Goldman Sachs

"Given the up or out culture if you choose to be focused on raising kids, you will be pushed out (same for men but it take a bit longer for them). And if you don't choose that, why have kids? Initially I didn't want kids, but my husband convinced me to try and once I had them I wanted to enjoy them so I had to move elsewhere after 6 good years plus a few months when I started to see the signs that I am not appreciated anymore after having my first child... Maybe I should not have waited for bonus time to receive confirmation, but I was able to move on soon after that to a better fitting role."

"Depends on the team you work for - it can be a hit and miss. Lots of politics and very hierarchal "

"Coming full time to the office as mandatory requirement for everyone."

"How easy is to get ED (VP2 4 US colleagues)@S&T/Global Markets in London? If you know how to play the corp. game and diversity card it is possible without qualification, weak education etc. Common misconception is it is difficult not being sb protégé. Well, I was recruited last year by direct HR approach (typically for +VP grades) However, I can call myself very lucky as HR on-board me although: - I was disciplinary terminated @BofA in 15’ focusing on the last employer instead. Lucky this hasn’t impacted my screening, most banks perform much detailed checks further in history! - I'm 100% non-TARGET (Uni, MBAs, background etc)I have low (3.6/5.0) M.Sc. Marketing/Accounting of Eastern Europe UNi, non target even there, 2nd degree- but never finished back at home, started ACCA which failed after 1st exam, same goes to FCA etc. An obvious trick was do buy instead MBA(nb fails those!) the cheapest London’s MBA(100% pass rates+ CMI incl. for free) nb cares, West London at the end my programme which I had to extended, luckily merged with City Uni - what confused HR as it is still same low quality with other slightly better label). Most banks won’t even care about those, somehow GS/Morgan HR’s need tick this off for any promotion, won’t even consider it as any value as you can easily cheat and outsource most assignments to copywriters like most ppl did. Professional qualification in other hand requires sacrifice doing everything all exams by yourself, what was/is challenge for expats not fluent in English. Have you wondered why some EDs having very weak education like me, barely know how to draft an emails and overall suck in communication (now you have an answer) not to mention being threaten by more skilled co-workers? - I do not have Russel Group (UK)/Ivy business diploma – nothing further from this in fact, as I have graduated mediocre accounting major in one of Easter European uni, not even the most competitive major to start with, this does not make sense hearing about top schools requirements at all. - My background by no means wasn’t FO,as I came from generic op. Firmops,CA experience, never been involved in actually sells pitching, direct clients interaction, not like most transfers to FO coming neither Risk or Research, Finance nor Markets exp - I’m not qualified – neither FCA, FRM, ACCA etc, in fact Analyst, Assoc. I supervise are 2x more technical superb than me, as far my +15 YOE middle/back office operational support goes. I have failed FCA, so MBA with impossible to fail(100% successful rate) at West London was my way around, especially as they merged it with City Uni at final study what confused HR even more and giving other label for quality same school instead. - For 7-8 years I got stuck as Associate, promoted in the previous company only recently because of D&I and MBA. it is difficult to call such a purchased MBA any qualifications ... unless you are just an administrator, who can be easily challenged by anyone with better sector / technical knowledge - CHEAT TRICK there are MBAs and “MBAs”- I have completed the cheapest (budget limitation and language barrier) non-target (some called it Micky Mouse MBA) London’s MBA as typical those throw in meaningless CMI paper incl in price, both nb really cares but HR needs to tick this off – costed +£16k, which was later luckily merged with City Uni.The main requirement was pass basic IELTS test (some might laugh) not like in professional MBA programmes (GMAT) not to mentioning LSE, ISEAD and rest Russel’s Group requirements! Most of my colleagues @GS have graduated LSE etc (for £110k-140£k eMBA) however due to language, communication I was also forced to use extensive help copywriters (fiverr, gumtee lots of them to choose from) to pass final result. One of advantages MBA over restrict self-study qualification as many people and alumni was doing the same, due to work commitments or just pure laziness etc. MBAs are more restrictive due to their costs not level, as you will not be banking expert after 1year (18mths generic program for working professionals), of course, there are exemptions, not mine. - My communication skills although average at the best, I have never studied English language as my 1st foreign language, nor eastern accent luckily hasn’t impacted my chances. I know it is huge obstacle in other FS sectors at senior level. - Finally if I were representing a different gender, probably not meeting diversity targets (GS it is no surprise aims to influx % women giving us a bit blind eye, I wouldn’t stand a chance among male colleagues, with CFAs, LSEs etc) Overall I’m so grateful and happy that I can lead own team and set own targets as well recruit people suitable for business and my management own personal goals. “The firm is committed to providing equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all qualified persons …including race, nationality, gender, religion and age.” Well GS’s own policy isn’t followed by many, the reality is other way round. So much depends on people. I am keep telling friends that in this business critical thinking is disadvantageous, there is no space for too old, too experienced candidates, as they tend to create leaderships challenges and raising uncomfortable questions about sense and ways of doing things. Craftsmanship speed, accuracy are the most important in this role alongside soft skills managed (@ the end not the most knowledgeable or skilled is promoted!).I personally tend to recruit only young candidates, who are willing to make effort, work long hours and do not challenge supervisors causing unnecessary fractions. Why I would recruit sb you can possess a threat to my role in first place! Ethics& Integrity: Neither GS nor my previous bank wouldn’t probably mind if I will admit that I’ve spent few years clamming council social housing benefits as well, living with my further family in their council flat and still work as Director (savings ‘000 in the process, just using loopholes).I simply used an opportunity as I was learnt doing at work and play the game. To summarize I am not exactly a raw model for junior colleagues (sometimes) better qualified and technically skilled on the job than me, in terms of neither technicality nor especially ethics at all, but as they came to me and once you are in, who cares! "

