Pros
The job is a very intriguing blend of finance and technical knowledge and is a really fantastic opportunity to manage products and gain significant responsibility straight out of school. Job security is pretty strong because once you've been here for a few months, you're responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue, and the company is still focused on growing quickly despite the financial environment. The company is very serious about its values in an extremely positive way; both the data team and the company give out awards for "efficiency" and "ownership," and the company gives out awards for transparency and other demonstrations of positive values. There is a focus on self-improvement and owning up to mistakes, but without long-term animosity or judgement. Work-life balance is also huge; I'm encouraged to take time off when I'm not feeling well or dealing with the emergency, and everyone is encouraged to take vacations even when they're right out of training (we had a new hire in March take 2 weeks off in July). Everyone here works on different schedules, some people start early, others come into the office around 10, and it's very easy to log off when you need to during the day. I'd say on average I work 35-40 hours a week, never more than 45, and can run errands or just take some time to relax when I need it. I think if someone is struggling with work hours they're probably having trouble with coding and are not being transparent about the challenges they're facing, as plenty of training projects and other timelines were adjusted when I faced challenges (including spending > 25 hours on a client request we decided to "bill" 8 hours for). Also, the management is awesome. If you can snag a 1:1 with Jordan (VP of Product), he's super insightful about improvements, problem-solving, and general business philosophy. There's a strong culture of challenging people to learn and do their best without toxicity, and the management chain embodies that well (it is entirely possible that some people with bad experiences do have bad managers, as the only person who has left my team this year did so for a promotion and pay raise at a competitor). Promotions and responsibility increases happen quickly and stakeholders are incredibly fair about them (no strict timelines, backpay is common, etc.). That being said, every posted experience here is real and mine is just one. This type of role and company is clearly not a fit for everyone.
Cons
Training is challenging if you haven't had practical experience in SQL and Python, or working with databases more generally (I had R experience), and the first 2 weeks of training are at least 50 hours of work. However, there is a strong amount of screening via the projects in the application process. Part of "ownership" can also mean working late when a report needs to go out, or a system needs to be urgently fixed. It can be easy to stay connected to work when you're supposed to be on vacation. The current pay structure has been in place for a couple years, and rent/salaries more broadly have gone up since then. I'm hoping it gets adjusted in the next year or two.
