Goldman Sachs
Investment & Asset Management · New York, US
Overview
They're a high-stakes global leader where the brand opens doors but the work-life balance is notoriously tough. Headquartered in New York, they are a dominant force in investment and asset management with a massive global presence across major financial centers. As a public giant with tens of thousands of employees, they maintain a significant hiring pace with over a thousand active job openings. They offer top-tier deal exposure and access to some of the brightest peers in the industry.
About Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a leading global investment banking, securities and investment management firm that provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, financial institutions, governments and high-net-worth individuals. Founded in 1869, the firm is headquartered in New York and maintains offices in all major financial centers around the world.
What to consider
- Demanding work-life balance: Employees consistently report long hours and high stress as standard trade-offs for the prestige and exposure of working here.
- Stagnant pay increases: Internal reviews highlight that annual pay bumps often range from just 3-5%, which many employees feel lags behind market rates.
Signals
- Strong financial performance: Reported 2Q26 net revenues of $20.34 billion and net earnings of $6.63 billion.
- Regional expansion: Expanding their Dallas footprint with an 800,000-square-foot campus opening in 2028.
- Low CEO approval: CEO rating stands at 64, significantly lower than the firm's overall career opportunities rating.
- Strict office policy: Maintaining a firm 5-day in-office requirement for most teams despite industry trends.
Technology & focus
They build high-performance trading platforms, quantitative modeling systems, and consumer-facing digital banking solutions. Their engineering challenges center on low-latency processing, data security for massive financial transactions, and transitioning legacy systems to the cloud. The culture emphasizes technical excellence and reliability in a highly regulated environment.
- Quantitative Trading
- Digital Banking
- Transaction Banking
- Asset Management Systems
Why people join & leave
Why people join
- Industry-leading brand prestige
- Exposure to high-profile deals
- Elite peer group and networking
Why people leave
- Extremely long working hours
- Slow base salary growth
- Twice-yearly layoff cycles
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