Pros
Interesting technologies to work with Industry leadership - cutting edge Smart engineers Flexible work schedule Good options if you started pre-IPO Company provides snacks & drinks, bagels on Wednesday, beer on Fridays
Cons
Highly political, bureaucratic organization separated into fiefdoms Professional goals of the employee are usually ignored Top-down management - i.e. big picture is often hidden from view, as a means to control who provides input. Knowledge sharing between groups and even between team members is non-existent Culture is not collaborative enough - everyone is an island unto themselves Does not function as meritocracy - opportunities for advancement carefully controlled & divided out to a select few whether they deserve them or not. Some engineers can be a bit arrogant.
