Pros: A lot of interesting projects, a smart workforce, and great benefits.

Cons: To be honest, not many negatives, really.

Pros: Good pay, hard work, colleagues.

Cons: Politics, quickly cutting project funding and people.

Pros: Despite having several thousand employees, you can still have an impact. It doesn't have to be "wrote the messaging system"; it can be as simple as "made something more efficient, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars over a year," or "enabling someone else to be a rock star." There are great challenges in the infrastructure, and it's a first-hand experience of simple systems interacting in complex ways (at the heart). There's lovely food from the on-campus cafe – I'd really and truly call it a restaurant, the food is that good – break-out areas for peace and quiet, and generally excellent and smart co-workers.

Cons: Long days mostly, and the communication lag with HQ. It's possible to get sucked down a rabbit hole for days on end, sinking in far too many hours. However, in the end, it's a personal choice to do hours and hours of work beyond what you're salaried for. The 8-hour lag with California is also a pain in the rear – you either live with 24-hour turnaround on question/answer threads, or you stay late to try and catch someone in real time.