Company: Microsoft
Date: 2009-03-30
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: current

Great place to gain experience but it's lost its luster a long time ago.
Pros: Great benefits including medical (e.g. unlimited mental health sessions, no co pay, etc), dental, vision, etc. Cutting edge technology, relatively more stable than other multi-national tech companies, options for lateral movement within the company, variety of training options (although you might be challenged to find the time to attend it), culturally diverse company, great office facilities, opportunity for international placement (you'll have to interview for it like any other job but there are options), and mostly...working with really smart and motivated people.
Cons: Politics...Politics...Politics....It's all about visibility here when it comes to determining performance. It really is an exclusive club when it comes to senior mgmt, mediocre middle management, poor and less than fair methods for performance management. There's alot of social pressures to conform here... kinda like "high school" politics... It's often who you know, how they perceive you and how often they of you (in a good way) that makes the fundamental difference in how far you go...