In case you have been living under a rock, Phil Haak and Scott Hanselman have both joined Microsoft.

Here's Scott's blog post: http://www.hanselman.com/blog/bluebadge.aspx 

Here's Phil's blog post: http://haacked.com/archive/2007/09/17/why-is-microsoft-removing-my-mvp-status.aspx

I actually did my stint with Microsoft as well, but I did not work in one of their product divisions. I worked for Avanade, which is a joint venture between Microsoft and Accenture. I was hired to work for projects in the Salt Lake City area. Unfortunately, the projects dried up over here, and they wanted me to move to Seattle. I refused, as I have a large family, with teenagers. I refuse to move them, especially since I now have roots here.

The moral of the story is that you MUST work in the Products division, or you will not experience the best of Microsoft. This leads me to Hector's Tech Employment Corollary:

"The closer your chosen technology is to the money-making processes of the business, the better treatment you will get from the company."

I'm currently employed by The Generations Network. My current position directly generates money for the company. This company has the best working environments I've had the pleasure to be in. I will create another post, with more details about my employer.