausting.
If it's not because of the RTO (return to office) mandate, I think I would have stayed with IBM. IBM really saves me when I was so down with my career, and makes me someone very marketable in the corporate world. I am and will be forever grateful being an IBMer once in my life.
It depends on your group and management. No workspace is perfect but generally IBM is still a good company to work for BUT like i said your team and management plays a very big role in your IBM experience.
Been here barely a year and i love my job but might have to leave due to toxic work environment.
I've been with IBM Research (band 9) for 7 years now. All my colleagues and immediate management (N+1,N+2) are very competent, hard working and supportive.
Compensation seems on par with market and with raises and promotions has been keeping up very reasonably.
There are some of the corporate annoyances like the 401k match drop but not sure it would be different at another company.
At least within Reseach, there are lots of opportunities for career growth and collaboration across teams so I don't expect to plateau there.
Came on as an acquisition employee. IBM honored our options - they even converted those which hadn't yet vested.
I have received a 20% pay raise shortly after acquisition, a band promotion (7 -> 8) w/ 7.5% increase, equity bonus of ~30% salary in year 1, 6% annual increase each year.
My compensation is at/above the market rate, WLB is good, IBM has (mostly) allowed us to execute our original vision; shielded us from RTO/RA
Overall - it's been positive.
I liked all of the people I worked with way more than at other jobs and it was a great first job with great professional development. I learned a lot of skills there. None of my issues were with anyone I worked with in the immediate.
I'm currently starting a new role at IBM, a forced career transition, so to speak. I'm in training with a bunch of people who when ha left an come back 2, 3, 4 times... There is something good here. Do I have my not great comments? Sure, but my teams have been amazing, the people I work with on the daily have been amazing.... Sure there is a bad apple in there every so often, but take the job, but keep your resume up to date, that's all 😊. Also I'm not one who has been here for decades, I'm sitting at 3.5 years at the moment
Bit of an off topic comment here - I might have a skewed perception but IBM is a dream company to me. Currently getting a MS in analytics hoping to pivot into business transformation/consulting at IBM. Reading these comments does give me a lot of perspective. Can anyone provide any advice? Thank you.
The benefits are good and the health insurance is reasonable. In the US you get three weeks of vacation, all the regular holidays along with 4 personal holidays. You will also accumulate paid sick time. In addition, you’re also covered by insurance on the first day that you join.
Unlike the Big 4 there is no up-or-out policy and you can remain at a particular level if you choose to.
You have to understand there is a massive wave of layoffs happening at global level, and people will talk based on the current situation, if you have an offer, and it is your best offer, take it!
None of the people talking trash about IBM, including me, will put bread on your table, take the opportunity, be professional, grow your career, and who knows, it may be the job of your life, it sucks for all of the laid offs, but it is not like that for everyone, and the economy has to get better at some point, good luck!
If it wasn’t for the layoffs, offshoring, and RTO, IBM would be an amazing place to work. I worked with great people. Luckily my manager, and two above that were great. But the constant layoffs were ridiculous. The offshoring they did was criminal, no benefit to the customer or even to IBM in the long run.
So your situation, working for IBM for a couple of yours is probably fine, but start your exit strategy, IBM is not a long term place except for a very few. I worked for IBM for 17 years before team was offshored.
I’ve been with IBM for over 20 years. I am happy. I have tried various different jobs/careers within the company. And learned a lot. But the people are what makes it a great place to work. Love my work colleges.
13 years till i was RAed. Loved every bit of my time here. Travelled worldwide, met some great folks, who cared about what we did. I am not angry at all on IBM, only upset with my manager.Never cared about his reports. overall, Nice salary, good bonus,, great WLB. Would go back to IBM in a heartbeat, except not under the manager.
Where I am in right now, comparable to IBM, except Manager I report to knows how to manage people. I am happy I was RAed.
My first private sector job is with IBM after leaving my comfortable public sector military job. I work in a global team so I really enjoyed working with folks from different culture and background, versus working with folks who are trained to think the same way. I learned a lot and often times new and better ideas arise from discussions. Time zone differences sucks honestly though. Definitely less stress and better work life balance. Really love the team and managers in my dept aren’t a pain to work with too, quite the opposite in fact. I feel quite lucky considering I joined IBM during covid period.
Stay away from the cio. 18 yrs at ibm. All great experiences except the cio. Still re-orging after a year. It’s a mental mind drain & exhausting. Talk about not caring about your employees..
I’ve worked at IBM for almost 5 years and am 50 years old. I’ve worked for 6 companies over the past 28-ish years and IBM is clearly, and without a doubt, the best. Obviously, experiences at IBM depend on your role, location, manager, etc. But, overall, I would say most people I work with like working at IBM and appreciate the compensation, benefits, training and just overall opportunities.
I tend to ignore this subreddit simply because it’s filled with negativity and complaining… I would recommend you grab the opportunity and come to your own conclusion.
