Citadel reviews

Citadel once could be described as a small firm full of exceptionally bright people that would not take no for an answer. Technologists would face a problem and work together to craft solutions for the firm. The company truly felt like one unit moving towards a common goal. As things changed, Ken unfortunately let in the belief that only persons with certain educational backgrounds or experience would lead to the next leg of success. I have seen definite growth in the business over the years, but the work environment has become cut-throat, toxic, and good ideas are often consumed by others not innovative enough to craft their own. Friendships have quickly been lost, people vanish constantly, giving a constant fear in the air of who is next on the chopping block, and process abounds as the firm grows, delaying project rollouts. The team atmosphere has been lost and it is unfortunately now living up to the reputation it has externally.

There are two key problems with working in any BO/MO position at Citadel: 1. You have no future within the company doing anything besides what you are doing now. HR and your manager(s) may pretend like there will be opportunities, but that will never happen and you can look at the people at the firm for proof. Nobody transitions into anything desirable. Advancements are in title only. There are people that have been there for 10 years and are 'managers' and even directors that are doing the same menial work that interns will do. There is zero chance for professional growth or career development. The leadership is entrenched (if you would even want their jobs) and not leaving anytime soon. Stay far away if you are ambitious because, despite the name and compensation, it is very much a dead end for your career. Your only hope for meaningful career advancement is to leave for another firm after 3-5 years (which is all Citadel is trying to get out of you). 2. You are compensated more because you are expected to work dramatically more hours than comparable positions anywhere else. On an hourly basis, you are paid the same as people anywhere else, often even less. It is common to work >12hr days in a MO or BO role at Citadel and not uncommon to see people putting in 14 hour days and working weekends. This happens because there is consistent understaffing and a lack of respect for life outside of work. The claim from management is that you need to 'leverage technology,' which is mostly unsubstantiated rhetoric. Many things cannot (currently) be automated. This would be tolerable if there was any future for people willing to put in such work, but there is not.