Juniper Networks

If you have a great manager, life is good.

If you meet all your deadlines, you will likely be left alone to do your job.

There is a flexible schedule (i.e., you can work from home when our kids are sick, but can also be required to produce a weekend's worth of results on Monday, but "you aren't required to work all weekend"). Pluses and minuses.

Pay is decent and benefits are good.

Constant reorganizations have given me five managers in about three years. Some were good, some were terrible.

Once you become a manager, you seem to have a job for life, no matter if you are good, abusive, or micromanaging. Even when good people leave because of the manager, nothing is done, as senior management never wants to admit to a bad hire or promotion.

Deadlines can become unreasonable. I try to plan around the issues I see coming up, but sometimes others' lack of planning makes your free time disappear.

Employee training is only given to managers and above.

Promotions are hoarded, so get hired into the level you want, as you will likely never leave it. Promotion from within is rare.

It seems we are going to layoffs every year or more frequently. It's not always the poor performers but the people whose manager is out of favor with the political players in charge.

Stop the politics and return to a more stable job environment.

Activist investors care about their short-term profits, not Juniper.