Company: Microsoft
Date: 2010-12-16
Overall rating: 3/5
Employment status: current

Challenging
Pros: First and foremost - the team you are on will make ALL the difference.  Good and bad teams exist throughout the company.

An interesting and challenging place to work.  No shortage of problems to dive into and solve.  All the tools and supplies you could ever want or need.  Need an extra PC?  Want a nifty software tool?  Ask and ye shall receive - whatever you need to get your job done right and fast.  Bar none the best healthcare in the industry.  No muss, no fuss - feel sick?  Just go to the Dr.  No games.  Awesome company store discounts.  You're surrounded by hordes of very intelligent people - people that were probably the rock stars of their previous employer.  Kind of like the "Ivy League" of employers.  The only employer I've ever had that truly treats their employees like adults - "Here's what we want done - YOU figure out how to do it."  Total freedom in how you choose to complete a project.  Want to spend most of your time playing XBOX or Air Hockey?  Go ahead.  But you are still expected to have your project done on time and in nothing short of spectacular fashion.
Cons: First and foremost - the team you are on will make ALL the difference.  Good and bad teams exist throughout the company.

Work/life balance can be an issue. Also a very political atmosphere.  With few exceptions, it is NOT a "team" environment - it's every man/woman for themselves, and your annual reviews are solely based on your SOLO accomplishments and achievements, and have nothing to do with what work you may have done to help push your team or organization forward.  The more cut-throat and backstabbing you are, the less friends you will have but the quicker you will rise through the ranks.  This is true for managers as well, and as such, can create interesting conflicts @ review time (or layoff time.)  Also - constant direction changes.  Re-orgs every 6 months with new management desiring to put their own "mark" on things.  Lots of old lessons get re-learned, over and over again.