Company: Microsoft
Date: 2013-01-02
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Junior

Gratifying, at times frustrating, under-appreciated company for how good it is to work here.
Pros: Complex and meaningful challenges to work on.  
Smart people.  
Solid benefits (especially health - even after introducing copays in 2013), with great pay. 
Respect of work-life balance (mostly).   
Great resources -- e.g., almost any research you want, any time.  Company enriches your time with them.  Comfortable, friendly work environment. 
Diversity/minorities valued.
Cons: 1) Experience tends to be fairly manager-specific.  Unfortunately managers do *not* seem to get much course correction if they don't manage well, and most people end up rotating to other teams.
2) Decision-making and course-commitment is fairly challenging.  Analysis and feedback can continue unchecked with no specific outcome (or accountability for stalling the process).  This leaves smart people disillusioned and jaded.

Note: Culture can vary from division to division.  Xbox group is rumored to be quite good.