Pros
its a good learning experience coming out of college. you learn how to apply what you learned in school to a product in the real world that millions of people will use. you learn how you make and release a product to market and how many different disciplines come together to make it happen. you collaborate with different disciplines, providing different perspectives on things, helping solidify the product. you learn how to make things happen in a big company.
Cons
management is terrible. many managers got into microsoft in the 90s when it was rapidly growing and quickly moved up the ladder when there was a low bar. today, some of them may not even be hired if they applied. they hold on to what they have by blocking anyone new below them from moving up. employees joining microsoft in the 2000s have a major turnover rate due to frustration of no career growth from this, not to mention lack of mentorship from incompetent managers above them. there is a highly unnecessary amount of managers and layers of management, its no wonder it took over 5 years to make vista. efficiency is impossible with this. consequently, poor management leads to a flat, non-growth value stock for 8 years or so. bright people with innovative ideas below management have a hard time getting their ideas pushed forward with the extreme bureaucracy. the review process is highly opinionated and more like a popularity contest, lacking objectivity based on actual performance.