"Only reason why HR so much lowered a threshold for me and my application was a fact I'm a women (as Goldman after lawsuit and paying $215m compensation tries so much to get more women into front office roles). it is great to see more women in those kind of roles (especially front office) but wining in that way i don't think is fair and discriminate others (not only men) minorities as well. Banks and GS never get this right! One way or another...always biases."

"Whilst working here I enjoyed the challenges and projects that I worked on. People were friendly and very approachable. Benefits package on paper was very good. I was made redundant after coming back from maternity leave as a part of their large scale cost cutting exercise. I know I am not the only one.. "

"It's a high-stress environment where work is expected to come before family. However, they do offer fantastic maternity leave and good insurance options. They are also working to get more women in leadership, which is always great to see."

"My experience at Goldman is internal mobility can be extremely difficult when you are trying to level up, particularly outside of your division. It’s very much who you know and being in the right place at the right time rather than networking with recruiters. Give the firm a chance to develop your career, but if they don’t invest in you, look externally. "

"Great parental leave benefits and pregnancy benefits. How you are treated more generally will depend upon your team."

"Amazing maternity leave benefits and a generous bonus program. However, the company is currently lacking when it comes to internal mobility opportunities. The current CEO has juniorized roles making it very hard to move up the corporate ladder. "

"Be ready to be marginalized. I had the worst experience here and can't wait to be free!"

"For those interested in finance, GS is a fantastic place to work. Matching 401k, 20 weeks maternity leave, and opportunities for mobility set employees up for long term success. HOWEVER work life balance is awful and doesn’t seem to improve as you get more senior. "

"It’s very difficult to achieve work life balance, and you’re made to feel guilty by not being available all the time. I was the only woman in my group, and was always assigned at least 4-5 female interns / new hires to “mentor” which took an incredible amount of time away from my day to day job. When I raised this to recruiting, they mentioned the need for pairing female interns & new hires with female mentors, but ignored the concerns I had. I’ve been called “too aggressive” and “emotional” in my performance reviews (not in the written review, but out loud by my boss). "

"Thick skin is a must, and if you’re going to work in engineering, you have to be much better than your male counterparts to get ahead."

