Pros
Great place to learn how to navigate a large corporate, with associated politics. Some very smart colleagues around. Bonuses can be meritocratic and rewards performance for more valued employees.
Cons
Political and slightly work-shy attitude of senior employees, which unfortunately helps you get promoted as opposed to being good at your job. Putting in extra effort is often frowned on as naive and a poor use of time (i.e. not viewed as advancing your career). Very top heavy and a lot of deadwood at Director / MD level who regularly come in late, simply do not show or more commonly, do little work but manage well upwards. Particularly prevalent in some Structuring and Risk departments. Pay is good on entry but does not reward loyalty; generally no pay rise without promotion and pay rise on promotion is small (5-10%) unless you are counter-offered. Generally career progression of employees figures low down on managers' priorities as the culture emphasises self-interest, especially given the recently dwindling bonus pots.