Pros
I'm a 22 year Investment Associate at Bridgewater-- my first job out of college. I also interned as a Management Associate during college, so have had the somewhat unique experience of operating in both roles. Pros: - In my experience, the people have been hands down the best part of the job. I'm surrounded by a group that is incredibly smart, funny, willing to work hard, be challenged and have fun. A true community. - The firm encourages "acting like an owner," and so there are real opportunities and freedom to shape things that are bad. I think this creates a pretty cool, entrepreneurial environment (despite the size of the company) - There is a huge emphasis on personal/professional development at all levels, but I can speak best to the development of young Investment and Management Associates. I had weeks of intensive training before starting my job, I'm taking an investment class that spans the entire year, and get copious feedback on all aspects of my performance. People care enough about you and your trajectory to really invest the time to help you get better. - Interesting, challenging work. Throughout their time here, people assume as much responsibility as they can handle, so there's never a dull moment. And, if you are finding your work dull, you have the freedom to explore other opportunities within the firm. - The little things rock: fully stocked kitchen, catered lunch, bussing from NYC to connecticut, gyms, beautiful offices, great benefits, business casual dress code
Cons
- The firm's culture calls for achieving excellence through radical honesty and transparency-- which means a lot of negative feedback. This can be really hard, and hurt sometimes. Intellectually, I think it's a good way to operate but that doesn't mean it's not a challenge. - There is very little racial or gender diversity among the Investment Associate community. The gender ratio among Investment Associates is very bad. While there are ongoing efforts to figure out why this is the case, as a woman, the atmosphere can feel very masculine and alienating at times. - The hours are long (not like investment banking, but not a 9-5 either), and the commute from NYC to Westport CT is long. Many people have two places-- one in Connecticut and one in the city for the weekends.