Pros
Every new hire goes through a two-week long training course to introduce them to the alternative investment space at large. If you’re new to finance, this is a decent introduction to the private markets. It’s pompously called “PBU” or “PitchBook University” It’s not comprehensive at all, but it does give some idea of who PB works with etc.. I didn’t learn very much going through it, but it’s good for beginners and also brings people together. CSA Role: No perks here. This is a telemarketing job involving high volume cold calling and does not require any sort of skilled worker.
Cons
CSA Role: They sell it as something it’s not. This is a simple telemarketing position.. Nothing else. If you enjoy sales then it may be your route, but if you have any interest in more thought provoking endeavors… This role is NOT it. Mechanical and robotic tasks. Involves bothering people at work to try and book demos… It’s aggressive stuff. If you just graduated high school and are not planning on attending college any time soon, I would definitely go for the CSA position. It can make decent money, especially for a fresh high school graduate. If you have a college degree though, I would advise that you give yourself more respect and aim for a more intellectually fulfilling role. People: Highly parochial mindset. The company boasts these sanctimonious values, but many individual employees in the Seattle office that I encountered with had rather narrow scopes of mind. If you’ve ever had any sort of international experience or have anything remotely original to add to the table, I found that it was disregarded and even looked down upon more often than not. The organization feels very exclusive to PNW natives which entertains a highly unwelcoming atmosphere for those who aren’t originally from the area (even worse if you’re not from the US) At the Seattle HQ, many employees know each other since high school, college, and many times both. It creates this environment where people don’t know anything else other than the Seattle area. It makes up their entire reality which breeds intolerance and a mindset that is hermetic to new ideas. This would be fine for a small local organization of 100 people, but it is not how I imagined the atmosphere would be at the HQ of a global company… I felt so out of place. Seattle is growing fast and one would reasonably assume that the locals would grow their interests toward sophistication and refinement. Unfortunately, it’s not the case at PitchBook Data… Beer on tap, US Football, and the latest blockbuster movie dominate the conversations… The outside world and exogenous factors that could affect the company’s operations don’t have any importance if they don’t impact their role/job/life specifically. No passion from the employees. No personal engagement for great causes or any of that. Bland. CEO Cult of Personality: There seems to be a a toxic fascination for the CEO of the company. Employees refer to him as “JG” as if he was some sort of great messiah. It’s akin to the Twilight Zone when you witness this kind of fervor for the first time. Very odd…
