How do you choose?
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
i was also in a similar situation some time ago big company - more facility - less money small company - less facility - more money how ever money difference was not so big but i joined small company the main reason was this is my first job and i have to learn a lot big company will provide me a training for six months small company want me to work real code from day 1 in big company i would have acted like a cog in the wheel no real responsibility and work experience many things depends on me so greater responsibility more learning it is advisable from me to join a small company in the starting of career bigger companies for later half career as employee :):)
It is Good to be Important but! it is more Important to be Good
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
Dustin Metzgar wrote:
But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
sounds like you already have chosen.
Silence is the voice of complicity. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. -- monty python Might I suggest that the universe was always the size of the cosmos. It is just that at one point the cosmos was the size of a marble. -- Colin Angus Mackay
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
I've worked for both big and small in the past. I'm at a small company now and I love it. It is not for everyone but if you're sick of big company problems, try small company problems for awhile. :) I would certainly suggest the small company experience if you ever plan to start your own company some day. Bill W.
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
Still cannot decide? Well flip a coin. head = big company tail = small company When the coin lands on the deciding side. Think how your reaction at that moment. Was it a "Oh No!" or "Oh Yeah!" moment. That is the subconscious talking. Hope this help! Cheers, :laugh:
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
Ok, so what did you decide?
What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder
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Ok, so what did you decide?
What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder
Well, I'm glad you asked. I talked with the small company and they raised the base salary a little bit. They don't have the benefits or the bonus structure, but it made me feel better about a choice I had already made (as some people correctly pointed out). I know the small company job will be tougher and will involve more responsibility, but that's what interests me about it. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who responded with their comments. It was valuable to hear opinions on both sides, especially with things I haven't thought of before.
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family." -
You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
I have been in this position. When i moved I worked for a small company, then it got sold and I lost my job. Now I work for a big company. A friend of mine went to a small company a few months ago and SUPRISE! no contracts and workforce had to be cutback. Depending how old you are i'd say go with the bigger company as it will have more stability. if you are young and want to take a chance, go for it. But I know 0 for 2 cases of it working out.
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
It's really all about relations since ... 1. Crappy bosses can be at both companies. 2. Incompedent backstabbing colleagues can be at both places unless the boss isn't that crappy. 3. People agree to loose money if their job would become a less hell. 4. Huge problems can find their solution just as easy as small disagreements can get you fired. Both can happen in any company (size doesn't really matter). If you're a MONEY or INCOMPENDENT or BACKSTABBING or A**KISSER or don't mind stepping on others to get more money or hide your incompedence or to stick your tongue farther into your supervisors a**. Then disregard all the above. Seems though you're not that type ...
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You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
You should remember that all jobs are basically a "try / buy" situation. You are not signing a long term contract like baseball players. No matter what situation you are in, just give 2 weeks notice, and you are free to find another position. With that said, why not give the small company a try? The promise of advancement is much higher in the small company. If you like the small company, make yourself invaluable. This may help you when negotiating that next raise. That is not really an option in the large corporation where you can easily be replaced with little or no impact on the company as a whole.
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Well, I'm glad you asked. I talked with the small company and they raised the base salary a little bit. They don't have the benefits or the bonus structure, but it made me feel better about a choice I had already made (as some people correctly pointed out). I know the small company job will be tougher and will involve more responsibility, but that's what interests me about it. I'd like to say thanks to everyone who responded with their comments. It was valuable to hear opinions on both sides, especially with things I haven't thought of before.
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family."Very :cool: Congrats on your choice! :)
What's in a sig? This statement is false. Build a bridge and get over it. ~ Chris Maunder
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You should remember that all jobs are basically a "try / buy" situation. You are not signing a long term contract like baseball players. No matter what situation you are in, just give 2 weeks notice, and you are free to find another position. With that said, why not give the small company a try? The promise of advancement is much higher in the small company. If you like the small company, make yourself invaluable. This may help you when negotiating that next raise. That is not really an option in the large corporation where you can easily be replaced with little or no impact on the company as a whole.
edboe wrote:
You are not signing a long term contract like baseball players.
That would be cool though. 20 mil just to work for a few years. :) And I agree with you, if it doesn't work out I could always go back and try again.
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family." -
It's really all about relations since ... 1. Crappy bosses can be at both companies. 2. Incompedent backstabbing colleagues can be at both places unless the boss isn't that crappy. 3. People agree to loose money if their job would become a less hell. 4. Huge problems can find their solution just as easy as small disagreements can get you fired. Both can happen in any company (size doesn't really matter). If you're a MONEY or INCOMPENDENT or BACKSTABBING or A**KISSER or don't mind stepping on others to get more money or hide your incompedence or to stick your tongue farther into your supervisors a**. Then disregard all the above. Seems though you're not that type ...
Sounds like you've had some fun jobs... :)
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family." -
Sounds like you've had some fun jobs... :)
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family." -
You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
I changed job 7 times in ~15 years. Here is what I learned "the hard way": - jobs in a big company are dreadful, unless you are a born politician; social incompetency is never forgiven. - for me, working in small companies was much better; groups are smaller; your reputation is not always built based on what is your boss opinion on you; I even managed to obtain training - this never happened in the big companies I worked for. - but the best is to work for YOUR OWN company...
