Cisco

Great company to work for if you're motivated and passionate about technology. Pay and benefits are outstanding.

Well-run company that has weathered storms, recognized market shifts, and made changes when necessary. Lots of opportunities for promotion and trying on different hats if you're willing to make it happen.

Penny pinching to a fault at times. The bottom line is everything, often cutting into training and travel opportunities or getting necessary resources.

Management is varied. Not all opportunities are equal, but with such a large company, expect that. You need to make your own opportunities, sometimes by working outside your job.

Rewarding innovation and productivity is great. But measuring productivity only by how much people do can be misleading. Quality suffers when doing things fast matters more than doing them well.