Salesforce

• Benefits here are incredible. Bonus, stock options (both RSUs and ESPP), generous 401k policy, plenty of PTO, 3 months of paternal leave (even more for mothers), sit/stand desks, free snacks/drinks, and free food pretty often.

• Work/life balance is not perfect, but it is a big step above other companies I have worked for. Your free time is, for the most part, respected (emergencies notwithstanding), and in my experience, no one feels judged for using their PTO or VTO.

• Many companies talk the talk in terms of diversity, but Salesforce walks the walk. They famously fought discriminatory laws in Indianapolis and unilaterally gave raises to ensure female employees were paid at the same rate as their male counterparts (without forcing pay cuts on anyone). They also strive to have a diverse board of directors, though I think this still needs work.

• All full-time employees receive 7 paid days off (in addition to normal PTO) to pursue volunteer opportunities, and again, this is actively encouraged.

• Most managers do not have a ton of direct reports, meaning you can build a good relationship with your manager.

• Career changes are not only permitted but encouraged. Some areas of the company have annual job fairs for lateral moves if you are not happy. In my case, my manager started to talk with me about where I want my career to go before I had even started to consider it.

• Right now, there is great job security as the company is growing like crazy, which is great if you're used to consulting work.

Most of the pros are company-wide things, but your experience may vary depending on where you work. It is a large company, and different areas do things differently.

A ton of middle management and time spent in meetings.

While it is great to be a part of a global company, there are challenges involved in working at a remote location (i.e., not in San Francisco). We are often not a priority when SF is involved, so factoring in the time difference, you can be waiting days to get issues resolved.

As with many companies of this size, there's a lot of "hurry up and wait." Get your work done according to a deadline, but watch it sit due to bureaucracy or changing priorities.

Salesforce isn't immune to a lot of the issues that plague software engineers everywhere. Requirements change after work has already started, stakeholders don't appreciate the complexities of the work, etc.