[quote]Thanks everyone. This is very helpful. There seems to be a consensus on the work-life balance or lack thereof with GS. Sad really that for such a prestigious organisation no one has a decent word to say about them! When you research the organisation online you get this almost intimidatingly positive image of a financial services behemoth with stellar history, prestige and exit opportunities. And then you speak to the real people and quickly find out the conditions are nightmarish. I'm already getting paid a fortune and am miserable so will never take an offer on that basis from a bank. Fingers crossed for an offer from Google. Thanks again![/quote]I'm going to be contrary. Devil's Advocate if you will.You are wrong about GS. And therefore also Google.Google - on the outside, millenial, funky, creative, great people centre culture. Reality it Google is a profit machine no less than GS, and that sugar coating will rot your teeth quickly. What Google does do well - to some extent - is give people enough space to excel in their own way. That's fine - if you know what truly great looks like, how to get there, and how to communicate that outside of Google when the time comes. Most don't. I've seen people go there expecting the lights to come on, and then they don't. What often comes out is less impressive than the brand they left behind them. The best there are market changingly great - real rockstars. But there arent enough of them.GS - yes you will work harder than you ever thought possible. But this is the brand which outstrips all others - ALL of them. The reason is that GS take people who are already great and makes them - phenomenal. Yes at a cost to your life balance, and yes even a cost to your humanity in some small way. But sure enough your 'average' GSer will eat your average MBBer for breakfast, belch, then start training for a marathon. Forget online b*tching and what people say about the brand - focus on what you want the company to do for you first.
