“Ignore the rankings that say big US banks are the best places to work”

Another ranking is out, this time from LinkedIn, saying that big US banks are some of the best places to work for.

Take it from me: they are not.

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I have worked for the organisations at the top of the list and while there are undoubtedly some brilliant people there, these banks are not good places to work. They destroyed my career.

I was a top producer. I had no compliance or conduct issues, no blow-ups with anyone. My career was going well until a cabal of managing directors at the bank I worked for manipulated my numbers so that I looked bad. Then they got rid of me. 

I joined another US bank. It was no better. It was full of low quality people managing decrepit systems and had a mouse infestation on a trading floor that smelled like a toilet. 

You will not learn this kind of thing from reading ranking articles, which always present organisations in a good light. 

Large banks are not meritocratic. They are about politics, alignment and managerial incentives. Succeeding in one is not just about delivering outcomes – it’s about navigating these systems. And just because a bank is strong in one business area, don’t assume that it will be strong in your area. There are always huge nuances. 

Never be deceived by prestige. Having a logo on your resume will help up to a point, but not if you’re spewed out by a system that's being gamed by the kinds of corporate players that thrive in these places. 

Take it from me. You're better off joining a smaller name firm that doesn't attract narcissists. 

Fabien Grandis is a pseudonym

Follow me on X. Follow me on LinkedIn. 

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