Pros
1) Most of the people at Merck / MSD work everyday for the betterment of humanity and take great pride in the contributions the company makes to the world. Merck really is about putting patients first. 2) You get to work with and learn from some very smart people 3) Because of the companies size and multinational reach there are an enormous number of career paths across functions and geographies available to people who are motivated and do great work 4) The company treats its employees very well in terms of compensation, benefits, and work-life balance 5) The company strategy shows a clear commitment to research and innovation unlike many industry contemporaries
Cons
1) The industry is going through significant change and challenges so Merck is evolving to remain competitive while continuing to fulfill its mission. These changes are painful as colleagues lose jobs and some of the perks of working for Merck are reduced. 2) Merck operates as a U.S. based multinational, not a global company. The culture is therefore very U.S. based making it difficult to operate outside the U.S. occasionally 3) Politics gets too involved in decision making and some senior managers are more interested in kingdom building than moving the company forward.