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I changed job 7 times in ~15 years. Here is what I learned "the hard way": - jobs in a big company are dreadful, unless you are a born politician; social incompetency is never forgiven. - for me, working in small companies was much better; groups are smaller; your reputation is not always built based on what is your boss opinion on you; I even managed to obtain training - this never happened in the big companies I worked for. - but the best is to work for YOUR OWN company...
It sounds like I'm on pace to change jobs just as many times. I'm trying to stop that so my resume doesn't look so bad. Maybe it'll work out to have a progression from big companies to small to my own shop a few years down the road. There's still a lot I'd like to learn before stepping out on my own.
Logifusion[^]
"This isn't a business. I've always thought of it as a source of cheap labor. Like a family." -
You're faced with two very good job offers. One offer is with a big company, the other is with a small IT shop in a small- to mid-size company. Both offers pay very well, especially for the area you live in, but the big company job pays much higher (potentially 13 grand higher) and has awesome benefits. The small company job won't hire full-time off-the-bat and wants you to go on contract for a few months before they'll commit to a full-time opportunity. The big company is a full-time offer. Both companies will demand a lot of hours, work with new technologies, and will place you on a highly visible team. The small company has some top-notch employees that you'd absolutely love to work with. The big company has some smart guys, but not quite the caliber of the small company's guys. The small company is working with better technologies. The small company does not have much hierarchy and there's no set career ladder to climb up. The big company is as structured as any other big company with plenty of opportunity for advancement. But most of all, the small company job excites you while the big company job is just another big company. You've worked at a few of them and you're getting tired of that scene. How do you choose?
If you can afford to make this choice, then go to the small company. You can always leave and choose something else. You are one of the fortunate few who can even ask themselves a question like that and don't have the choice made for them by the financial or home situation.
---------- Siderite
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Hans Dietrich wrote:
So while you might feel warm & cozy at a small company, in a few years you will have lost ground technically.
They've got these great new things in many cities now. They are called book shops.
Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * UK Security Evangelists On Tour (2nd November, Edinburgh) * Developer Day Scotland: are you interested in speaking or attending? My: Website | Blog
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Training and conferences are highly over-rated. If you want to learn new technologies, you are just going to have to take the initiative yourself.
mattj1 wrote:
Training and conferences are highly over-rated.
I wouldn't say that. I find that a structured training course will go in to areas that I may not look at if I didn't already need to. It then gives me a better grounding in being able to say what is and isn't possible on the spot - always useful when talking with managers. Conferences are also good - they can give you information that you wouldn't otherwise get. I'm going to the Developer Day conference next month because I know that, while I won't get really in depth with anything, I will get a good broad grounding in a number of areas I've not yet had the time to look at.
*** Developer Day 4 in Reading, England on 2nd December 2006 - Registration Now Open *** Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Developer Day Scotland: are you interested in speaking or attending? My: Website | Blog
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mattj1 wrote:
Training and conferences are highly over-rated.
I wouldn't say that. I find that a structured training course will go in to areas that I may not look at if I didn't already need to. It then gives me a better grounding in being able to say what is and isn't possible on the spot - always useful when talking with managers. Conferences are also good - they can give you information that you wouldn't otherwise get. I'm going to the Developer Day conference next month because I know that, while I won't get really in depth with anything, I will get a good broad grounding in a number of areas I've not yet had the time to look at.
*** Developer Day 4 in Reading, England on 2nd December 2006 - Registration Now Open *** Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Developer Day Scotland: are you interested in speaking or attending? My: Website | Blog
I agree. Some training can be very good. Some conferences can also be useful. I'm afraid I've been to my fair share of bad ones though! I get more out of reading CP.:) I think what I meant to say was that WE have to take the initiative to learn new technologies. Complaining that you are falling behind because your boss won't pay to send you to Vegas for WhateverConf 2007 is a poor excuse.
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I agree. Some training can be very good. Some conferences can also be useful. I'm afraid I've been to my fair share of bad ones though! I get more out of reading CP.:) I think what I meant to say was that WE have to take the initiative to learn new technologies. Complaining that you are falling behind because your boss won't pay to send you to Vegas for WhateverConf 2007 is a poor excuse.
mattj1 wrote:
I think what I meant to say was that WE have to take the initiative to learn new technologies. Complaining that you are falling behind because your boss won't pay to send you to Vegas for WhateverConf 2007 is a poor excuse.
I absolutely 100% agree. Also, you can get involved in local user groups - another way to learn that doesn't cost much. The Developer Day conference I'm going to (see sig) is a free by the community for the community event (that just happens to be located in Microsoft's Reading Campus).
*** Developer Day 4 in Reading, England on 2nd December 2006 - Registration Now Open *** Upcoming Scottish Developers events: * Developer Day Scotland: are you interested in speaking or attending? My: Website | Blog