Microsoft

Microsoft looks out for its people. Salary and benefits are excellent. If you have a good manager, life is sweet and work hours are super flexible. Potential to have huge impact on software used by millions of people. Smart co-workers create a motivating environment.

Microsoft is huge, and politics often get in the way of future bets and risk-taking.

Product groups are conservative and often look to protect what they have rather than take big, novel ideas and run with them.

If your manager sucks, life can be very bad. Finding a place with a good manager is the most important aspect of your job at MS.

Look 5 years or more into the future and allow your team to make big steps instead of small, incremental, safe improvements to the product, as is happening too often.