Pros: Compensation is the best in the Research Triangle area.

Cons: The code in the core routers (their main products) is terrible. In the words of one senior engineer, "our software is hacked out C code written by electrical engineers." That's all they understand, so we have to live with a mountain of spaghetti made up of 2,000-line routines.

Pros: Good salary and benefits. Health care is self-funded, so they do a great job of covering things.

Cons: Company lays off too much. Instead of reinvesting in their employees, it lays off and hires new ones.

Pros: - Good work-life balance (depending on role) - Friendly work-from-home policies - Great people

Cons: When I started at Cisco, they were still doing the free drinks, free food, and beer parties on Friday. That went away as soon as the downturn started, and then the layoffs began shortly thereafter. The first couple of years, they laid off the bad people, and then there weren't any bad people left, so they just started flailing the axe at random. Every year around late summer, it swings again, so everyone is just sitting in dread waiting to see who goes. Then, afterwards, you have to try to figure out how to get things done when important pieces of your team aren't there anymore. It's still an okay place to work, and the people who are left below upper management are all great. I wouldn't tell you not to take a job there, but be aware that you're going to spend every summer wondering whether you'll have a job in the fall.