User Research practice still has a long... painful way to go
Pros
There is so much to learn. So many amazing people to learn from. Salary and benefits are ok. IBM is hybrid and flexible work friendly but seriously clinging on to the co-location strategy.
Cons
The User Research practice at IBM still has a long way to go. User Research is still not recognized as its own independent discipline and rather considered a specialty under design. If you are a User Researcher and considering joining IBM. Be prepared to constantly be called a "Designer". Be prepared to not be included in many conversations and decision making efforts because many still don't understand what user research is or how it can help other than concept testing. Be prepared to be told what to do by the design discipline because ux designers and user researchers don't have equal seats at the table... you will not have a easy time. You will not feel fulfilled unless you luck out and have a team that somehow has established a better process than the rest. You will have a difficult time growing your career here as a User Researcher. You will have a very difficult time recruiting participants, you will be micromanaged, ignored, etc.) You will witness UX Designers get promoted and awarded and applauded frequently while you feel stuck... bored.... stressed.... overworked.... fatigued.... unmotivated.....depressed
