Company: Microsoft
Date: 2010-02-23
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current

Great place to start a career, but definitely  have an exit strategy
Pros: If you are coming to Microsoft directly from school (whether undergrad, grad, or MBA), Microsoft is a good place to gain basic "how things work at a big corporation" skills. Microsoft looks great on a resume, and it's a place that has the financial resources to support projects you want to do (if you can convince your manager to let you do them). Work environment is great (buildings in Redmond/Bellevue are top-notch, free soda, etc), the campus is beautiful, the benefits are excellent, and work hours/location are somewhat flexible (ie you can work from home sometimes if you want)
Cons: Don't plan on making Microsoft a long-term career. Have an exit strategy, because promotions are drying up given the cost cutting that is going on. Be very strategic about what group you choose to work in and what manager you have. Your manager will make or break your career here more than anywhere else because of the calibration process. Make sure you understand how that works and don't bother complaining about it because it's not going anywhere. Just understand that it's there and do what you can to make your chances in calibration better than your peers. This means managing up and across and making sure everyone knows what you're doing and what positive results are happening because of your work. Learn to use "I" rather than "we."