analyst

associate

vice president

senior analyst

software engineer

Goldman Sachs

Your experience will vary given which team you're on. Overall, morale in SLC Credit is poor. The firm is very cheap; there isn't enough seating for everyone, so you will be constantly moved around the floor as they play musical chairs. In addition to being herded around like sheep, there are always shortages of equipment, so you might arrive one morning to find your keyboard or headset gone. Other than your comp, the firm will never spend a dime on you. You will never travel, you will never meet a client, you're not even allowed to bring your spouse to the holiday party. You'll be lucky if your team is treated to lunch once a year. Go ahead and throw away your suit and tie because you'll want to be in something more comfortable to sit at a desk for 8-12 hours a day; you're not going to do anything besides that. 

Given the above, turnover is terrible. Because of their inability to retain good people, teams are always behind on their tasks which leads to long hours, burnout, and more turnover. You'll likely be one of the more senior people on your team after a year because everyone else has quit. It's a vicious cycle that even the bank regulators are becoming concerned about. Management knows it's bad but won't do anything about it, instead they gush about how great and special the GS culture is. 

As a new analyst, Goldman is ok as you'll learn some skills and get their name on your resume, but after you make VP, your career is very limited. GS does not have Director titles in Credit (again, because Credit isn't important), so 99% of people will plateau at VP. Managing Director promotions are extremely rare and are not necessarily based on merit (office politics and diversity considerations come into play here) and you basically need to dedicate your life to the firm for 10+ years to have a shot at it. Again, the firm makes it very obvious that non-revenue generating staff are 2nd class. 

Despite all of this, if you wind up on a team with a good manager, it can be bearable. However, this can be luck of the draw depending which team you're assigned to. Some managers will put the time and effort into developing their people, others leave it to the other analysts and associates to train you. 

Comp and benefits are average to below average; analysts and associates may get raises but salaries at the VP level don't change much and might not even keep up with inflation. Bonuses haven't been great the past several years given how poorly the bank has performed. This may continue to be the case going forward given the retail banking debacle and the fact that a lot of GS' rainmakers have bailed to other firms. The firm is not what it used to be; this isn't Lloyd Blankfein's GS anymore. 

Overall, don't get caught up in the hype of working at Goldman Sachs in SLC. There's a reason you're in SLC and not NYC (the firm is cheap and you're not that important to them). You're going to do the same repetitive tasks day in and day out with no real hope of career advancement after VP. Management and the firm could really care less about you, so don't put your heart and soul into it or you might be very disappointed. If you're fine with doing work for a paycheck (i.e. having a job) then you could do worse. However, if you're looking to have a career at an employer that values you, look elsewhere.  

Collaboration: Working in an environment where teamwork and collaboration are encouraged fosters a sense of camaraderie and mutual support. It feels great to know that colleagues are readily available to brainstorm ideas, provide assistance, and work together toward shared goals.

Open Communication: When there is open and transparent communication, employees feel valued and informed. Sharing ideas, concerns, and feedback becomes easy and contributes to a sense of belonging and trust.

Respect and Recognition: Feeling respected and recognized for one's contributions enhances job satisfaction. Being acknowledged for your efforts and achievements motivates you to consistently deliver your best work.

Clear Expectations: Having well-defined roles and responsibilities, along with clear performance expectations, creates a sense of purpose and direction. This clarity helps employees understand their contributions to the organization's success.

Learning and Growth: A positive work environment encourages continuous learning and provides opportunities for skill development. Feeling that you're growing both professionally and personally is fulfilling.

Flexibility: Flexibility in work arrangements, such as remote work options or flexible hours, contributes to a healthy work-life balance. This balance fosters well-being and reduces stress.

Empowerment: Feeling empowered to take ownership of your tasks and make decisions creates a sense of autonomy and accountability. It's empowering to know that your input and actions matter.

Innovation: A workplace that encourages innovation and values new ideas breeds creativity and enthusiasm. Being part of a team that constantly seeks improvement and embraces change is invigorating.

Mentorship and Support: Having access to mentors, coaches, or supportive supervisors enhances professional development. It's fulfilling to know that there are experienced colleagues who are willing to guide and assist you.

Work-Life Balance: Striking a balance between work and personal life is crucial for overall well-being. Feeling that your employer values this balance contributes to a positive and productive mindset.

Celebration of Achievements: Celebrating milestones, achievements, and successes—both big and small—creates a sense of unity and accomplishment. It's gratifying to be part of a team that takes time to acknowledge its wins.

Positive Energy: A positive work environment is contagious. Being surrounded by colleagues who radiate positivity, enthusiasm, and a can-do attitude uplifts everyone's spirits.

Results-Oriented: When efforts are aligned with outcomes, and there is a focus on achieving goals, employees feel motivated and purposeful. Contributing to meaningful results gives a sense of fulfillment.

Healthy Work Culture: A culture that promotes work-life balance, well-being initiatives, and diversity and inclusion efforts contributes to a healthy and harmonious work environment.

Pride and Ownership: Feeling a sense of pride in your work and taking ownership of your responsibilities instills a strong commitment to your role and the organization's success.


