Cisco Systems – “Strong, stable employer; nothing flashy but very solid.”

Pros

Very stable employer. I contracted here during the financial crisis, and I was allowed to stay for the entire duration of my 6 month contract. If you want to advance here, you do need to work your butt off and understand big corporation politics, but this organization is large enough that opportunities exist in enough places.

Cons

Really hard to stand out. Hope you get a good tech lead and/or manager for this in engineering.

Advice to Senior Management

Executive team might consider trimming the bulk at the middle management level, though true for many a large corporation.