Pros
-- Good industry exposure: You can absorb knowledge about financial services and entrepreneurship.
-- High-level access: I got involved in high-stakes projects (e.g. startup research for potential partnerships, emerging market contenders)
Cons
-- Woefully disorienting onboarding: Expect to be thrown into the deep end immediately. My first interaction with management was being ushered into a live external meeting, mid-session, with zero context.
-- Competitive, male-dominated culture: The department I was in rewarded posturing and "brownnosing" over actual output. Information is often withheld by peers to maintain a competitive edge, leaving new hires to guess their responsibilities.
-- Performative communication: Similarly, meetings are frequently dominated by people talking over one another to impress leadership. If you're introverted or prefer to prepare thoughtful insights before speaking, you will likely be sidelined or excluded from future discussions.
-- Shifting priorities: Management priorities change so rapidly that diligent work can become irrelevant within days. It's common to complete a project only to have it discarded immediately due to sudden pivots in direction.
-- Exclusionary tactics: Towards the end of my tenure, I experienced staggered exclusion, i.e. being left off calendar invites or told my presence wasn’t required. It’s a culture where being quiet is mistaken for meek.