Pros
The starting salary for a London associate is £40,000 for the first year and £42,000 in the second, which is reasonable if you stick to the standard working hours (8:30 AM - 6:30 PM). The work environment varies depending on the team you join, but my colleagues were supportive and very helpful. The office facilities feature two well-stocked kitchen and a workplace experience team that goes above and beyond to keep everything running smoothly. They also organize fantastic events and parties, adding a fun and engaging touch to the workplace.
Cons
Working here often means staying very late, not just until 9 PM but sometimes until 11 PM, 1 AM, or even 2 AM. Managers seem to embrace this, smiling as they make you start again at 8:30 AM the next day without any consideration for your well-being. The company’s "client-first" mindset means your health, personal plans, or social life are irrelevant—projects must be completed whenever your manager deems fit. Deadlines are treated as flexible but only in a way that squeezes employees to work faster, often at the expense of their mental and physical health. Micromanagement is a real issue, with managers promoted for their ability as associates to generate cash for the company rather than their leadership or soft skills, leaving inexperienced managers to oversee equally young and inexperienced graduates advising large-scale private equity clients. The offboarding process is deeply disrespectful. You are abruptly told it is the last day, escorted out of the building by a manager, and denied the chance to say goodbye to colleagues. My belongings were packed without care, resulting in personal items going missing, while trash and even a stranger's shoes were included in my bag. The advertised salary model is misleading, as achieving the high wages is incredibly difficult. If your manager offers a client a discount, that amount comes out of your compensation, regardless of your input. I strongly advise against taking up a role here as the role you are applying for might not be the role you end up doing.