Microsoft Program Manager II Reviews

Pros

left alone to do my job, access to all microsoft software without having to go through IT so had the tools I needed.

Cons

It's microsoft, sometimes you just can't do the things you need to do without having to fill in a form which is always on sharepoint and takes ages to fill in

Advice to Management

simplify

Pros

Great work-life balance Moving team to team internally is super easy, so if you have a bad team you can keep spelunking about until you find a good fit

Cons

Managers are typically mediocre Many product teams are weak Pay is so-so compared to other companies in tech Many benefits and events are stilted toward employees with kids and families, so if you're young, get the new hire bonus and stock, Microsoft on the resume, and go elsewhere.

Advice to Management

A flat product team reporting structure is a happy reporting structure. People who have been at the company for 10-15+ years and are still in the Senior band of leveling need to be put on performance-improvement-plans by default.

Pros

1) Flexible hours 2) Friendly culture 3) Good benefits 4) Overall the atmosphere in the company is welcoming, and friendly. 5) The projects are challenging and help you grow as a professional

Cons

1) Little access to sunlight and windows 2) Many projects don't get pursued until they are well established by another company. Makes it hard to do groundbreaking work. 3) Salaries don't measure up to the quickly increasing housing prices in Seattle.

Advice to Management

Much of the information needed to do your job (outside of the technical knowledge) is tribal knowledge as opposed to well documented and organized

Pros

Microsoft offers an average salary and benefits package that includes a very good "Stay Fit" package but nothing that raises an eyebrow. The compensation bar is slowly becoming diluted. I am sure that I could get a comparable package at Amazon or Google.

Cons

Be aware that there is no preference for internal hires before external hires. You are always competing against someone else! Often times it is who you know, not what you know. You are always on guard for the "next layoff".

Advice to Management

Take a hard look at nepotism. So many times I applied for a job that was internally filled before the REQ is posted. Satya wants to lead yet middle management doesn't want to follow. Your ICs are your greatest asset!!

Pros

- Mostly smart folks in the tech side, mostly hired newly graduate MBAs in the business side who don't contribute much other than create PPT and presentation all around.

Cons

- Stop hiring MBS fresh out of college or business team to make them create PPT 40hrs/week.

Advice to Management

- Reward people who are in the company rather than hire someone outside and directly offer them higher level and compensation, care for our loyal employees first!

Pros

Great benefits, most people are awesome

Cons

Internal politics can really slow you down

Pros

Great opportunity to advance. Pay is on the nose. People are crazy smart. When you talk about tech companies that are on the cutting edge Microsoft is top notch.

Cons

Review system still is broken even though they say it has changed. Behind the curtain it remains a mess. Employees if they stay too long in groups get stuck and have to leave.

Pros

Interesting problems, autonomy to work, work actually used to inform decisions/influence business, lots of career movement possible, good compensation

Cons

Learning curve can be difficult (especially due to over-usage of acronyms), huge orgs can result in reinvention of the wheel if lines of communication are not good.