Vantaggi
Commerce Bancshares is a very dependable financial services company. In the 2008 economic crisis the IT department only let go 5 of its 500 employees in order to reduce costs while others cut their work force in much greater numbers. The IT management is constantly looking to advance the careers of its own employees by providing leadership programs and opportunities to hire from within. Its quite possible to make horizontal and vertical moves in the company and a degree is not required to take on a leadership role. Because it is a corporate entity the experience you gain working with other teams in IT is quite valuable in the industry and looks positive on most resumes.
Svantaggi
My experience at Commerce is only in IT. Because IT is a sub-organization of the corporation its services are rendered to internal employees which limits your experience to a more narrow range of problems. Additionally, being a stable company requires risk-averse moves causing what sometimes may seem like more than required "red tape". Although technology is an important area of focus for leadership at Commerce it is second to other things so working here would not bring cutting-edge technology to your fingertips readily. Also, the pay grade is mid-range for most positions.