Pros
IBM is a large and stable company , generally being smart about running its business . In the current macro economic environment , it is a big advantage . As industry growth is reversing itself , small companies are at risk of not making it to the other end of the tunnel . Management quality varies by division / department , but , in general , it is not bad . Work place flexibility is truly exceptional : many employees work from home ( if it suits them ) or go to the regular office only a couple days a week . It could be an enormous plus for some folks.
Cons
Being a large company also has its downside . It is difficult to grow the company of this size at a significant rate . Much of the growth therefore is done through acquisitions . This low rate of organic growth results in a few opportunities for a career growth as new management positions are not being created . This also gets exacerbated by many senior folks staying at the company for a long time resulting in a low turnover . Although , career growth might not be a high priority issue for the next few years as we are going through a tough economic stretch .
