Pros
Opportunities flow out of relationships built through excellent work and team oriented collaboration. The Amgen values align well with my own. I've been fortunate to be in parts of the corporation that hold the values in high esteem. The Thousand Oaks campus is easily taken for granted. Beautiful landscape, a nice gym, and several extensive cafeterias to choose from. On site conveniences like discounted dry cleaning drop off/pick up and car wash are helpful. Time off with 17 or 18 paid holidays (including 1 week summer and winter shutdowns) plus 3-6 weeks vacation time (depending on seniority). I particularly like the shutdowns, because you can actually take time off and not worry about falling behind.
Cons
Amgen doesn't do the best job at recognizing or rewarding top staff. I've seen many examples of staff finding promotional opportunities externally. Upon threat of losing key employees, Amgen then steps up and matches external offers. This seems especially true at executive levels. "You have to move out (or threaten to do so) to move up". Empowerment of staff for decision making is a recognized weakness, but I'm happy to see the most substantial effort in over a decade to make real improvements in this area.