Pros: Excellent place to learn. Almost anything is possible if you have the right social and technical skills. Great place to get experience and learn new things. Any idea can be developed into a usable product, regardless of who you are. Great medical benefits and on-campus services for working parents. Great open-door policy. Great flex work—as long as you do the time. Great benefits. High expectations of results are equal for everyone. Nearly no red tape to get your work done, endless resources, and access to information. Mostly very excellent people to work with; great open work environment.

Cons: Highly competitive, high stress, crushing politics. There's a low incidence of women and minorities, and the gender and minority wage gap is a problem. Recognition for results is lacking. Who you know can get you farther than results.

Pros: The health benefits are one of the better reasons to work there.

Cons: Work-life balance is nonexistent. You are responsible for managing your own career, just as long as it suits everyone around you.

Pros: - Work with brilliant people on amazing products. There are opportunities to be mentored by some of the smartest people in the industry. - Lots of educational and advancement opportunities. There are so many MS products that there are always other exciting teams to work on if you want a new opportunity without changing your entire career. - Flexible work environment. - Great pay and benefits.

Cons: - Adversarial review system that gives many people anxiety and results in driving out quality employees. - Health care benefit became less awesome in 2013 with a $2500 deductible.