Interactive Brokers
Poor incentives, lack of accountability across regions
I worked on one team of many around the globe who deal with similar issues, depending on the region of the client. My team was by far the most professional, timely, knowledgeable, and successful of any other. Because the managers of the Greenwich held us to high standards, we often picked up the slack left over from other regions. Through a lack of accountability grew an incentive of these other groups to neglect, and sometimes outright ignore, their work knowing that it would be picked up by my team. That said, I learned a great deal about all aspects of the financial markets, and worked with great people who were motivated and hard-working. It was an excellent stepping stone in my career.
Great place to get entry level experience
Perfect for recent grads who don't have any experience in the financial world. Average ramp time 1-2 months and your off handling issues. Most stay 18-24 months.
Pros
Free Lunch
Cons
Micro Managment
Tech company vibe with finance focus
Environment is like a tech company: casual dress (polo and khais), free lunch everyday, snacks twice a day, and loose working hours. Everyone is laid back and the hours are very good. Only stay late if you put off a project that needs to be completed. Little red tape or managerial hierarchy.
Great learning environment
Great training was provided to most of us. We have a flexible schedule, somewhat. I picked up on the systems very quickly because although cumbersome, the were quite intuitive.
Good company
IB offers an opportunity for work/life balance. Centrally located in downtown Chicago, the commute is easy by public transportation. The company is rapidly growing with opportunities in multiple fields.
Pros
Free lunches, free healthcare, tuition reimbursement, no overtime
Cons
Hectic work environment
Great Place for Financial Career Advancement and Skill Building
Interactive Brokers is a great entry point to the world of Finance and Capital Markets.
You will work with different types of customers and have to provide real-time solutions to their issues. Stressful job with rewarding perks such as free lunch and great health benefits.
401k after 6 months and Stock+Cash Bonus
You will work with different types of customers and have to provide real-time solutions to their issues. Stressful job with rewarding perks such as free lunch and great health benefits.
401k after 6 months and Stock+Cash Bonus
Pros
Free Lunches, Great Benefits, Great Work/Life Balance, Amazing place to build skills
Cons
Some Micro-management, Stressful environment at times
terrible place to work
I wish there was a 0 rating
If you like working in a library environment where no one speaks to anyone, if you like a job where the only people who get good and interesting work have been there for decades, if you like working at
a job where you have no communications with anyone other than email, if you like working with antiquated technology, if you like working as a new hire in a place where the documentation is only the code, if you like working in a place where they look for people that have a anti-social disorder, if you like terrible management and a very damaged corporate culture , if you like working in an environment where people have been there for decades protecting their pathetical little fiefdoms by not helping new hires that threaten them
then this is the perfect job for you
If you like working in a library environment where no one speaks to anyone, if you like a job where the only people who get good and interesting work have been there for decades, if you like working at
a job where you have no communications with anyone other than email, if you like working with antiquated technology, if you like working as a new hire in a place where the documentation is only the code, if you like working in a place where they look for people that have a anti-social disorder, if you like terrible management and a very damaged corporate culture , if you like working in an environment where people have been there for decades protecting their pathetical little fiefdoms by not helping new hires that threaten them
then this is the perfect job for you
Pros
Benefits but no time off, free lunch
Cons
Poor Management, Antiquated Technology, Very Cut Throat
Stressful!
It's like working for a telemarketing company. No support, not tools to work with, poor training. New Accounts department is the worse, it's cut throat and stressful, also causes anxiety. They have no training manual and expect for you to learn everything overnight then work at the same pace as people who been there for 10 years or more. People don't get promoted but you are expected to work at a very fast pace. Numbers matter more than the quality of work. They give you free lunch so that you are glued to your desk.
Pros
free lunch
Cons
stressful environment and poor training
Enjoyable people to work with
Able to grow skills and adjustable pace. Sometimes can be slower, other times much faster.
Would have to say the co. hires newly graduated so they don't have to pay as much.
Serious about their work but also very casual and kind
Would have to say the co. hires newly graduated so they don't have to pay as much.
Serious about their work but also very casual and kind
No advancement
Highly administrative tasks with focus on processes instead of results. High turnover in customer services. If you like micromanagement and stable job you will like it here but be prepared to earn low salary and be humiliated daily.
Pros
Free lunches
Cons
no breaks, micromanagement
Self Employed
Buy and sell stocks daily (day trader), researched and analyzed stocks using different indicators, abreast of business news worldwide to minimize risk
Free lunch was good
IB is so cool and their website is convenient for self service. as a employee we get share options each year. the company is growing and has cheapest fees.
Pros
free lunch
Cons
expected to work on certain holidays
Poor Leadership
Its a good place to start your career as you are constantly learning about the securities industry.
Poor leadership does not help the company culture; lots of red tape.
Poor leadership does not help the company culture; lots of red tape.
Pros
Great insurance.
Cons
Eating at your desk everyday
great place to work
- exciting use of technology
- fun work environment with great people
- diverse projects to work on
- casual work environment
- unlimited PTO
- challenging situations
- fun work environment with great people
- diverse projects to work on
- casual work environment
- unlimited PTO
- challenging situations
Pros
great team
Cons
location
Lots of work
Lots of work! Often too much work to be done and they expect you to stay late. Truly they need to hire a lot more people, but seem to have a difficult time.
Pros
Job security
Cons
Breaks are discouraged
Opportunity to different sectors of the company
Being stationed in Hong Kong, we are expected to cover multiples tasks as a client service rep and because of that, we got to learn a lot about the company and its different departments.
Pros
Free lunch
Cons
short breaks
Good people but
Good and supportive coworkers focused on processes rather than on results. Detailed oriented people highlighting mishaps is the way they teach. Overall you will learn a lot about the brokerage business every day.
Pros
free lunch
Cons
no breaks
Great Place to work
Excellent firm to learn financial operations and wear many hats. New graduates will quickly learn all aspect of operations, company hierarchy in a fast paced environment.
very intense work enviroment
Very intense environment.
Have to answer over 200 emails daily .
Have to answer phone queries from clients.
Contact stock exchanges for price adjustments on errors.
Have to answer over 200 emails daily .
Have to answer phone queries from clients.
Contact stock exchanges for price adjustments on errors.
Pros
free lunches
Cons
No breaks, must eat lunch at desk.
Great platform for active traders
There's very little to complain about, other than the lack of vwap on charts. Being a day trader and having used several brokers, I can say IB is one of the best I've used. Cheap rates, good execution, and a lot of instruments to trade :)
Pros
Can trade nearly anything under the sun
Cons
No vwap on charts
Pretty much like working in a library
They like to hire introverts, at least for programmers; there is a questionnaire in the interview. So there's not a lot of culture, and "chit-chat" is discouraged. Not generally cutting-edge tech, or particularly high coding standards.