Pros: Apple is a large company, but often has a small company feel. Most project teams are very small – a few people at the most. Often, there are only one or two key engineers directly responsible for features or key project areas. Because of how small teams are, it makes it very easy to approach key players and influence product direction. Conversely, key engineers don't have much bureaucracy to cut through to implement innovative new ideas. It is because of this culture of innovation, as well as a culture of excellence, that working at Apple has been one of the best experiences of my professional career.

Cons: Because of the small business mindset and the decentralized nature of decision-making and product direction, Apple at times lacks the structure that other companies have set up. There are very few departments that are isolated from their customers, so the process and structure that each group attempts to establish can be heavily influenced or even ignored by those who need to use a backdoor method of getting work done. It is possible that project managers may pressure engineers or other staff to complete work faster than their managers agreed upon. In larger companies, this behavior would be frowned upon or forbidden. Some structure is necessary to keep a happy medium, and at times, Apple could use more structure.

Pros: Apple is a high-paced environment with highly visible products that influence the world. Once in the door, you can really change your job quite a bit.

Cons: Seniority means nothing. It's about who you know and playing the political games. Good ideas are often ignored by middle management. HR is useless in many cases, except to protect the company and managers.

Pros: Apple has continued to go out of its way to see that I not only excel in my current role, but they facilitate my education and future roles. My previous work is always appreciated, and they look for me to be a leader among my peers. They call upon my experiences and ask me to present on topics that I'm more familiar with than my other colleagues. They allow me to work the hours that are most appropriate for me and allow me to be flexible with those hours, coming into the office around 11 am and working until 7, 8, or 9 pm. It is a blessing to have such a generous employer.

Cons: The pay is slightly below what other technology groups are paying, but the benefit of having job security makes up for that. Sometimes I wish that we had the free meals like Google and that we could spend so many hours a week working on our own 'pet' projects, but I can totally understand Apple's reasoning against such thoughts. The secrecy thing is also kind of a downside. Unless you're directly involved in an upcoming product, you know nothing until the absolute last moment. This can make things really difficult when it comes to working on related products. It also leaves a lot of us feeling as though we can't be trusted.