Company: Microsoft
Date: 2014-02-20
Overall rating: 4/5
Employment status: current
Experience level: Senior

Cloud and Enterprise Business within Microsoft
Pros: The division that generates infrastructure and server software has been a quiet but strong performer over the years - and it isn't by accident.  The strategy has been sound and leadership very clear - delivering strong business performance over consecutive quarters.  This has been a great division to work in.  The people are top notch - if you enjoy working with smart talented people, Microsoft is a great place to be.

Promotions are frequent thru the IC ranks - but as with any role, gets more challenging as you start managing people.  The Director/Principle levels are particularly congested - expect it to be hyper competitive.

Benefits are strong and progressive - competitive with any company in the industry.  As you earn tenure in the company, vacation time increases substantially, up to 5 weeks off/year as a US employee (other geos vary)

Finally, in terms of career opportunities, the great thing about Microsoft is it's diversity of businesses.  From consumer to enterprise, Cloud to embedded software - there are a plethora of opportunities and no shortage of interesting roles.
Cons: Though the culture is changing (and hopefully, with a new CEO, it will accelerate), the company still relies too heavily on individual heroics.  The previous stack rank review system encourage a behavior that was very much individualist.

There is also a ton of complexity in the processes of the company - a necessary evil in any large organization.  This complexity forces too much time to be expended on internal issues as opposed to focusing on driving the business, seeking new opportunities.

Finally, the company has a tendency to elect "direct" strategies in key growth areas.  Whether it is getting into the phone business by buying a handset vendor or building our own search engine - Microsoft needs to focus and bet on more disruptive strategy plays, changing the rules of the game like many newcomers have done in the last decade.