Pros: One billion users, thousands of features, and hundreds of products. If you are smart and have elbows, you can fulfill most ambitious aspirations. Maybe you will not make a difference to the universe, but you will be able to contribute to many decisions that shape the industry as part of your day-to-day work. Great benefits - anything from great medical insurance to a free bus pass to a posh fitness center, etc. Most of all, you are surrounded by a lot of really smart people. So if you are just out of college, Microsoft is the place to grow professionally - very quickly. If you are from industry and have something to bring to the table, you will be appreciated and respected (as long as you can control your ego).

Cons: Microsoft is a very big company, and it has been around for some time. So, in some ways, it becomes... a bit "Dilbertesque." For a dozen really good working bees, there would be one smart guy who only knows how to manage his own career. Most probably, it is a "middle manager," because new hires get filtered out quite effectively. So, how do those career-focused people survive? They create "processes" and "initiatives," and then you are the one to fight back. So, it really matters if your boss stays technical. As long as he remembers how to write code (and he must know it in the first place!), you won't feel like Dilbert.

Pros: A lot of benights and a good environment.

Cons: Sometimes the work is boring and there aren't many exciting tasks.

Pros: Amazing people to work with, stocks, flexibility, and meal benefits.

Cons: Nothing much. It all depends on the team.