Bridgewater Associates reviews

The Community - the people are what make a place and the people and relationships you build working here are really one of a kind and long lasting. You are surrounded by really smart people with all different and interesting life experiences, who work hard, care a lot about this place and will have genuine conversations with you about what they think and push to help you get better. There is no talking behind peoples backs or shady decision making happening behind closed doors - its an open environment where we work through problems and feedback together and in that, creates very trusting and honest relationships. If you want to be at a place where you can just be yourself and surround yourself with other people doing the same thing, this is a great community to be a part of. The Personal Growth– I have learned so much about myself while working here, which has helped me evolve both professionally and personally. It’s just such a cool experience to think about who I was when I joined, how much I have grown in these past 5+ years (i.e. I’m a much better problem solver, more open minded) and to imagine what my journey will be like as I continue to evolve in the future. The rate of improvement and learning here is like nowhere else I have experienced and it’s just such a unique opportunity to be at a company that fosters so much personal evolution and learning. Ability to Make Impact – this place and your job really are what you make it. You have a set of goals and responsibilities but how you achieve those things can really be up to you. This place wants independent thinkers, people who strive to make things better, will put themselves out there with ideas and have the drive to take on projects or improve how we are doing things. In my experience here, I really have seen this to be true. We are a growing firm with lots of change happening so it’s really an exciting time to be a part of this place and the opportunity to make an impact really is huge.

I found my transition into Bridgewater surprisingly easy. Everyone talks about how unique and harsh the culture is, but the way of being at BW felt natural to me from the start... I have been there for 2+ years and I have found it to be a very liberating place to work. Everyday I just walk in and be myself. I am not stressed about looking good (both figuratively and literally since you can wear what you want) or worried about office politics or what's going on behind closed doors. I just focus on doing my very best at my responsibilities and being open to the learning that comes along the way. I always know where I stand on my performance because I get the feedback constantly. I find by and large my colleagues to be of high integrity and easy to get along with. And unlike other places, I know what management is talking about behind those closed doors bc they send out the tapes of it to everyone! Its awesome to not have to fear about making mistakes or saying "I don't know" - just frees up your mindshare. I can focus on how I can contribute and make impact without distractions that can come into play in more "typical" work environments. Also a big plus for me and one of the reasons why I came to BW is the high standards that it maintains. It doesn't mean that everything is perfect - far from it ... but the place despises mediocrity and laziness. It really is a place that wants to be excellent and acknowledges where it is isn't. BW doesn't tolerate slackers or people who are just "along for the ride". Who really wants to work with those type of people?