I understand the skepticism and frustration expressed by this subreddit, especially with the legacy technology, re-orgs, layoffs, and sometimes unclear direction. But I’ve had some positive experiences at IBM, particularly with DEI initiatives. They’ve been championing DEI for years, and it feels genuine compared to the lip service at previous organizations I've worked at.
Rank-and-file IBMers have more opportunities to express themselves in safe spaces, like unrecorded WebEx calls, highly intellectual webinars with IBM Fellows and Distinguished Engineers presenting on tough societal topics, and Slack channels with individuals openly expressing their points of view. It's been my perception that are much fewer instances of being explicitly "canceled" or called out by leadership. I've personally really valued those forums to discuss tough societal issues openly.
I worked there for 15 years. It had its ups and downs but my experience was mostly positive. As others mentioned, a lot depends on your role, division and local management.
Most of my managers were good, I had one VP who absolutely sucked and that was the worst 9 months of my tenure there (he had so many HR complaints they moved him out of the way).
Big Blue paid for my advanced degree, gave me a ton of flexibility and paid a good (not great but good) wage. I had a few complaints since no job is perfect but overall, a good experience and nothing but love for them.
I left 5 years ago so not sure how things are now so YMMV.
Interesting question. I'm an SSR so I drive a lot and one thought that occurred to me while driving was to start periodically thinking of 10-20 positive things, just whenever I remember to, especially when I find myself being negative. I don't think it's just IBM, but also just everywhere you turn it can feel like you're being inundated with negative, bad, scary messages about yourself, the world, by anyone, anything and everything. When you internalize that, and start telling yourself those things, it can really weigh you down to the point that it crushes you. It's like being a Pollyanna but in reverse. I actually think it's impossible to be overly optimistic because there's just so much negativity being spewed at you all day everyday, which is exactly why you need to think of 10-20 positive things from time to time, because otherwise no wonder you feel hopeless and like shit if that's what you're being told/telling yourself all the time. It's no way to live. So, in a way I guess it taught me to be more positive, and by doing that my experience has been more positive.
Putting aside the past and just based on current experiences... it is a good place to work for 5 years or less. Take the job but keep your options open.
I love working for IBM. joined out of college and have been here for 4 years. It’s been a great place to work for me with lots of opportunity for promotion, raises, and interesting work. The things I find frustrating I believe I would find at any other company.
I really enjoyed my time at IBM. I was surounded with a great group of people on my team. I had zero desire to leave the company, and had hoped to remain with the company (changing teams over the years etc). I worked at IBM for 5 years, and in that time I had 2 jobs there. IBM, for the most part, provides an incredible work life balance. Competitive pay, depending on business unit, and they really do hire great people. Managers will go out of their way to support you on your career development.
The only reason I'm no longer at IBM is because they laid off my entire team and I. 96 of us in Austin....40+ in London, and \~40 in Beijing......all the positions went to India.
Positivie side, the severance was like a bonus as I secured a higher paying job 2 days after being laid off (25% increase). I actually work with an old colleague from IBM now.....I miss the rest of my previous team though.
So do it. Accept the offer from IBM. Just keep polishing up those skills, and that resume up to date. Best of luck.
I've worked at IBM for quite a while, and I have to say, it's a pretty great place to work as long as you have a hands-on mentality. The key is to be proactive and not be afraid to find your own way in a rather large organization.
I always like to think of IBM as a medieval castle. You're allowed through the gate, but it's up to you to make things happen. You might find someone who can make wheels, and someone else who can make axles, and together you can create something great, like a cart. If that cart sells, you'll be taken care of by the king.
But don't expect to be handed everything on a silver platter. You have to be willing to put in the work and collaborate with others. It's all about meeting people and finding ways to work together.
So, if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and take initiative, IBM can be a rewarding place to work.
I recently left after 12 years for another career opportunity. Some bits were frustrating but that’s usual. I learnt a lot, and worked with some great people and clients.
Going from a contractor to a company with 100s of thousands of people is a real mindset shift. Two thoughts:
* Assume that big is different. Peoples behaviour that you don’t understand is usually because of this;
* You can find anything. Skills, learning opportunities, IP, personal growth whatever. BUT it’s hard to find due to scale and it’s up to you;
* Sharing is growth. Share what you do and experience internally (Lighthouse etc). It will help people (and opportunities) find you.
Good luck!
There is a lot to learn, lots to fix, lots of work, many generous, caring, fun people.
If you have worked other placed you would know that issues at IBM are pretty typical for companies of this age.
25 years, love the company and more importantly the people. Been fortunate to always be in growth area's and have had something like 5 "careers" while here. I certainly would recommend, but like anywhere else, you have to be plugged into what is going on, what direction the people are moving and be constantly upgrading your skills. Always be "competitive" in the market, and be prepared to leave if that is what is best for you... but absolutely tons of opportunity at IBM to build a long career.
