Company: Microsoft
Date: 2008-06-11
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Great place to work on projects with smart people on innovative technology at global scale.
Pros: The company is involved in a very broad array of products and services, so there are plenty of opportunities to work on big projects as well as small, new ones.  The people are incredibly SMART! and they move fast, so the pace is fast.  The business also touches some very interesting and innovative external audiences -- large IT departments, small businesses, resellers/VARs, startup companies, etc.  Also, the company works on some surprizingly innovative technologies - lots of opportunity to be involved with exciting new things.  And it has the staying power and attitude to make something right over time-- it's exciting to see your product get better and better until it really succeeds.
Cons: The culture is focused on the individual. Commitments/MBOs are built around individual contributions, not team, collaboration, or your ability as a manager.  It's a very competitive culture. There is little incentive to support others except for superficially. Align, engage, acrue. The culture is very distinctive- you either fit or you do not. Focus on smart, fast execution; efficiency. Not a thoughtful place to work. Emphasis is on getting work done to demonstrate the value of your team or manager. Must complete the work within the FY planning process. So therefore, it often does not matter if the right work is being done. Each year, everyone gets new objetives -- want to own a new program that can demonstrate results. As with many big companies, working on a sustain project is not highly vauled, creates less visibilty and exposure to management.  As with any big company, it's political and people focus on advancing their careers as first priority, doing what is right for the company as 2nd priority.