Pros
I appreciated the flexibility to manage my schedule and take breaks as needed for appointments or personal time. My manager struck a good balance between being available for support while also allowing autonomy for myself and fellow analysts to carry out our tasks. The company had a flexible time off policy, which was granted 97% of the time, and unlimited sick days, fostering a supportive environment for maintaining work-life balance. Additionally, being part of the Graduate Analyst Program provided valuable opportunities for professional development, including global orientation and a signing bonus. The open-door policy and emphasis on skill and talent made it easy to collaborate and take on additional projects, contributing to a sense of camaraderie among colleagues. I worked in financial technology and they hired me with no financial education or experience as well as there was several months of training in the beginning. Taking into account the industry, it is definitely a great place to work by comparison. I also did receive overtime as well as money for dinner while working in the office.
Cons
One major issue was the subpar training and lack of continued development opportunities, which made it challenging to keep up with the fast pace of the job and understand complex financial concepts. The long hours and high expectations added to the pressure, and despite the camaraderie among colleagues, there was also a sense of unprofessionalism and pettiness at times. Additionally, disparities in pay and bonuses whether an analyst was in the Graduate Analyst Program or not, felt unfair and contributed to a feeling of disrespect. Ultimately, while I appreciated the understanding of work-life balance from management, the overall fit and culture of the company were not aligned with my professional goals and values. Even though they hired me without financial training and there were several months of training, it was not effective at all especially in an office outside of the headquarters. Long, long hours. Weekend work. Strong internal HR desire to not have overtime paid.