Work your A** OFF, but compensated to work your A** off....
Pros
- Satisfied with compensation* (Please note that I am generally not too hard to please--esp given that many peers in my age group were out of work) - Excellent benefits package - Excellent cafeteria food - Dinners ordered after 6PM were paid for by the firm (up to $25 dollars) - Worked in a group with some generally good people (DEF not the norm; group specific) - Worked in a group where weekend work was not always required (DEF not the norm; group specific)
Cons
- Consistently long work days (12hrs+; on par with investment banking hours) - Managers' expectations would not always be 100% clear - Days where down time was excessive; and work wouldn't begin until PM hours (leading to inevitable late nights) - Very senior heavy group lead to junior folks being spread thin to take on time consuming grunt work