Pros
Free coffee and pop. Nice location in the city. Working with those on the trading floor is a good experience. The contractors are generally very competent and good to work with.
Cons
The working environment for IT here is awful. From day one, the office was cold. There is a very hard, distinct line between employees and contractors. Very few full-time IT employees, mostly contractors. Definitely an US vs THEM environment and this comes directly from the IT Director on down. When there is any issue on a poorly planned project, their solution is to fire the contractor and put another on it. Supervisors are essentially completely absent for any real issues. Team leads are there to crack the whip but provide zero support to the employees and contractors. Very poor processes. Full time employees like the DBA are only interested in keeping their position secure and will only do what makes their job easier, not what's best for the company. No collaboration. They'll hang you out to dry. My advice to prospective contractors is this: If you don't have a job and are considering taking a contract position here, do it. But know that it's only temporary. They'll cut you in a heartbeat. Don't stop looking for something better, you WILL need it. If you already have a job somewhere, DON'T leave it for this place. There is zero loyalty and you could be throwing something away for nothing.