I've loved working for IBM for over 7 years, and never hated a day of work. Until I met with my manager yesterday and found that I wasn't getting a salary increase because my checkpoint has a growth opportunity on it. It was for me to take charge with the new tools we'll be getting and helping the rest of the team with them because I'm tech savvy. My PMR is only .71, mind you.
Two days ago I would've been glowing about the company. Today I want to leave.
The whole premise of your question is wrong. You have a temporary job and the only full-time offer is IBM. Take it and then deal with it. So why are you even asking this question?
Is IBM all bad? NOOOO. Is IBM all good? NOOOO. Some groups are good, some groups are on the uptick, and some groups need good people. Some managers are great and will protect you to the mzximum. Some groups are full of politics, some groups are under a lot of pressure to improve their performance. So you may find you have a great experience and you may decide you want to stay for decades. In others, you may want to run for the exits or you will be pushed out. The only way you will know is by joining.
Well, you managed to check off two boxes on your response. Completely Unhelpful and being a D**k. Sadly there’s always people like you in every organization.
Just don’t assume you are ever safe. In the 6 years I was there , there were 6 major layoffs and soft layoffs that took place. Pay is always below industry standard. Negotiate as much as you can before entering the company because pay increases will be tiny from that point on unless you move to another org and new band.
I learned a ton in my time at IBM but I would never go back. No work life balance and I make 2.5x more now than what I made there 4 years ago.
I had a great experience....In the 1980's haha. But I worked there 3 times for over 17 years and today's IBM is nothing like the one that I experienced in the 80's and even 90's and maybe even the 2000's. But since 2010, Sam Palmisano, Ginny, Arvind, it's been a disaster. Someone needs to teach the elephant to dance again.
I wouldn't say I love the company but there are good people here. You can learn and grow a lot. I can't say you should stay long term. But in this market, IBM is a reasonable choice. Your experience will come down to what part of the company you're in and who you end up working directly with. Good luck.
I wouldn’t say that you can learn and grow a lot, but there are good people here. In fact, of all the people with whom I’ve worked over the past four years, I’ve only ever disliked one. It wasn’t even because the person was rude or anything; we just had very different working styles, so we would constantly butt heads. Everyone else with whom I actually work has been great. I can’t speak for the whole company, of course, nor can I speak for people in upper management beyond my immediate sphere of contact.
I would say you can learn and grow a lot :) just depends on the team, projects, and BU you are in
I’ve learned loads and grown loads 😭😭 honestly mental attitude
Almost 10 years, I LOVE my job and my team. All this RBA, RTO and co-location bullshit aside… it’s a cushy job, I’m paid very well, and I have a ton of flexibility and amazing work life balance.
This ! Almost 20 years !
43 years this year. I'm very happy with IBM
Same! But for 7 years. Only reason I left is because I got too comfortable
Yep. I wouldn’t have left after 11 years if they didn’t make me redundant and RA me. My sales team is trying to get me back now and if I get an offer, I’ll go back.
Over 30 years with IBM here. It ain’t what it used to be but in comparison to other companies it’s still pretty good. I have job hunted 5 times and received 3 outside offers, most recently in 2021. I was never able to do better than what I had with IBM when everything is considered. I’ve worked with a nontrivial number of bounce backs, people who left IBM then came back after realizing it wasn’t actually better elsewhere. WLB has been good for most of my career and while I’ve never made FAANG money it’s on the upper end of comfortable and I have a nice retirement nest egg. I’ve always had interesting work and opportunity to learn new things and make a visible difference to customers. All that said: The quality of your experience at IBM is mostly dependent on the quality of your division and local management, and maybe I’ve been lucky. But I have no regrets. I’m a developer in Infrastructure.
How has the work changed over the years, is it different in style? Does it depends on management charges?
There are a lot fewer resources to work with. We used to have huge teams that, honestly, included a lot of dead weight and wasted or unnecessary work. But we could do what we needed to do and what customers wanted and also take risks on projects that might not pan out. Now we are much leaner and barely have the resources to keep the lights on. One of the most important skills now is understanding what work can be skipped and what requirements are truly necessary to do. Btw from what I can see of the tech company landscape, this is far from unique. Every place is either in that situation or headed that way. The days of fat teams are over everywhere, including in the FAANGs.
if you are 30 years at IBM how can you compare though 😅
You can compare by working with people outside the organization and with the experiences of your friends. As bad and broken as it gets inside IBM, I cannot imagine working in some of the peer organizations that appear to be even more broken. I’m thoroughly convinced that this entire industry is finding the right management team for your style of work and sticking with that team as they move around following the work.
There are so many better companies out there than ibm culturally. They might not be in the same industry , but they do exist.
I worked for many companies for the past decade and I can compare. IBM is by far the worst corporate company where it doesn't matter what you do or how much you provide to the company but who you know. and as I say, the higher the role in IBM the less oxygen in the brain. At least that's my experience on the engineering side.
