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How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

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Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#151

Post by decafninja »

rkk3 wrote: post #87
lordnacho wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Managing Director, it's a sort of middle management role that a lot of people aspire to. Running a team, getting paid fairly decently.

> it's a sort of middle management role that a lot of people aspire to. Running a team, getting paid fairly decently. really, 7 figures a year is "getting paid fairly decently" ? MD in IB is the equivalent of "partner" in consulting, law firms etc. But the IB companies all went public so there is no controlling "partnership". Like "partner" it's the highest rung in the hierarchy and the distinction between them comes…

Does a tech MD at an investment bank really get a seven figure compensation?

Pretty sure I’m making more as a FAANGMULA company vanilla senior SWE than my old bank department’s tech MD. I know I’m definitely making considerably more than was my old D(irector) who was one level down from MD (also since departed to a FAANGMULA company and now a personal friend).

Now if we’re talking about a business side MD, especially a trader, then that’s a whole different story.

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#153

Post by decafninja »

iso1631 wrote: post #54
MattPalmer1086 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does vary, but I wouldn't describe Managing Director as a team lead. In the UK it was often equivalent to CEO. It could be the head of a business unit.

Yes, someone on the board that takes an active role in the company, or higher (The CEO)

In the context of an investment bank (I’ve worked at both US and UK ones, though they are all multinationals really), MDs would really just be higher ranking middle managers. The highest ranked would be direct reports to the C level. Some are line of business or department heads. I know some traders were MDs despite being “individual contributors” and not desk heads, etc.

Tech MDs, as with tech employees in general, we’re always lower in status than business ones.

Probably the first level of title that is actually meaningful though. There are legions of “Vice Presidents” and “Directors” at investment banks. Whereas MDs are comparatively much rarer.

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#154

Post by preds »

DeWilde wrote: post #85

Glassdoor does it for me. Most reviews have a bias towards negativity (those with hard feelings will usually take the time to let everyone know), so if the reviews are extra negative it is a good sign to steer clear. Reddit and HackerNews for more larger companies. Also, recently discovered a Chinese language forum 1point3acrees where there is some real candid talk about the larger/FAANG companies and their offices a…

The last place I worked at had some serious issues going on internally. A couple hundred people but a basically non functioning HR department. People being yelled at by managers without repercussion. Also just bad engineering culture - top down directives that didn't make sense to be spending time on.

About once a month there'd be an extremely negative review show up on glassdoor highlighting what it was actually like. Directors go into crisis mode then a few days later the review is gone. Apparently if you pay Glassdoor you can have reviews removed by just telling them it's not factual. So unfortunately it just can't be trusted.

Nowadays I talk to someone that works there off the record, outside of the interview process. Ideally a friend of a friend.

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#155

Post by stirfish »

mrkentutbabi wrote: post #18
bawolff wrote: post #3

> This is a GREAT one: “As a white man, I’d ask what they’ve done to find qualified women and minorities for the role I’m interviewing for.” I can't help but feel that asking questions during an interview that encourage the interviewer to hire someone who is not you, is a bad strategy for actually getting the job.

Yup this is “what the hell” for me. I’m Asian

Same, "what the hell", then I followed the link to twitter to see if it was a joke or troll, then another "what the hell"

I'm black

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#156

Post by MattPalmer1086 »

decafninja wrote: post #153
iso1631 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, someone on the board that takes an active role in the company, or higher (The CEO)

In the context of an investment bank (I’ve worked at both US and UK ones, though they are all multinationals really), MDs would really just be higher ranking middle managers. The highest ranked would be direct reports to the C level. Some are line of business or department heads. I know some traders were MDs despite being “individual contributors” and not desk heads, etc. Tech MDs, as with tech employees in general,…

Recognise the investment banking job title inflation!

When a couple of people who used to work for me suddenly became Vice President, I congratulated them on their meteroic rise. Yeah, not so much they pointed out... :)

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#157

Post by mrkentutbabi »

stirfish wrote: post #155
mrkentutbabi wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yup this is “what the hell” for me. I’m Asian

Same, "what the hell", then I followed the link to twitter to see if it was a joke or troll, then another "what the hell" I'm black

My brother from another mother!!! Welcome!

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#158

Post by AwaAwa »

wobbleblob wrote: post #103
bawolff wrote: post #3

> This is a GREAT one: “As a white man, I’d ask what they’ve done to find qualified women and minorities for the role I’m interviewing for.” I can't help but feel that asking questions during an interview that encourage the interviewer to hire someone who is not you, is a bad strategy for actually getting the job.

Why? I bring that up in every job interview. None of them have ever found it objectionable. In my experience, except for some startups, it's something every company in tech is at least thinking about. As an industry we are wasting so much potential. How many great candidates end up not interviewing with you when they see your entire tech staff consists of white and asian men aged 25-35?

As a visible minority, any such policy has me running for the hills. I'd like to be considered for my skill, because I know that I'll be working with people of a similar cut.

Granted its an archaic notion. Checking out from work, and checking in to DEI is probably a more financially successful endeavor.

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#159

Post by rkk3 »

decafninja wrote: post #151
rkk3 wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> it's a sort of middle management role that a lot of people aspire to. Running a team, getting paid fairly decently. really, 7 figures a year is "getting paid fairly decently" ? MD in IB is the equivalent of "partner" in consulting, law firms etc. But the IB companies all went public so there is no controlling "partnership". Like "partner" it's the highest rung in the hierarchy and the distinction between them comes…

Does a tech MD at an investment bank really get a seven figure compensation? Pretty sure I’m making more as a FAANGMULA company vanilla senior SWE than my old bank department’s tech MD. I know I’m definitely making considerably more than was my old D(irector) who was one level down from MD (also since departed to a FAANGMULA company and now a personal friend). Now if we’re talking about a business side MD, especially…

> Does a tech MD at an investment bank really get a seven figure compensation?

Some desks make more of less, but why wouldn't they? MD's at Goldman used to even have a minimum salary of 500k[1] and bonus is generally a multiple of that... I'm not sure what you mean specifically by "tech" but Quant Strat, HFT etc are extremely valuable.

> Pretty sure I’m making more as a FAANGMULA company

You very well could be, big tech has been on a tear for a decade so equity compensation is ridiculous.

[1] https://archive.ph/H9eKK/again?url=https://www.wsj.com/artic...

Re: How can you tell if the company youre interviewing with is rotten on the inside?

#160

Post by decafninja »

rkk3 wrote: post #159
decafninja wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does a tech MD at an investment bank really get a seven figure compensation? Pretty sure I’m making more as a FAANGMULA company vanilla senior SWE than my old bank department’s tech MD. I know I’m definitely making considerably more than was my old D(irector) who was one level down from MD (also since departed to a FAANGMULA company and now a personal friend). Now if we’re talking about a business side MD, especially…

> Does a tech MD at an investment bank really get a seven figure compensation? Some desks make more of less, but why wouldn't they? MD's at Goldman used to even have a minimum salary of 500k[1] and bonus is generally a multiple of that... I'm not sure what you mean specifically by "tech" but Quant Strat, HFT etc are extremely valuable. > Pretty sure I’m making more as a FAANGMULA company You very well could be, big t…

I was referring to tech as in general SWEs doing line of business work, etc. which would account for the majority of SWEs at banks.

I would put stuff like quants and HFT at a bank in a more rarified, elite, niche - perhaps on a tier similar to the elite hedge funds like Citadel. They’re not what I would think of first when describing “tech at a bank/finance” though. But definitely would agree their prestige and compensation is much higher.

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