Microsoft reviews

Can be quite political since everyone is so qualified. Work hours are intense, and you can't really disconnect even when you're gone. Stigma attached to Microsoft can be a downside in certain areas.

The things that make Microsoft such a good fit for some make it extremely stressful for others. You will be expected to guide your own career and to be responsible for much of your own learning. This means that you'll probably always be reading up on something and will always feel a littel behind. You'll never acheive a comfort zone in terms of career growth. The environment is competetive, and laid back types who just want to "come in and do my job" will be limited in how far they can advance. Travel is required. Working with outsourcers overseas can be stressful and unrewarding because there is no mentoring relationship to speak of - you will be dealing with lowest common denominator individuals overseas who have no incentive to learn or better themselves because the people back in the States can always get them out of a bind. Support tends to be underfunded, and you will not have all of the benefits that people in the Redmond campus have (but you won't pay $500K for a shabby house an hour away from work, either).