Pros
Schedule: 4 12-hour days, 3 days off, 3 12-hour days, 4 days off all consecutive PTO: 80 hours HHTO (Holistic Health Time Off aka sick time), 16 hours floating holiday, 80 hours paid holiday, accrue 120 hours PTO per year Benefits: $0 medical/vision/dental premium for whole family, HSA, $1,500 Perks Plus reimbursement (for anything that improves your physical/mental/emotional health), 50% 401k match
Cons
Training program doesn't really exist. You have to rely on the other members of the team to help train. Too many vendors/contractors: some could consider this a pro, but Microsoft brings in so many vendors that the Critical Environment team doesn't really do anything complex or in-depth. Growth: There isn't really a path to move up unless it's into a completely different field or becoming a people manager. There is no true technical lead position like at other data centers. Culture: This one may seem odd, but Microsoft really got on their employees to donate during their "Give" month. Obviously it's for good causes, but it definitely felt like I was being forced to donate my time/money instead of having it be my own decision.