Hewlett Packard Enterprise

As a software engineer, HPE is not in the top tier of companies to work for. I would put it solidly in the second tier, though.

There are a lot of smart people still here, and if you're good, your talents are recognized.

If your ego can get over the stigma of working for a company that outwardly has appeared inept at focusing on what it wants to do, you should be able to settle into a good team and concentrate on getting your job done with minimal hassle.

The pay and benefits are decent: nothing to complain about.

Although controversial, Meg has done a good job with what she had to work with. She is a very competent executive and leader.

Like most big companies, experiences can vary. Get on a good team with a good manager, working on something that produces revenue for the company. As long as you accomplish this, no worries.

HP/HPE has had a bit of an identity crisis for the past several years. There is always the threat of downsizing and reorgs.

Failures in one part of the company can affect successful parts of the company, and hiring freezes and budget restrictions can result, which can be frustrating.

Meg's big decisions -- spinning off services, and then spinning off software -- are big-bang changes, but ultimately I think historians will see them as the right moves to make after the disaster known as the Leo Apotheker era.

My advice to management is to continue to make sure your (key) employees are happy, or else you will see even more brain drain.

There are still really good technologists here. Do not push them away.