Pros
Great training program. I feel like management and the research team does a pretty good job of making sure you are prepared on all aspects for you to have the potential to be successful. The company is growing. Your job is secure for 2 years unless you suck at your job. 90% of people are really out going, energetic people. This can be a con if a hyper work environment is not your thing. Team oriented environment. You get the opportunity to collaborate with team members across all offices. The company is actively trying to make it easier for cross department communication. I feel like this actually increased in the time I worked there because this wasn't necessarily the case when I started. Bonus structure is definitely a plus. Intro to business, on the investment side. I did not study business in college and have very little knowledge of how investment banks, hedge funds, etc. worked. Third Bridge (Cognolink) definitely made it so that you could actually understand what you were working on. They have an in house learning module that you can use in your spare time to catch up on some business 101 you may have missed. International travel. If you do well at the company, they have a great incentive program that will let you travel to one of the of other offices for 2 weeks all expenses paid. Two year program (pro). This is what they call their research program more or less. They say you can make this job into anything you want it be if you decide to transition out. I do agree with this to a certain extent. If you are interested in working for a bit and going back to school, going to work for a related business firm, or if this a short term gig for you, then this is definitely a good fit. You gain a lot of client management, "research", networking, and sales related skills. Snacks. The kitchen was always stocked with bagels, fruit, health bars, cheese sticks, sodas, coffee, tea, etc.
Cons
They pay isn't unreasonable but just understand before going in that you can probably get paid better at one of their competitors. Management will tell you that they pay what most of the industry pays but I don't necessarily agree having transitioned to a similar firm. Two year program (con). Basically the philosophy, and their study, shows that if you don't get into upper management or become a Team Leader in two years then they will help you "find a new opportunity." That's not to say the company isn't growing and there aren't positions available to move into, but its my opinion that this is partially how they keep costs low (which is actually smart). I understand being candid with employees is a plus but you basically have to decide early on if you're going to stay with the company or you're going to seek other opportunities in a year or two. There isn't a whole lot of time to "decide" if this is the best fit for you because it either is or you'll be helped out. Culturally, I feel the company is now too big to act like a start-up. Company happy hours are fun, but for the most part people go to these with the intention of getting very intoxicated. The environment can feel like a cliquey, fraternity at times. Upper management can appear to be an exclusive club. Though they were easy to talk to and bring your concerns to, it often felt like your concerns would not be kept private among upper management and the others on the research floor. Its kind of a teacher's pet atmosphere. If you're good at your job and management likes you, you are set. But if that's not the case, than its very obvious to everyone.