Working at GS is quite competitive and exciting for people with A type personalities. Independent of being in a line or a project role, you will gain access to senior managers and as part of the culture, it is highly recommended to setup recurring catch ups with these to ensure they are aware of your progress and discuss your career plan. 

I would have to say that the best part of working at GS is the quality of the employees. GS truly does their best at selecting the best of the best, and then motivate them to cross network into other teams. There is also a lot of incentive into internal mobility so that even if you start in one Business Unit, you can move around and try other positions in other teams and become a more rounded employee at the firm. 

Sadly, during my time at GS I have seen a many number of brilliant employees leave due to the lack of work life balance which the firm itself struggles with getting correct. While the firm constantly remind people of the importance of wlb, the managers seem to not follow through and are quick to remind employees if they feel they are taking too many of their vacation days in a row. Many years, I had rolled over 15 days of vacation because it would have not been in my best interest to use these days as work is always busy. 

The firm has now reduced the number of days you can roll over to incentive employees to use these days but the management behavior has not changed and so now employees are losing vacations days that are not used and are not paid out either. Use it or lose it but if you use them all, you will be seen as not as productive as others in the team that do not use them and are around more of the time. Employees at GS work long hours, ranging from average of 10 hrs per day to 12 and more and even on weekends. This is due to both the competitive market and to the dedication of the employees looking to stand out across the board. 

Lastly, the biggest concern at GS is perception. Perception is reality has become the biggest culture carrying rule year after year, which basically means employees that just keep their heads down and do their job effectively, can still be cut if they are not actively been seen by managers and heard in meetings. You need to manage your networks not just for the bonus of getting to know amazing people, but also for the sake of making yourself relevant and gaining partners that will vouch for you when the time comes.

Working at GS is incredible competitive, and will always keep you on your toes, and for many (myself included), that is enjoyable!

The environment is great for someone who is an extrovert. The seating is an open floor plan. Do not expect to have any sort of privacy or be spared of everyone's discussion of their weekend plans/events. The place can get really loud at times with no regard for people's individual need for a more quiet and productive environment. At times there is no clear management and management does not get to finish everything that they are supposed to do since they are spread so thin. One manager with 15 employees who have questions but the manager is on calls more than half the day. You have to park your questions and wait until they are available. 
There are a lot of advancement opportunities for the right type of person. You have to be ready to kiss up to people you would never talk to just so they can give you a helping hand to get you into a position that you are already overqualified for. Even if you have the right degree and the right amount of experience, you won't get very far if you're not willing to network, network and network some more. Every phone call is a networking opportunity (that is how it is presented). Even in your own department, you have to speak up. If you don't speak up, you're considered borderline mentally disabled. In one of the company's videos, I heard that GS is a meritocracy and it could not be further from the truth. People in higher positions literally do not have the appropriate academic background to be in those positions, but they got there through networking. You can go far with a high school diploma if you know how to play the game.There are no HR reps on site, everything is done via phone. You end up talking to someone in India about your benefits. Training was minimal so most of it was on the job training.

Overall Review: The employee experience at the firm can vary significantly depending on the leadership team and division. I met some genuinely talented, supportive, and impressive people during my time there; however, most of those positive experiences came from outside the department or division where I worked.

Pros: There are strong professionals across the organization, and employees may have opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues depending on where they are placed. The firm also has established client relationships and a recognizable presence in the market.

Cons: Leadership quality appears inconsistent across teams. In my experience, some individuals were placed into people-leadership roles based more on subject-matter expertise or internal relationships than demonstrated management capability. This created noticeable differences in professionalism, communication, and employee support. In my division, the environment often felt more like an informal social circle than a professional workplace, with unprofessional language and perceived favoritism being common. There also seemed to be a preference for younger employees who were willing to take on heavy workloads without challenging decisions or practices.

Advice to Management: Invest more intentionally in people-leadership training and hold leaders accountable for professionalism, fairness, and team culture. Technical expertise and strong internal relationships do not always translate into effective management. Employees would benefit from a more consistent leadership standard, clearer expectations for workplace conduct, and a culture where feedback and constructive questions are welcomed rather than discouraged.


So I started on day one and went around to meet my team and shake some hands. The VP over my team who sat literally 4 desks down from me wouldn't shake my hand or even acknowledge that I was alive.

After going to lunch my first week with some of my team, I was informed that she takes about 6 months to warm up to somebody and doesn't really want to hear from you until then....REALLY!? How crazy is that! I am a millennial, not in that I am entitled and lazy, but more in a way that I think a collaborative team approach is going to be preferred to the hierarchal team setting that she was obviously sustaining. So from week 1 of the job I felt that I was in a toxic environment.


Goldman makes all employees work ridiculous hours for, not great pay, they always told us that they would make up for it in our bonus, I'll get to that in a minute. Mandatory 50 hours, no biggie, but then they would call you to come in on Saturday and Sunday to work so you would be putting in lots of hours for really poor pay.


At a team meeting the executive came on and informed us that there would be no bonuses that year, a woman sitting next to me, literally started crying, because she had put in so much work and so many extra hours thinking it was all going to pay off, but they told us the load of bullock of how the company is struggling and they wouldn't be able to pay out, but then you read in the annual report the great bonuses that the C suite got. Was really perplexing.

