Pros: There are perks. There is a lot to learn in the start.

Cons: More support less dev work Tech paying more for experienced people

Pros: You are surrounded with a very smart group of people who are very eager to help out. Collaboration is something that is built into Tower's culture. Some of the times you get to work on interesting problems. Even though management lacks in experience they are receptive to feedback. They mostly listen and try to help you out with future goals.

Cons: The worst thing about this place is its siloed nature. This is true mostly for core engineering. It's almost impossible to get a view of why you are doing some stuff. With time it has increasingly become "my way or the highway" sort of management. As the firm is growing so is the bureaucracy. It's very hard to get things done without getting permission from 100 different people. There is no way to grow up in the job. You just make more money and sit tight in hope that your superior resigns and they can't find someone external to replace them.

Pros: The people when I joined were the pros of the company. You could see the leaders resonate with ideas and act on them. They would listen to their lowest rung. The free lunch, breakfast, zen-like office space and snacks were the cherry on top. Technology is a double-edged sword, you have to have the best hardware and a team to build software to support that. Having said that, it is challenging yet exhausting... constantly. If you are from front-end, back-end, a cool startup or a bank it won't prepare you much for what Tower is. That's a good thing. You will be learning with the support of strong leaders. They will recognize your efforts and you will be rewarded.

Cons: The past is the dream. The present is the reality of different leaders, and a generation of new challenges coming to the HFT space. That reality is there is a dwindling support of strong leaders whether through numbers or priorities. Whether through mediocrity or exemplary efforts, compensation remains stagnant. The work and those constant challenges continue to grow and if you swim in this low morale with your peers, there is very little desire to remain.