I think this is the first time I've ever seen someone use Goldman as an example of a "cool" company.
When did that happen?
When did that happen?
Every industry has companies like this. Apple and Google in software, PWC in accounting, BoozAllen in consulting, etc.
Government simply can't afford to pay or select that much, and those government roles which guarantee strong future employment prospects are often because those employed in it are perceived to have connections as much as skills (probably not something the civil service wants to emphasis whilst recruiting...)
Well, not really, not for maybe 10 years now. If you joined Goldman as a fresh graduate you would be an Analyst, which means 2-3 years of 80-100hr weeks for good but not amazing pay. At any big tech offering RSUs your overall compensation will be much, much better, as will your general quality of life. But Goldman still gets 4000 applicants for every opening because people figure it's worth it for the doors it opens down the line.
Government simply can't afford to pay or select that much
If the government could put together a programme that opened doors - not through corruption but by a reputation for producing capable, hard-working people - people would go there too. It's not dissimilar to why some (many?) people do a 4-year stint in the military - GI Bill and the prestige of being a veteran after.
I dunno about “prestige”, but the in-law hiring preferences for veterans don't hurt.
He had some great stories to tell but his experience there was anything but "cool".
It's in comparison to the current perception of government employment.
Goldman and Google are phenomenally cool by that standard.
“Can X be made as cool as Y?” is a valid question when Y isn't very cool if X is even more uncool.