Pros
1) Co-workers are all "A" players. The majority are driven, intelligent, proactive and extremely helpful. I have never once called someone (even out of the blue that may have never worked with me) and been made to feel as if I was a burden for reaching out. There is a culture of teamwork and "customer first". Everyone that I have interacted with appears aggressively on board with that. That makes my life a lot easier. I have been in other positions where people protected their knowledge and operated almost like a mini-fiefdom, possibly for fear of job security. Not here 2) Senior leadership (thankfully) recognized long ago that vSphere cannot be the only core solution. Frankly, it is so widely adopted that it is only natural there would be declining new adoption.... simply because the market was saturated. In addition to core vSphere, our on-prem / off-prem cloud solutions and End User Compute portfolio is second to none and it will ensure that our position in the market remains dominant for years. 3) Resources are plentiful. Initial on-boarding is absolutely fantastic and they provide cutting edge technology for new employees (ex. Powerful MacBooks, information resources, guides, etc). 4) I work remotely, but I have been to their campuses and they are fully stocked with healthy options. There are also down time things like pinball machines, ping pong tables, quiet areas, etc. The main campus is unbelievable, and with pretty much any amenity you could ask for. I would consider relocating cross country just for the Palo Alto campus alone lol. 5) Many companies talk about work/life balance, but VMware practices it. I am never pressured into situations that could negatively impact my personal quality of life. That said, there is work to be done. So as long as you can professionally manage your workload you will be given plenty of latitude to do what's best for your family and non-work life. 6) This may not be the case for all, but my direct 1st and 2nd level management is the best I have EVER worked for. I get tremendous support to attack my work without unnecessary levels of micro management. On many occasions, they have made it clear to me that they are there to help me in any way they can. 7) Considering I am a remote employee, I require an expense account. I do not have to deal with unnecessary levels of inspection. This isn't to say that there is free reign, but if I need to expense something to do my job it is rarely questioned. Just like any company though, we have a responsibility to the company/shareholders to be frugal when possible..... however I greatly appreciate not having to waste time pouring over every expense at length and providing extensive justification. 8) There is literally an endless amount of content internally. It could be considered a con to some, as it would be impossible to consume it all. That said, there is always a resource to be drawn from if you need it. 9) Working from home is awesome and greatly lends itself back to a nice work/life balance. There will frequently be times I need to hit my email / do prep and research after the typical 8 - 5. The trade off is that I can dictate my schedule and fit things in during the day I might have not been otherwise able to working from an office. 10) Compensation and benefits are fantastic. PERIOD...END OF STORY. Tips for those considering employment here: 1) You may be the best VMware guru around in your current employment. Once you get here, be prepared to check any ego at the door. The people here are rock stars with our solutions. The sooner you do that the better. Just be prepared to take in all the information you can possibly process to make yourself a better resource. 2) Do not accept a job here if you aren't prepared to give 100%. As great as the resources and perks are, there are also big expectations from management. This is not the kind of job where you can "coast" in any sense of the word. It is part of what makes working with these people great. 3) Take a deep breath, it may take months before you feel comfortable. You will feel like the dumbest person in the room for awhile.... don't let that discourage you.
Cons
1) The sheer volume of information that you may have to take in can be intimidating for some. We aren't just a vSphere shop, there are several dozen solutions and (at least in my role) you may be required to speak intelligently on all of them. This is both from a technical perspective and also from a strategic business perspective. 2) If you let it, you can consume every waking moment with work here. It is your responsibility to find the balance. Your management will back you on this as long as you are producing. 3) Just like any sales-driven company, there is intense pressure to meet quotas. This can also be intimidating for some. 4) This company has thousands of people. As a result, networking is every bit as important as being a technical beast or exceeding your quota. Some people may find this difficult as it relates to job advancement. If you want to move up, you need to blend excellent job performance with excellent internal networking skills. 5) VMware changes rapidly internally. If you aren't adaptable, you may find the frequent changes frustrating. There is very much a "start up" type mentality here, despite the large head count (15,000+).