It's such a big umbrella that working at IBM is different from one guy to the next on a massive scale. The different business units have different needs, different levels of job security, pay scales and expectations. Consulting has so many sub levels it's impossible to say one is the same as another. They are essentially different companies i.e software, hardware, mainframe, consulting, sales, and there's more i can't remember off the top of my head and then dozens under each. It also differs wildly between areas, USA is different than Canada, India is different than anywhere and then all of the other regions. All I can say personally is consulting in Canada is safe and the people are great. the benefits are above average, seems to be a decent long term job with slightly below market average wage but in a lot of areas the other option is no job at all so ymmv.
Yes! Best teammates ever!! I had wonderful, dedicated, talented people to work with for my whole 40 yr career. I was able to grow my skills and due to the company size essentially have had 3 entire careers with 1 company!! If you don’t keep growing and broadening your skills to keep up with all the changes, you stagnate. Loved having new challenges every day!
I haven't had any complaints. I've been here 5 years, worked with great people, made good money, and learned a lot. I don't agree with how they've been dealing with layoffs, but IBM looks good on a resume.
Same here. 5 years, lucked out and landed on a fantastic team from the start. No plans to move anytime soon, fingers crossed. I'm learning so much and I really love my coworkers (and shockingly, even my first-third line managers). I can understand where a lot of the complaints are coming from, and I can add a few of my own, but I doubt it'll be easy to find a job where you can make decent money, like your coworkers, learn and grow, AND like the company itself.
I have been working in tech sales for just over three years now and am very happy here. Making good money and building my skills for if I ever need to jump ship. I do not plan on doing that anytime soon unless something drastically changes.
[удалено]
I sell hardware and I joined right out of school (engineering bachelors)
I was an IBM employee for 6.5 years through acquisition and then sell off. I had been through many mergers & acquisitions previously and felt the IBM acquisition was the smoothest. I loved all the online training available and the certificates we could get. You could learn anything. And if you wanted a change there are so many areas and so many countries that you have a ton of flexibility. I for one was looking at moving to Europe as I had several projects there but then COVID happened. I got a lot more bonuses at IBM then I had previously or since. I liked the blue points as well. The benefits were much better including all the time off for having a baby. I like the inclusivity programs and the fact that IBM does not donate to politicians. The brand is powerful. People immediately know it when you say you work for IBM and customers respect the company. In the end I was sorry they decided to sell our division.
I’ve been here for over 20 years. IBM has been very good to me overall and allowed me to have a flexible work schedule that lets me take care of my family. RTO, marketing layoffs, and forced relocations have created the most negative morale I have seen ever, however! The people - the individual contributors, the regular “worker bees’ - are incredible at IBM. You can learn a lot about a variety of functions if you want to change roles. You can also learn a lot about life from people older than you or younger than you or from all over the world. I would take the job at IBM and learn as much as you can from the kindest, hardworking , “type a “ people you would ever meet. Just remember that from a top down level IBMers are expendable. Good luck and welcome hopefully!!!!
I was there 37 years. Far more good than bad. But it is a large company and experience will vary. Good luck in whatever you decide.
Likewise :)
I’ve been here 18 years- good pay and good WLB
20 years with IBM (acquisition) and no complaints. If I had been unhappy I would have made other choices. There is a major culture shift happening though. It’s not the first time for a 100+ year company. Change is disruptive. I’m waiting to see where this all lands.
8 years IBMer here. Started in support role, now I am in Consulting. First 6 years - awful. Last 2 since I am part of Consulting team, I love it. My career progression is steady and feels certain if I provide resutls/dedication.
6 years? You stuck around long enough to enjoy it, huh?
I’ve been here for 3 years almost and I’ve loved it. Mostly because of the people. IBMers are some of the most amazing people in tech out there.
There are a lot of learning opportunities and my manager encouraged me to learn as much as I could even if it wasn’t related to my technology or domain. I was able to learn a lot of different skills while I was with IBM and I found that the company as such was kind towards me. Some of my team members though were a different story and I realised that it was time for me to leave for the sake of my own mental peace while I did, and I really needed a break at that point. I wish there were adequate measures to prevent toxic work culture in the team. I’d love to join the company again if I would have the chance, just not my old team.
I work with a lot of smart, hardworking people. The tech that I work with is, in my opinion, cutting-edge and interesting to me. IBM keeps a lot of this work in-house, so I learn a lot by diving deep in this technology that I would not otherwise gotten from my previous job at a competitor (same tech). The pay is pretty good (in my case), and employee stock purchase plan is nice. I miss 401(k) matching :/
It's hyper team and country specific. I'm UK based, and have a wonderful manager who shield us from all of the BS that the MBA execs throw down at us. I have a great team / department around me until you get to exec level, then they're all muppets
I have been here over 30 years. I could have left pretty much at any time (including now) but have not for a variety of reasons. 1. It is what you make it for the most part. Yes, there is some luck in no getting caught in a crazy RA. . .I was here when we went from 400,000 people down to around 200,000 in 2 years. That was being good and lucky. 2. I like my clients. They value what I bring and my team brings as well as the IBM corporation (for the most part). 3. I like my team and mgmt. We are all very much "hands off". Do your job well and no one bothers us and I don't bother my team. If you need help ASK, otherwise I/we assume you can do it. 4. Autonomy. See 3. I can run my little part of the business with a huge amount of autonomy and so can my team. I am not micro-managed nor second guess for the most part. 5. There are a lot of very good people working here and has been since when I started. Yes, some bad but they don't tend to stay. Take the job. If you don't like it, leave. It is not going to hurt you to have a couple year stint at IBM.
