Intel

The compensation and benefits seem competitive for this area. There are lots of jobs you can change to without leaving the company if you're in software, finance, etc., if you want to try something else. Lots of brilliant people to work with.

It's a huge corporation.

Mid-upper management can be out of touch with things like just how much is wasted on running a team of engineers split across a ridiculous time zone difference, for instance.

It's hard to make a difference in teams or organizations this huge.

Politics and other nastiness can negate any major contribution you make.

There are rumblings of unqualified candidates being hired because of diversity initiatives, and other unfairness.

They claim to promote work/life balance, but in practice you often can't do that and also make promotions or earn good reviews.

There seems to be a line above which you can't be fired or dinged for utter failure. If you're below that line, look out when times get tough.

Start listening to your engineers more, and not just the person you anointed team lead, or "wringable neck."

I have seen more than one director overly confident in their choice of team lead and lose months or years of productivity as a result. The team lead flees for another opportunity when it's clear to him he's failed and gets off scot-free.

Meanwhile, product continues to flounder. I watched this happen twice in the same team, and it looks like we may be up for a third.