Pros
It all depends on the manager/group you get in. Some (if u are lucky) are beautiful people, will nourish you, but others are apple polishers with management. It is their way or the highway.
Cons
Managers are out of tune with reality. Most are whip masters and consider managing to be status reports for the sake of status reports. Watch out for technically weak managers they are clueless and create favoritism which lead to resentments in the group. Specially watch out for the manager who thinks she is technical, but the last time they did anything technical was 15 years ago. They are the worst. No real team-work environment. Just one or two people in each group doing solo things and managers in their pockets. The rest are just to fill the void. Compensation is the worst in the bay area. Was getting hundred fifteen a year for senior soft eng. And for that too had to fight hard. Although in bay area this is peanuts. After paying rent and a family of four there was zero left. No bonus or pay raises. Very few innovation happening and that too only in few groups done by handful of people. The rest are really old sun folks waiting for retirement. This is a graveyard for your career, no upward career path. It is better to work, leave, and then come back at better role/pay, then it is to stay and move up (not gonna happen). If you want a cushy job and your career to hit brakes. This is perfect place to be.