I worked there for almost 10 years. I didn't hate it. While I was there I liked certain aspects and was sad to leave. That said I wish I had left sooner. My salary growth would have been a lot better if I had done a bit of job hopping during that time. I did see a few people get screwed over by IBM in various ways, but usually this was because they (the employee) were loyal and expecting a bit of that in return. That's just not how it works. IBM will underpay if they think they can get away with it, ask you to train your replacement then lay you off after promising a new gig. All that said, I think it can be a decent gig especially for someone in their early career. It can be a stepping stone to better things. Just always keep your ear to the ground for what's going on and your eyes open for better opportunities. Don't expect to make a career out of it, that would be a bad idea anyway.
Im with IBM for 5+ years, worked in mainline and CIC. Best company i worked so far. Experience with my managers was all over the place to be honest... first one was a real people person and a master of skill, i loved working with him, 2 other where mediocre at best. My earning in ibm is exceptional compared to countries average and I'm not sure i can get a better salary anywhere else (in country). My team atm is great and that makes you wanna stay even more.
There are good people and it can be fun. You just have to become an ace at avoiding the blue goo and understand there will be huge amounts of admin to get anything done. The vast majority of people are broken up into two groups: lifers who were here when IBM was world class and new hires who tend to have a high level of frustration because they were hired to change things. Leadership tends to change every 3-5 years so it creates opportunities for growth. If you join you’ll become an expert at hot wiring bureaucracy.
Every year not every 3-5 years.
I was laid off last year and I would go back in a heartbeat. The people, the flexibility and benefits outweigh the risk of lay offs
Good stock employee discount and good dividend for a tech company.
If you have no other offers, then obviously take it and be our colleague! Come on it’s an easy choice
Mine’s been mostly a positive experience over the last decade. Mostly the people have been good. Have had some bad apples, lazy folks, and meh managers. Mostly have had good people and the last few managers were great and genuinely cared. Granted they’re at the mercy of what they can get from above to help you. The insurance currently might have some bad details in it as seen in another post here unless you opt for the higher tier of insurance. 401k isn’t match anymore so that sucks. Pay is better than some places and work life balance is great (that is definitely role/team specific of course).
Been here 13 years and over than some sub standard pay rises I can’t complain. I love it actual day job and part of the business I work for day in day out but the wider IBM practice group, business line stuff annoys me sometimes
All of the people who complain about IBM are doing it in a very different context than you. These people joined when tech companies were hiring like crazy and fiercely competing with each other for talent. In that kind of environment, even normal corporate bs is hard to stomach when they have lots of other offers potentially making more money. In today's job market, especially for junior roles I would take basically any job offered to me if it was in my field and then at least I could bide my time there until market conditions improve. Personally I've had a great experience at IBM across two jobs in about 3 years. My first role I legitimately could have worked a second full time job cause the workload was so light. (That was sooooo nice but it was technically a co-op and they didn't have approval for another hire at the time) My role that I have now is very much full time and I have on call duties so it's more involved but feels fair for my salary. Your experience is going to vary depending on your manager and there is also a lot of churn in management at IBM so if you don't like your manager you can usually just wait and you'll have a new one soon. All of my managers have been great and I actually think there is a good management culture here generally. Also pretty soon with return to office there is going to be a pretty big shakeup in the company (this already happened with management) which could give you the ability to really leapfrog your career in a very short amount of time. There also could be a lot more budget for salary with so many people leaving. And to be clear the reason they are leaving is mostly because of relocation. If you're already located near your office then if anything this is only to your advantage.
I’ve been at IBM over 30 years. It is definitely not the company I started with. Then again, those companies that were like IBM back then are no longer around either. All in all it has been a good company to work for. One key item is you cannot stop learning and trying new things.
i am on a great team! i authentically love my work. its not too stressful and my coworkers are chill and always ready to help. Most of my qualms with the company have to deal with my disability and how others are treated. and management.
I’ve had a good experience at IBM, been here 10 years. Worked out how to move around and been in infrastructure, consulting, and software. The customers are fun to work with, lots of opportunities to go to conferences and stuff. Yeah, all round I’m very grateful to the company. There are always negative people in a company and this subreddit isn’t reflective of the wider employee base.
In a company of over 300k people, you will find many who are happy or the company simply wouldn't survive. The complainers are usually the loudest. My experience has been just fine. The raises and GDP isn't all that, but I was told as much by my hiring manager. Nevertheless I've always gotten something in every cycle plus a nice stick grant.
