Pros: Ton of smart people, competitive pay and benefits, tenacious. Unique among other tech giants in terms of charity and giving back through a giving campaign and employee matching program.

Cons: Layers of middle managers and bureaucracy make getting things done hard at times. The review system is designed for internal competition, which can be detrimental to the company and product.

Pros: Company really invests in you! The quantity and quality of courses available really allow anyone to grow and improve their understanding. Lots of people who help you succeed! I was lucky to have an amazing mentor and a fantastic manager. If you get bored with one problem, you can always move on to something else that is equally interesting. Microsoft really offers a wide variety of problems to work on (from games to enterprise software to search to mobile phones to operating systems to...).

Cons: People are really competitive here. If you are in a team of more senior people, then you don't have to worry much. However, if you are in a team with more junior people (i.e., ones who are closer to your level), then it can get messy really quick, as everyone is trying to prove how their contributions matter the most. Frequent reorgs and changes in strategy. If you are one of those people who can switch directions fast, then you can thrive over here. However, if you are one of those people who get really attached to your work, then the reorgs will take a toll on you.

Pros: Lots of resources to advance both in technology and personality development. These will not necessarily translate to career growth.

Cons: Bad performance management system. Too many people getting hired, which translates to best performers appearing average due to less challenging conditions. There are fewer and fewer opportunities day by day, and bad scheduling and management from your leads.