INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION

"IBM is founded on the basic belief of respect for the individual. This belief is the foundation of all our personnel policies."
– IBM representative

• IBM mainframes, midrange, and personal computers •
• PL/I, Assembler, C, DB2 •
• Hardware and software vendor • Large shop •

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) sells hardware, software, and services for information-handling problems in industries ranging from business to government and from space exploration to defense, education, and medicine. Their products include computer systems and software, telecommunications and office systems, typewriters, copiers, educational and testing materials, and related supplies and services.

Founded in 1911, IBM has approximately 400,000 employees worldwide and revenues over $51 billion. Headquarters is in Armonk, New York.

Technology

Computer professionals at IBM work on IBM equipment with IBM software. Operating systems in use include OS/MVS and VM. Languages used are PL/I, Assembler, and C. Additional software used includes DB2 and internally developed editors for VM/CMS. Job titles vary among departments.

Approximately 70 percent of the work at IBM is new development. One project was the development of the Personal System/2. Very large scale integration (VLSI) is a principle of design in the IBM PS/2.

Culture

In the Washington area, computer professionals at IBM work in Bethesda and Rockville, Maryland, in Washington, D.C., and in McLean, Virginia.

All computer professionals have terminals on their desks. There are designated smoking and nonsmoking areas. There is some travel and overtime, as business needs dictate. IBM offers excellent benefits, training, and promotion opportunities. They also offer performance plans, merit pay, and employee development plans.

IBM observes 12 holidays. They offer 2 weeks of vacation to start, 3 weeks after 5 years, and 4 weeks after 10 years. They offer medical, disability, dental, and life insurance. They also have tuition reimbursement and a retirement plan. Employees may participate in a stock purchase plan and a tax-deferred savings plan. IBM has never had a layoff. They maintain a full-employment practice.

Candidates

IBM looks for significant technical aptitude, analytical skills, customer rapport, good communication skills, and attention to detail.

IBM does hire entry-level people. For entry-level positions the company prefers candidates with a college degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Math, or a related field. They also may consider equivalent experience. The average computer professional at IBM has more than 8 years of experience. IBM finds new employees through walk-ins (45 percent), referrals (30 percent), advertisements (15 percent), and employment agencies (10 percent).

Contact

A letter is preferred.

Mr. Tim Chapman, Area Resources Manager

(202) 515-5901

International Business Machines Corporation

1301 K Street N.W., 3^rd Floor

Franklin Square

Washington, D.C. 20005

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