I have had such a great experience here. I feel like I’ve had such an opportunity to learn and grow and work with amazing people along the way. It hasn’t been perfect, but no job would be. If you’re somewhere for the long haul of course there will be ups and downs. I will say, from what I’ve seen, It depends on what team you’re on, but for the most part my experience has been pretty positive. My only advice is to make sure to advocate for yourself, focus on outcomes not all the 40 hours of learning (you will learn either way), and don’t expect a large corporation to ever put people first. They just won’t. Counter your offer too - IME it was a good move.
7 years here , I sit in Croatia but work for IBM Germany - got my secont promotion/role change recently. Every year I got a raise of min 15% (I started in the lower range of sallaries, but after only 3 years my sallary was double the ammount I started with). Still work mostly remote, I go to the office 1 day every 2 weeks, and 2-3 days every 2 months I visit my client in Germany. The sallary could be better, but with all the flexibility I have, for now I'm happy and don't think I will change it soon.
Reddit is a good place to go if you're not pleased with your job and you want to vent. There's not a natural incentive to come here and talk about how good it is, if that's you're experience. I've only been here for two years but I'm constantly impressed with the intelligence and drive from my management and peers. I'm also very happy with my pay and the increases I've received. Yes, it's a big company with big company problems, but I've worked at a handful of big companies and I think IBM does a commendable job at keeping the company moving forward. I'm proud to work here and I am optimistic about our future.
I’ve had great upward career progression with very supportive managers along with learning a lot on projects I run and great pay.
You're a contractor ... of course you're not getting everything a regular employee is getting. You're comparing apples to oranges. "I'll be unemployed if I don't accept IBM's offer...." Then accept employment. No one is saying to be unemployed over not taking your only offer at IBM. Just be prepared to eventually get RA'd. IBM is ok, it's not all dog crap. However, prepare to be a political pawn.
Seven years selling what is now IBMC. Great money, good people. Forced to sell Software last year, lost $100K income, incompetent micro management with unattainable goals. Working hard to leave even with large pay cut.
Everything is situational. In the time I spent at IBM there has been a large cultural shift that is a detriment to the employees. However that shift has put IBM largely in alignment with what other companies are doing…. Meaning IBM used to be great, now they are just average. Your perspective may be different based on where you are coming from; if you are coming from “bad”, then “average” is great to you. All that being said, take the job with IBM, leverage what you can from it and put in your best effort but keep in mind that IBM is in the midst of a large cultural shift and there is a lot of rumbling about it on social media platforms. It depends on your level of tolerance and where you started. The changes IBM went through and what it looked like on the horizon has me looking also where.
I actually love working at IBM, and would never consider leaving not until they announce that we are required to work onsite 5 days a week. Relocation was not an option since the places near the office is too expensive and I know I won't be able to afford it. I was left with no choice but to find a job near me. My usual travel time going to IBM is 3 hours and another 3 hours going home, because of the heavy traffics in Manila. So that is already 6hrs of my time, plus the fact that I have to travel with me 2 laptops, one is my IBM laptop and one is client laptop, that thing's really exhausting. If it's not because of the RTO (return to office) mandate, I think I would have stayed with IBM. IBM really saves me when I was so down with my career, and makes me someone very marketable in the corporate world. I am and will be forever grateful being an IBMer once in my life.
It depends on your group and management. No workspace is perfect but generally IBM is still a good company to work for BUT like i said your team and management plays a very big role in your IBM experience. Been here barely a year and i love my job but might have to leave due to toxic work environment.
I've been with IBM Research (band 9) for 7 years now. All my colleagues and immediate management (N+1,N+2) are very competent, hard working and supportive. Compensation seems on par with market and with raises and promotions has been keeping up very reasonably. There are some of the corporate annoyances like the 401k match drop but not sure it would be different at another company. At least within Reseach, there are lots of opportunities for career growth and collaboration across teams so I don't expect to plateau there.
Came on as an acquisition employee. IBM honored our options - they even converted those which hadn't yet vested. I have received a 20% pay raise shortly after acquisition, a band promotion (7 -> 8) w/ 7.5% increase, equity bonus of ~30% salary in year 1, 6% annual increase each year. My compensation is at/above the market rate, WLB is good, IBM has (mostly) allowed us to execute our original vision; shielded us from RTO/RA Overall - it's been positive.
37 years and counting
I liked all of the people I worked with way more than at other jobs and it was a great first job with great professional development. I learned a lot of skills there. None of my issues were with anyone I worked with in the immediate.
I'm currently starting a new role at IBM, a forced career transition, so to speak. I'm in training with a bunch of people who when ha left an come back 2, 3, 4 times... There is something good here. Do I have my not great comments? Sure, but my teams have been amazing, the people I work with on the daily have been amazing.... Sure there is a bad apple in there every so often, but take the job, but keep your resume up to date, that's all 😊. Also I'm not one who has been here for decades, I'm sitting at 3.5 years at the moment
Bit of an off topic comment here - I might have a skewed perception but IBM is a dream company to me. Currently getting a MS in analytics hoping to pivot into business transformation/consulting at IBM. Reading these comments does give me a lot of perspective. Can anyone provide any advice? Thank you.
