Company: Microsoft
Date: 2012-09-23
Overall rating: 2/5
Employment status: former
Experience level: Confirmed

Some divisions at MSFT are better than others, but bad management and performance review systems are a universal pain.
Pros: The perks are generally good; even the new, crappier health insurance is pretty good. There are a LOT of really smart, dedicated people there. The trick is to work in a division that's currently got a shiny object, like Xbox or Azure.
Cons: The performance review system is a nightmare, and the bane of every employee. Nobody is really under the impression that Ballmer or his immediate reports have any real strategy for what they're doing. The internal politics are different among the various divisions, and some are very, very bad. I would recommend avoiding work in the Online Services Division at all cost.