Vantaggi
The best reason to work at Avanade is the amazing people that work there. The general consulting force is astonishingly good at what they do, and although the technical skill level has dropped slightly as we've grown, overall it is still amazingly high. Having the opportunity to work on varied projects is great, as it can give you exposure to many industries and corporate cultures. It is also good for the ego, as you realize that not many companies have the skill level that Avanade does.
Svantaggi
The company growth rate is insane; double digit targets every year since we started - even through the economic crash and the dot-com bubble bursting. While this could be viewed as an impressive achievement, you should realize that the pressure to hit these targets imbues a culture of working your b**t off to get jobs done. Although the company touts the work-life balance as a focus, it has become distinctly skewed towards the Accenture-like culture as we have grown.