Pros
- The firm's top management is approachable and they care a great deal about receiving feedback from all levels. Max Cartellieri makes a point of visiting the smaller offices to share his vision and sit one-on-one with Associates to discuss their thoughts and concerns. Very inspiring! - I studied engineering and mathematics with no business background and entered the Client Services Team (CST) as an entry-level Associate. Through a network of mentors and peer-to-peer learning, I was able to develop my professional vocabulary and business acumen to excel in my role. The Dubai office in particular is open to hiring STEM students in their CST. - Dubai's managers are a group of young, strong leaders dedicated to the development of the overall team and the office. What makes the experience unique is that they push to ensure that an Associate's experience is relevant to their overall career goals regardless of how long they remain with the firm. - As long as commercial execution targets are met, there is great support for taking initiative. I was able to get involved in overall commercial strategy and the growth of the office (including recruiting) early in my career. - The global AlphaSights community is tightly knit and cross-office relationships are easy to develop. The Associate (and Manager) community are all very smart, open-minded and international graduates. Indeed, some of my key mentors included a VP in AlphaSights London and two Managers in AlphaSights Hong Kong.
Cons
No major cons, but worth keeping in mind a few things: - AlphaSights is a high-growth firm so there are bound to be changes. In my experience, all levels of management (from my direct manager to Max) are very open to hearing about how things can be improved. Be vocal about your thoughts as they will be taken into consideration. - The experiences in large offices (such as New York or London) may be very different to small offices (such as Dubai). Each have their own pros or cons; best to speak with Associates from those offices to get an idea on where you would be the best match. - Be proactive in seeking mentorship and professional development. Far too often "unstructured aspects" of an office are viewed negatively; but in these aspects lies tremendous opportunity to shape the foundations of an initiative you can own.