Company: Microsoft
Date: 2010-12-06
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: former

A great school for new employees but a hard place for entrepreneurs
Pros: There are many things that I admire in Microsoft, in particular: 
- Benefits package (one of the best in the industry)
- Opportunities to grow by changing jobs internally
- Learn to think big
- Social responsibility (Microsoft is super generous to a variety of causes, which is admirable)
- Very smart people easily approachable
- Access to fantastic resources (software, library, research, etc.)
- Very informal working environment
- Flexible work schedule

After having spent several years in different positions, both technical and marketing, I think this has been my best "professional school".
Cons: Microsoft has changed over the past several years and unfortunately not all of it is positive. My observations:
- If you get a first job there, you'll probably come in at a very low level and you'll be stuck there for a while. Promotions are getting less frequent every year. If you've guts, you are better off quitting the company, become a vendor or do something else, and be re-hired as an external candidate. You'll accelerate your career as you reset your history
- Microsoft is an aggregation of different silos that don't talk to each other. Exec egos and turf battles come at the expense of the 'greater good'
- The company is plagued with processes that makes it slow to react to more agile internet players. If you're an entrepreneur at heart, you'll suffer (a lot) at Microsoft, unless you're there for the 'enterprise experience' and you leave after a few years. Beware though. Because the company is so big, there are always pockets of excellence where things can happen fast. Those are usually the products version 1, where excitement and speed mean survival before the next executive review
- A large chunk of middle management is not hungry anymore. If they have been there for many years, they don't want to compromise their comfort. They care more about their 'green scorecard' than taking risks for the sake of moving Microsoft forward. 
- Many employees feel so passionate about their products that they live in denial that there is a world out there. By closing their eyes to the reality, they don't learn about what the competition does and what customers need. It's easier to drink the company koolaid than make an effort to be self critical

Again, don't judge Microsoft just by looking at one group. The silos are very different from each other and you may find happiness in another group.