Company: Microsoft
Date: 2010-06-20
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Great benefits marred by great bureaucracy
Pros: Amazing benefits and compensation for those willing to play the game and be a good corporate citizen. Most co-workers are brilliant (and sometimes know it all too well). It is one of maybe 10 companies that truly value the software engineer above all other careers.
Cons: Creative thought or approaches are admonished or killed off. Too many "Type-A" idiots resting on past laurels (pre-1999 wins) in charge and see themselves as God's gift to software development.

Work/life balance is sort of a joke. With email and smart phones you are expected to be available at all hours.