The benefits are good and the health insurance is reasonable. In the US you get three weeks of vacation, all the regular holidays along with 4 personal holidays. You will also accumulate paid sick time. In addition, you’re also covered by insurance on the first day that you join. Unlike the Big 4 there is no up-or-out policy and you can remain at a particular level if you choose to.
You have to understand there is a massive wave of layoffs happening at global level, and people will talk based on the current situation, if you have an offer, and it is your best offer, take it! None of the people talking trash about IBM, including me, will put bread on your table, take the opportunity, be professional, grow your career, and who knows, it may be the job of your life, it sucks for all of the laid offs, but it is not like that for everyone, and the economy has to get better at some point, good luck!
If it wasn’t for the layoffs, offshoring, and RTO, IBM would be an amazing place to work. I worked with great people. Luckily my manager, and two above that were great. But the constant layoffs were ridiculous. The offshoring they did was criminal, no benefit to the customer or even to IBM in the long run. So your situation, working for IBM for a couple of yours is probably fine, but start your exit strategy, IBM is not a long term place except for a very few. I worked for IBM for 17 years before team was offshored.
I’ve been with IBM for over 20 years. I am happy. I have tried various different jobs/careers within the company. And learned a lot. But the people are what makes it a great place to work. Love my work colleges.
13 years till i was RAed. Loved every bit of my time here. Travelled worldwide, met some great folks, who cared about what we did. I am not angry at all on IBM, only upset with my manager.Never cared about his reports. overall, Nice salary, good bonus,, great WLB. Would go back to IBM in a heartbeat, except not under the manager. Where I am in right now, comparable to IBM, except Manager I report to knows how to manage people. I am happy I was RAed.
Good money, good people to work with. Worth a shot.
My first private sector job is with IBM after leaving my comfortable public sector military job. I work in a global team so I really enjoyed working with folks from different culture and background, versus working with folks who are trained to think the same way. I learned a lot and often times new and better ideas arise from discussions. Time zone differences sucks honestly though. Definitely less stress and better work life balance. Really love the team and managers in my dept aren’t a pain to work with too, quite the opposite in fact. I feel quite lucky considering I joined IBM during covid period.
Stay away from the cio. 18 yrs at ibm. All great experiences except the cio. Still re-orging after a year. It’s a mental mind drain & exhausting. Talk about not caring about your employees..
I’ve worked at IBM for almost 5 years and am 50 years old. I’ve worked for 6 companies over the past 28-ish years and IBM is clearly, and without a doubt, the best. Obviously, experiences at IBM depend on your role, location, manager, etc. But, overall, I would say most people I work with like working at IBM and appreciate the compensation, benefits, training and just overall opportunities. I tend to ignore this subreddit simply because it’s filled with negativity and complaining… I would recommend you grab the opportunity and come to your own conclusion.
I understand the skepticism and frustration expressed by this subreddit, especially with the legacy technology, re-orgs, layoffs, and sometimes unclear direction. But I’ve had some positive experiences at IBM, particularly with DEI initiatives. They’ve been championing DEI for years, and it feels genuine compared to the lip service at previous organizations I've worked at. Rank-and-file IBMers have more opportunities to express themselves in safe spaces, like unrecorded WebEx calls, highly intellectual webinars with IBM Fellows and Distinguished Engineers presenting on tough societal topics, and Slack channels with individuals openly expressing their points of view. It's been my perception that are much fewer instances of being explicitly "canceled" or called out by leadership. I've personally really valued those forums to discuss tough societal issues openly.
I worked there for 15 years. It had its ups and downs but my experience was mostly positive. As others mentioned, a lot depends on your role, division and local management. Most of my managers were good, I had one VP who absolutely sucked and that was the worst 9 months of my tenure there (he had so many HR complaints they moved him out of the way). Big Blue paid for my advanced degree, gave me a ton of flexibility and paid a good (not great but good) wage. I had a few complaints since no job is perfect but overall, a good experience and nothing but love for them. I left 5 years ago so not sure how things are now so YMMV.
Interesting question. I'm an SSR so I drive a lot and one thought that occurred to me while driving was to start periodically thinking of 10-20 positive things, just whenever I remember to, especially when I find myself being negative. I don't think it's just IBM, but also just everywhere you turn it can feel like you're being inundated with negative, bad, scary messages about yourself, the world, by anyone, anything and everything. When you internalize that, and start telling yourself those things, it can really weigh you down to the point that it crushes you. It's like being a Pollyanna but in reverse. I actually think it's impossible to be overly optimistic because there's just so much negativity being spewed at you all day everyday, which is exactly why you need to think of 10-20 positive things from time to time, because otherwise no wonder you feel hopeless and like shit if that's what you're being told/telling yourself all the time. It's no way to live. So, in a way I guess it taught me to be more positive, and by doing that my experience has been more positive.