"If you like to be controlled and silenced, this is the place for you. "

"Great place to learn and develop. Difficult for two parent working families given hours and expectations"

"I have never personally witnessed gender discrimination or a lack of opportunity for women in general here. Most of the people I work with are friendly, smart, and helpful. Of course, not everyone is a nice person but that's true of any employer. "

"It's better to be from Goldman than at Goldman. I'd recommend getting in and getting out after about 2 years. You'll meet some of the best people and worst people at Goldman. If you come in as an Analyst, you'll make some great friends and colleagues for life starting out your career. "

"You can have a flexible schedule with kids if you're in an upper management position"

"Negotiate high salary what you should be making. I found out a male colleague at same level was making $100,000 MORE! But then again, him and the boss are good buds. #bromance"

"This a place to learn from the best talent in the industry."

"Excellent place to work that champions diversity in every facet of the organization."

"Strong team culture with high bar of excellence. Lots of opportunity for strong performers. "

"The work culture at Goldman is no different than your home. Its very inclusive. The people are amazing, smart and there is always a person who is ready to help. You just need to ask!"

"I love my job at GS but the hours are long and you are expected to stay late more often than not."

"Very supportive colleagues of diverse backgrounds -- the work is challenging and the hours can be demanding, but the environment is also truly a meritocracy. I've never felt like I can't achieve/accomplishment something because of my background or appearance."

"It's a dynamic, engaging place to work where intellectual curiosity is celebrated and strong relationships are forged. "

"Run away. Misogyny is part of the corporate culture. You WILL be discriminated against."

"Depends on your age. If you’re young and single with no children then you will find your treatment is great. Not so much if you’re older with children. "

"Great people at GS, but it’s a demanding environment and work-life balance is difficult with the hours you’re expected to put in."

"GS has great policies and initiatives to support women in the workplace, is eager to see women succeed, and is always trying to evolve. It's a tough place to work given the pressure and pace, so might not be right for everyone."

"Balance varies depending upon division and department, but most people I know there worked very long hours. While the firm supports flexibility, maternal and paternal leave and options to work from home, there is still a need to work long hours to succeed and get the work done and meet deadlines."

"Great support for working mother, with onsite childcare center for emergency need (20 days a year). Great push on diversity, especially at the junior level, lots of support, mentoring opportunities. However, it does get tough to move up the ladder. Often I feel like to be successful, I'd need to do the job like my other male peers, hence the lack of female in senior management position. "

"Intense environment so you must advocate for what you need - develop a relationship with your manager and find mentors to help you navigate. "

"Maternity leave is 16 weeks with 100% pay. My software development team was almost 50% women. There are dedicated mother rooms that include a fridge, hospital grade pump, key card access and are able to be scheduled in Outlook. There is a Women In Technology organization that hosts events including a speaker series and volunteering to teach high school girls to code."

"I had a great intern experience. There are not as many women in tech as other divisions, but that’s typical "

"Very good managers in certain divisions but can run into others that are not helpful."

"Be sure to join affinity networks. It is a great way to meet strong women at the firm."

"On-site backup daycare can be used for 20 days a year. Very helpful"

"Need to have good family support at home bc work life balance not good."

"A demanding environment but it is improving in terms of opportunities and responsiveness to women's needs as moms etc."

"Leverage your gender to round out new ideas for serving clients, aka speak up"

"Great firm with great benefits, but not particularly friendly for working mothers, unless they compromise their family life."

"Great firm with great benefits, but not particularly friendly for working mothers, unless they compromise their family life. "

"If you want to make it to the top: great place. But the commitment is huge - it is not easy."

"The hours could be long, but you work with super qualified and dedicated people. "

"That there are a lot of opportunities for career advancement if you work extremely hard and are strategic about your relationships"

"There are many opportunities for women and there are many sponsors that support the promotion of women leaders at the firm."

"Set your own (realistic) boundaries and the firm will adjust"

"It's a tough place, but if you are in a good role it can be really rewarding. It's still one of the best places I ever worked. "

"Goldman Sachs offers great benefits, culture, development opportunities, and the people are for the most part fantastic"

"Overall a great place to work but like many banks, still heavily dominated by male leadership"

"Work with your team on your flexibility needs and take advantage of networks e.g. mentors, women networks etc."

