Left Citadel about eight months ago and have had enough time to actually process the experience. Wanted to write something honest because I see a lot of takes that are either "it's the hardest job in the world but worth it" or "sweatshop, run" and neither is quite right in my experience.
The WLB reality: it depends enormously on which team and what time of year. For me, January through April (earnings season overlap, rebalancing windows) was brutal. 10-12 hour days were routine. I had weeks where I genuinely did not see daylight outside my apartment. June through August was almost... normal? Like 8-9 hours, occasional early out on Fridays.
The culture is competitive in a specific way that's different from FAANG. At Google or Meta, people mostly compete on influence and project scope. At Citadel, the competition is more nakedly about P&L or performance metrics. That can feel clarifying if you're wired that way. For me, after a while, it started to feel grinding in a way that was affecting my sleep and my anxiety.
A few things I genuinely respected: the caliber of the people is real, not marketing. You will learn a lot fast because you have no choice. The feedback culture is blunt but at least you're not guessing where you stand. And comp is top of market, which I knew going in.
Things I underestimated going in: physical presence expectations are real, not aspirational. If you're not in the office, people notice. There's an embedded assumption that you're available on weekends during crunch periods. Nobody says that explicitly in interviews.
I don't regret my time there. I do regret not being more realistic with myself about what I wanted from work before I accepted. If high comp and high rigor in a demanding environment fit where you are in life, Citadel is genuinely one of the best places to do that. If you're already stretched thin, think hard before joining.