Pros: Have a chance to code financial applications. Big company opportunity to learn.

Cons: legacy technology, company unique technology

Pros: I'm on a product that impacts many clients. As a result, there's always lots of work to do, from implementing new features to optimizing performance. My team almost feels like a startup, in that each person's contributions are valued and needed.

Cons: As the product I work on is already pretty mature, the features I work on sometimes feel like micro-optimizations to an already very stable product. I would like to see more analytics from features we ship, and would like to be more involved in what we do with such feedback. It seems like we never look back, and even if we create a feature that isn't used, we never seem to ask why. We always have tight deadlines ahead of us, and so implementing these new features takes priority. Sometimes I wonder what the product vision is.

Pros: The company seems to take reasonably good care of you, with a good compensation package and benefits, and a bright, lively working environment. There is a lot of expertise around to learn from if your objective is to develop an understanding of financial markets. The work is fast-paced, and you will seldom find yourself bogged down in your job. The ability to handle pressure and look at problems from a business perspective is valued. Good kitchens.

Cons: The codebase is old and can be frustrating at times. Core technical people who want to develop their technical skill set will be put off by the demand to get the solution out to customers, often sacrificing quality. If you're in a team that works on legacy products rather than new ones, the skills you pick up will be in proprietary tech that is not transferable. The flat hierarchy (3 levels from a new, fresh-from-college hire to the head of R&D) may not leave room for advancement that you can show on your resume.