"There are so many supportive colleagues and policies for women (and people of all backgrounds), but at the end of the day, women don't get promoted or paid (or put in the same jobs) as men - Something that is being fought against by leadership, but nonethless a persistent and nasty problem."

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"Great policies relative to other companies for maternity leave, lactation rooms, etc. Part time options can exist but doesn't allow you to progress. "

"Hours can be very long..Most women with children that I knew in senior roles had a full-time nanny."

"There are a lot of employee-friendly and family-friendly policies on the books. Your manager plays a big role in what type of flexibility you can achieve--policies are in place but often don't apply equally to everyone (example: you can work from home but occasionally and generally only with a rationale such as illness or some other extenuating circumstance. It's the exception and not the norm in most cases--but gets easier the more senior a person is)."

"They have pretty good programs for working moms such as on site lactation center, on site backup daycare, flex work arrangements and etc. however people are very demanding and work gets quite stressful so often that you can't really have work-life balance. It's constantly skewed to work if you want to be successful in this company. If you try to have work-life balance here, you will have bard time keeping up with the work load. I manage to leave the office "early" at six o'clock but end up either working my blackberry constantly or log into work at night."

"Great company, beautiful office, awesome company culture. Good work-life balance. "

"There are a fair amount of women in analyst, associate, and vice president levels. However, once you try to get to the MD level, women are not as visible. This is likely due to the high demands and limited flexibility for home/work balance. So either women do not try to get promoted, or leave before it happens."

"Some of the departments are very fratty and male dominated. "

"Good maternity Leave 16 weeks paid"

"The company has carefully checked all the boxes from a policy and facility standpoint. I got 16 weeks paid leave and pumping facilities in the office. While I took the full 16 weeks, I noticed many people worked through mat leave and/or came back early. "

"There are not enough women at the top, but there are lots of women in the middle and the firm is working hard to get more women at the top."

"extremely difficult to juggle work life balance."

"Technology department treats women really well and does whatever they can to hire and retain them. I've been very happy here and have never had an issue if I had to leave early to pick up my children and I am allowed to work from home whenever necessary."

"I'm new to the company, but have had a solid experience so far from the perspective of being a woman in the organization. I don't feel that I'm treated any differently based on my gender. The firm is focused on advancing the careers of women within the firm. That said, I think the financial services industry at large still has a ways to go before equality is reached. There are still very few women in executive roles across the industry."

"* Be prepared to have your abilities challenged and questioned on every single project until you get your first big win in."

"I've worked here for 3 years and there are a lot of women working here, but predominantly in support roles. Generally I believe they are treated fairly but management is male-dominated and not diverse, which makes it tougher for women to "network" with them and get time with them. Younger men in support roles often challenge/push back on the women they work for in a way that they do not with the men they work for, and management isn't particularly open to hearing this feeedback."

"I've worked at Goldman Sachs for close to 12 years in a revenue producing role. I think there are incredible opportunities for women ( and men ) to excel. If you don't have the goods, you won't be successful on Wall Street, no matter if you're male or female."

"That you take advantage of generous sick time and not be hard onnmysrlf four being out."

"I worked here over 15 years. The pay is good but the hours are steep, i.e. you pay a price. Everybody is smart so be prepared for a stiff competition. Atmosphere is collegial with men socializing without women, so you need to have confidence to speak out."

"I would focus on building out the network. It has been and will always continue to be what will be the key to providing opportunities."

"This place is run like a boys club. Men for men about men. Very hard for women to break into male clique and advance in such a work environment."

"Good maternity leave benefits."

"It's crucial to network, have mentors and sponsors."

"I worked there when I was fairly young. I was hired as an analyst, but since I wasn't a technologist it was immediately assumed that I was an admin. I always had the sense that males in similar roles were treated differently, and frankly, paid more. With 20/20 hind sight, I should have pushed back harder when I felt I was being marginalized. On a broader level, the firm did have a number of benefits and initiatives that were beneficial to women. I think anyone woman working there would be best served seeking out those opportunities and finding a female mentor along the way."