Cisco

• Still a market leader in networking, even as it struggles with sluggish sales and a range of fierce competitors.

• A good place to work with talented engineers/managers, 4 weeks PTO, etc., if computer networking is your passion.

A giant engineering organization, with a lack of diversity in the Bay Area. There are good managers and immature managers. It depends on your luck after reorganization or management change, averaging 12-18 months.

Consecutive layoffs occur yearly (or outsourcing jobs to cheaper countries). The company laid off 6,000 jobs in 2014, or roughly 8 percent of its workforce, and has trimmed nearly 20,000 jobs over the past five years.

I'm not sure Cisco can recruit or retain talented engineers or managers, etc., after one layoff followed by another. It is great to know Cisco is trying to reform its performance review system.