Pros: Microsoft is really a dozen companies in one. Pick carefully, and don't just think, "Oh, it's Microsoft." Groups differ greatly in their culture and management. If you work for a really well-run group, then you can combine the benefits of working in a 200-person company with the benefits of working in an 80,000-person company. The small group can give a sense of purpose and esprit de corps, while the large company can provide good healthcare, a stable environment, and lots of learning opportunities. Go to the lunch tech talks to learn about the technology underlying other products. Go to MSR to hear about what's going on in the blue-sky research world. Flexible work hours, an informal attitude towards hierarchy, and the ability to hop around between groups at Microsoft to work on different technologies without the hassle of having to change companies. If you get a sense of the landscape and know the landscape well, you can avoid most of the Cons listed below.

Cons: There is definitely a lot of dissatisfaction at upper management, especially Ballmer. The recent layoffs have taken a toll on morale. Again, it really differs by group. Some groups got hit harder than others. If you're in a bad group, you might get stuck in a death march for two years. You might have coworkers who don't give a **** about the product and are just sitting around collecting checks. But if you're in a good group, see Pros.

Pros: Great place to work, but such a huge company your experience may vary. Great people to work with, most everyone respects work-life balance. Great place to develop a career.

Cons: Depending on what project you're on can get a bit boring, not as glorious as you might think or what you experience as an intern. There aren't many options for changing projects like other tech companies might offer. Most people are there for a very short time or a very long time.

Pros: Microsoft, because of its large product base, offers employees the opportunity to work across a spectrum of products and technologies. For someone who has moved several teams within Microsoft, I'm genuinely humbled by the amount of diversity and the opportunity that exists to learn different things and impact customers.

Cons: Agility in delivery. Microsoft still needs to up its game with respect to innovation, agility in delivery, and risk-taking capabilities.