Pros: Good place to start and learn.

Cons: Reorgs. Less opportunities and slower promotion.

Pros: Career development is great. Microsoft has a clear measurement tool for employees to know how well they are doing and what needs to be completed to get the next promotion. If you are not satisfied with what you are currently doing, you can easily switch to a different project in a different group internally. You can also switch your role, such as from a software developer to a program manager. You can also choose what to focus on for your career: as a manager and walk onto the management path, or be an individual contributor and grow yourself as an expert. You do still need to compete with others to get a promotion because of a limited budget, but the opportunity of getting a promotion is always there. Health benefits are also another great reason to work for Microsoft if you have a family.

Cons: Though the benefit that comes with Microsoft is great (lots of discounts when buying stuff because of the partnership), there's no great cafe on the Microsoft campus, nor are there three free buffet meals as in other companies. You also need to have a high EQ because no matter how well your team has achieved in the product, there will always be some people in some newsgroups or websites whining and bashing what you did and what you provided to them. They never appreciate anything you have done. The next thing is the stock does not grow crazily like other competitors; it is more stable.

Pros: Benefits Work-life balance Great people Good atmosphere

Cons: Red tape Legacy codebase Poor tools Uninteresting work Long product life cycles