Microsoft reviews

Microsoft Reno seems to not want employees with more than 8-10 years of experience. At the Reno office, we called it the 10-year curse, because that was often the time you'd be managed out. They focus a lot on their intern program with UNR, and that's because those are the people that will replace the tenured employees when they get laid off. It's highly frustrating that this is the norm, but I saw so many high quality employees pushed out this way. I went from being identified as Key Talent one quarter with a high review rating to being managed out the next quarter, and nothing had changed about the quality of my work. They didn't even have a rationale for this drastic change. I can tell you the rationale -- my salary, insurance, and stock options had become too expensive for their liking.

Speaking from a sales perspective, Microsoft has a terrible culture of political maneuvering and backstabbing. The managers are very low on integrity and will throw any of their people under the bus to put a dime in their pocket or not hold accountability. But as soon as a big deal lands everyone wants to take credit, if something falls through fingers are pointed. There is also a clique of managers that are "good ol boys". If you don't fit their profile and you're not in the circle, they don't do anything for you.