Pros: Lots of smart colleagues to work with. Good compensation.

Cons: Very results-driven finance culture. Lots of results expected, and you need to navigate extremely dated/poor quality tech.

Pros: Fast-paced, productive, and result-oriented environment. Interesting work: both from a finance perspective (constantly evolving trading strategies, asset classes, etc.) and a pure technology perspective (solving real scalability and resiliency problems). Technology is deeply respected and tech culture is long-term focused. Very horizontal. Everyone contributes. Thin "management layer". Little to no "face time" requirements, as long as you get your work done. Compensation is good for the industry. Free food.

Cons: - The path for growth isn't obvious due to a very horizontal structure. - "Crunch time" isn't common, but can be stressful and time-consuming. - It can be competitive.

Pros: - Small, collaborative teams with passionate people. - Constant work on projects that add business value. - Ability to experience rapid career growth. - Opportunities to take ownership over large projects from early stages of your career.

Cons: - Hours can be long and demanding, so managing expectations is very important. - High turnover and tight deadlines can be quite stressful at times.