I’ve accepted a role in one of the big quant firms, which is not something I actively sought out, and I have very little idea of what to expect.

My background is in big tech, and my role is (very) niche, so I’m hesitant to dox myself. It’s more on the engineering side though.

What I’m wondering is if there’s anything you wish you’d known before joining a firm?

Like, I have some expectations:

- Longer hours

- Lower engineering quality

- More cutthroat (in places)

But the only thing I know for sure is that my pay-check is quite a bit higher.

Any wisdom would be appreciated — particularly from people that have made a similar transition.