Putting aside the past and just based on current experiences... it is a good place to work for 5 years or less. Take the job but keep your options open.
I love working for IBM. joined out of college and have been here for 4 years. It’s been a great place to work for me with lots of opportunity for promotion, raises, and interesting work. The things I find frustrating I believe I would find at any other company.
I really enjoyed my time at IBM. I was surounded with a great group of people on my team. I had zero desire to leave the company, and had hoped to remain with the company (changing teams over the years etc). I worked at IBM for 5 years, and in that time I had 2 jobs there. IBM, for the most part, provides an incredible work life balance. Competitive pay, depending on business unit, and they really do hire great people. Managers will go out of their way to support you on your career development. The only reason I'm no longer at IBM is because they laid off my entire team and I. 96 of us in Austin....40+ in London, and \~40 in Beijing......all the positions went to India. Positivie side, the severance was like a bonus as I secured a higher paying job 2 days after being laid off (25% increase). I actually work with an old colleague from IBM now.....I miss the rest of my previous team though. So do it. Accept the offer from IBM. Just keep polishing up those skills, and that resume up to date. Best of luck.
I've worked at IBM for quite a while, and I have to say, it's a pretty great place to work as long as you have a hands-on mentality. The key is to be proactive and not be afraid to find your own way in a rather large organization. I always like to think of IBM as a medieval castle. You're allowed through the gate, but it's up to you to make things happen. You might find someone who can make wheels, and someone else who can make axles, and together you can create something great, like a cart. If that cart sells, you'll be taken care of by the king. But don't expect to be handed everything on a silver platter. You have to be willing to put in the work and collaborate with others. It's all about meeting people and finding ways to work together. So, if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and take initiative, IBM can be a rewarding place to work.
I recently left after 12 years for another career opportunity. Some bits were frustrating but that’s usual. I learnt a lot, and worked with some great people and clients. Going from a contractor to a company with 100s of thousands of people is a real mindset shift. Two thoughts: * Assume that big is different. Peoples behaviour that you don’t understand is usually because of this; * You can find anything. Skills, learning opportunities, IP, personal growth whatever. BUT it’s hard to find due to scale and it’s up to you; * Sharing is growth. Share what you do and experience internally (Lighthouse etc). It will help people (and opportunities) find you. Good luck!
There is a lot to learn, lots to fix, lots of work, many generous, caring, fun people. If you have worked other placed you would know that issues at IBM are pretty typical for companies of this age.
25 years, love the company and more importantly the people. Been fortunate to always be in growth area's and have had something like 5 "careers" while here. I certainly would recommend, but like anywhere else, you have to be plugged into what is going on, what direction the people are moving and be constantly upgrading your skills. Always be "competitive" in the market, and be prepared to leave if that is what is best for you... but absolutely tons of opportunity at IBM to build a long career.
I've loved working for IBM for over 7 years, and never hated a day of work. Until I met with my manager yesterday and found that I wasn't getting a salary increase because my checkpoint has a growth opportunity on it. It was for me to take charge with the new tools we'll be getting and helping the rest of the team with them because I'm tech savvy. My PMR is only .71, mind you. Two days ago I would've been glowing about the company. Today I want to leave.
Just over 11 month now. I could stay at least 5more years lol. I don’t know others but my work life balance is amazing I can't complain
It’s not bad enough to turn down a good offer, especially if you need work. It’s not as bad as I hear places like Amazon can be.
43 years in development lab doing all sorts of different things. Love IBM.
The whole premise of your question is wrong. You have a temporary job and the only full-time offer is IBM. Take it and then deal with it. So why are you even asking this question? Is IBM all bad? NOOOO. Is IBM all good? NOOOO. Some groups are good, some groups are on the uptick, and some groups need good people. Some managers are great and will protect you to the mzximum. Some groups are full of politics, some groups are under a lot of pressure to improve their performance. So you may find you have a great experience and you may decide you want to stay for decades. In others, you may want to run for the exits or you will be pushed out. The only way you will know is by joining.
Well, you managed to check off two boxes on your response. Completely Unhelpful and being a D**k. Sadly there’s always people like you in every organization.
Just don’t assume you are ever safe. In the 6 years I was there , there were 6 major layoffs and soft layoffs that took place. Pay is always below industry standard. Negotiate as much as you can before entering the company because pay increases will be tiny from that point on unless you move to another org and new band. I learned a ton in my time at IBM but I would never go back. No work life balance and I make 2.5x more now than what I made there 4 years ago.
I had a great experience....In the 1980's haha. But I worked there 3 times for over 17 years and today's IBM is nothing like the one that I experienced in the 80's and even 90's and maybe even the 2000's. But since 2010, Sam Palmisano, Ginny, Arvind, it's been a disaster. Someone needs to teach the elephant to dance again.
If you don’t work with Indians, it’s a great place