I hope that things have changed there, I would go back to see if I could help the culture, especially in Salt Lake they need to have a collaborative team environment. It would make the blows a lot easier to take.

Senior Administrative Assistant to Five Managing Directors and Senior Management: 2007 to 2011
•	Scheduled high level meetings within and outside of Goldman Sachs, including, but not limited to, Senior Management, SEC, Federal Reserve Bank;
•	Screened calls for the Managing Partner and other Managing Directors;
•	Distributed minutes/reports to various committees for weekly Executive Meetings;
•	Compiled slides and combined them into a PDF format, ensuring accuracy in the placement of all pages within the report; upload reports to SharePoint, Federal Secure Zones and SEC sites;
•	Organized complex travel reservations, visas, cross-border training modules, expense reporting, petty cash;
•	Reconciliation of attendance for New York and London offices;
•	Update and confirm funds the Company would be reporting at the Onshore and Offshore quarterly board meetings by registering funds into an Excel spreadsheet;
•	Recruiting support, including lodging and travel for candidates, organizing interviews, and meals;
•	PowerPoint Presentations;
•	New employee provisioning;
•	Supplies and equipment maintenance for the Department; 
•	Organize, on a company-specific site, classes for the Career Development Committee which includes a monthly learning series;
•	Possesses the ability to work proficiently in a high pressure and volatile environment;
•	Perform a wide range of confidential administrative tasks including answering and directing calls, emailing, faxing, written correspondence, filing all documents in a secure zone.

Working as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs has been one of the most intense yet rewarding experiences of my career. From the very first day, I was thrown into a fast-paced environment where excellence is the standard, not the goal. The hours are long — often stretching well past midnight — but the exposure, learning opportunities, and sense of accomplishment make it worth it.

I’ve had the chance to work on multi-billion-dollar mergers, IPOs, and capital raises that shape entire industries. The analytical rigor expected at Goldman is unmatched; every model, every slide deck, and every email is expected to be flawless. The pressure can be overwhelming at times, but it also pushes you to operate at your absolute best.

What stands out most is the caliber of people around me. My colleagues are some of the smartest, most driven individuals I’ve ever met. Collaboration and mentorship are strong here — despite the competitive environment, people genuinely want you to grow. Senior bankers often take time to teach or review work, and that’s invaluable in an industry where details matter.

Of course, work-life balance is practically nonexistent. You learn to manage your time and find small moments of rest when you can. But if you’re ambitious, detail-oriented, and thrive under pressure, this job gives you a front-row seat to the world of high finance and global decision-making.

Overall, Goldman Sachs is not just a job — it’s an experience that tests your limits, sharpens your mind, and opens doors across the financial world. It’s not for everyone, but for those who can handle the grind, it’s one of the best places to be.

The SLC branch of the company is heavily focused on operations, leading to a significant amount of routine, often menial work. Teams are frequently overworked, with the company mandating a minimum of 50-hour workweeks, although it is common for employees to exceed this number. New hires receive minimal training, and there is an over-reliance on colleagues to teach them how to perform their roles. Senior analysts and associates, overwhelmed by their workloads, often lack the time to address questions or provide guidance. A substantial number of employees express dissatisfaction with their work, citing the demanding hours and high workload. Complaints about burnout are common, and the work environment is challenging for those who do not quickly adapt to the job's demands, with managers being less than forgiving for mistakes made within the first months of the job. Asking too many questions is seen as a bad thing and seeking help outside of the team from other coworkers willing to help is discouraged.

While some weeks may be less intense, it is not unusual for employees to stay late, often until 7 or even 8 PM, resulting in 12-hour workdays. Additionally, the company relies heavily on contingent workers (CWs) to handle a significant portion of the workload. Unfortunately, these workers receive no benefits, and even basic amenities like access to the infirmary are restricted to full-time employees only. The pay is also subpar when comparing the amount and hours everyone in the company puts in.  



I gained valuable experience in financial operations, payment processing, account reconciliation, and problem resolution. The role provided excellent exposure to the financial industry and helped me strengthen my analytical, organizational, and communication skills while working in a fast-paced environment. I also appreciated the company’s benefits package, which was one of the strongest aspects of my employment experience.

While the compensation and benefits were competitive and very undervalued  the work environment was often highly pressured, with demanding workloads with aggressive performance expectations. Employees were expected to meet strict deadlines and maintain a high level of accuracy, which could created significant stress. One of the challenges I experienced was that management did not always appear receptive to employee feedback or concerns. Many employees felt their perspectives were not adequately considered when decisions affecting workflows and daily operations were made.

Despite these challenges, my time at Goldman Sachs helped me develop resilience, attention to detail, and the ability to perform effectively under pressure. The experience contributed significantly to my professional growth and prepared me for future opportunities in financial services and operations.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Analyst 54 salaries reported	$75,448 per year
Associate 81 salaries reported	$107,381 per year
Vice president 50 salaries reported	$154,504 per year
Senior analyst 29 salaries reported	$74,990 per year
Software engineer 26 salaries reported	$111,685 per year

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