Pros
* You will find with smart people on regular basis * Good exposure to the actual financial industry if you position yourself correctly - which is good if that is where you want to continue your career * Good networking opportunities * Good perks & benefits * Good place to start or finish your career
Cons
* Absurd micro-management * They promote a mobility culture, yet when you do move positions, peers hired from the street will always get more money than you do * Permanent negative stimulation (you're never good enough) * Often people who manage to look "busy" (pack agenda with mostly unnecessary calls and meetings) get higher up that the ones that actually do something but lack handwaving * Befriend management to increase your chances to be noticed (re. point above) * On top of the already long hours, you will almost always end up putting a number of extra hours, which are not paid * Consequently, your personal life ends up either seriously impacted or revolving around work * Talent retention has nosedived in recent years * Not necessarily a con, but new hires pay is now consistent with being a vendor, not the "banking" levels from years past. Expect an average vendor salary.