Company: Microsoft
Date: 2015-04-24
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Confirmed

7 years before the mast...
Pros: You're "in the club" with top compensation for often interesting work.  You work with very smart, focused and committed people.  A lot of the little "perks" really add up - things like paid contributions to Health Savings Accounts, health club memberships, on-campus doctors offices...
Cons: The old review model may be gone, but the "throw each other to the sharks" mindset that underlies it is most assuredly still going strong.  Expect politics to be the rule, not the exception, and merit or workable solutions to fall by the wayside in favor of empire building and protectionism.  There's a very real "you either drink the kool-aid" or you aren't one of us feeling, that goes down to small things  (like choosing to use an iPhone meaning you're "disloyal" to the company).  Criticism of poorly thought out policies or poor long term strategy is strongly discouraged - god help you if you're the one to ask why the emperor has no clothes.