without regard for industry. Which type of organization would you like to work for?
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Something in between. The money is better in a big company, but there's more BS to deal with. The best thing is that there will likely be a variety of things to work on over a longer period. A small company will likely have a smaller budget. And they may have only one task to work on and then say goodbye once it's "finished". "Beware of Bein' the Roller When There's Nothin' Left to Roll" -- Shel Silverstein
interesting. currently company is what I would call smaller(not really) but privately held. The money is decent and the breadth of things I get to do is astounding. I might have just hit Goldilocks though.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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I've worked in a lot of different types of places as well, both as an employee and a contractor. Lots of factors for what makes a good workplace. What I try to avoid are government agencies with unionized staff. I find that the places tend to accrue IT workers that work their until they max out their benefits/pension, and pretty much just go through the motions after that. They still work, but make no effort to learn new techniques, or improve the codebase, or much else. The best one can hope for is that they retire soon....
I have seen that in the Education organization I worked for. But I also so quite a few people willing to put in the extra effort. The people there really believed they were helping kids become good human beings so that made it a great place to work.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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I've worked on most of those, but definitely my preference is "for myself". The Christmas party is really quiet, and the boss may be an a**hole - but that's Ok, so is the employee ... :-D
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Anything private sector, then maybe education, and never government. A major advantage of a large company is the possibility of an intra-company transfer to a job with more appeal. I was at a large company for many years and worked in five different groups at three different locations, with all relocation expenses paid for two long-distance moves. The advantages of a smaller company are less bureaucracy (e.g., in software process) and more opportunity to make a difference (and be rewarded for it), because your role isn't as narrowly defined.
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The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.I have universally despised working for large organizations. There is always that one manager that blocks all crap and just becomes a redtape nazi. Cannot stand them. Yes they say there are opportunities but only if you jump thru the right hoops and kiss the right butt. ymmv. Just my personal observations.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
I probably have all the fun... Small private company, that part of a big group, working for education and government (also education)...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
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I have universally despised working for large organizations. There is always that one manager that blocks all crap and just becomes a redtape nazi. Cannot stand them. Yes they say there are opportunities but only if you jump thru the right hoops and kiss the right butt. ymmv. Just my personal observations.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
A large company where one manager can impede progress and where toadyism is expected has a serious culture problem that probably starts with the CEO. That wasn't my experience, but had it been, I would have looked externally. What you're describing is far more likely in the education, or especially government, sector.
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The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. -
Something in between. The money is better in a big company, but there's more BS to deal with. The best thing is that there will likely be a variety of things to work on over a longer period. A small company will likely have a smaller budget. And they may have only one task to work on and then say goodbye once it's "finished". "Beware of Bein' the Roller When There's Nothin' Left to Roll" -- Shel Silverstein
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I probably have all the fun... Small private company, that part of a big group, working for education and government (also education)...
"The only place where Success comes before Work is in the dictionary." Vidal Sassoon, 1928 - 2012
If I had the right opportunity, would love to work with a (reasonable) startup as a team lead. Work with some of the younger people to build a new product.
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PIEBALDconsult wrote:
And they may have only one task to work on and then say goodbye once it's "finished".
Is software ever finished?
A great quote that someone posted on this site a little while back:
Quote:
Remember, Grasshopper, "Software is never completed. It is only released."
EDIT: Here's the original[^] so that everyone can upvote it. :)
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The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. -
I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
As I tax-payer I've worked for the government all my life. :laugh: I've been employed by two sole proprietorships (one of which was run by the owner and his family); three very large, international corporations; one medium sized, privately owned (four co-owners) business that was sold to a corporate house-flipper who sold it to a large corporation; and a large but local non-profit financial institution. The medium-sized business was my favorite while the four guys owned it, but it went deep south almost instantly after they sold it. My second favorite is the non-profit FI.
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
That's where I work now - a company that is privately owned and run by a family. As it turns out, this is an enormous company with annual sales in the nine (9) figures and we have about six thousand employees at around two dozen locations. It actually seems like a small company in practice but this is one of the biggest privately owned companies in the USA and is in the top five biggest in our industry. We have an IT group, which I do not work in, and just one small group of software engineers - a little over a dozen people. We write the software that controls the machines in the factories. We buy a fair number of machines from outside suppliers but we usually run them with our software. What I find very interesting is that even with a company of this size, I am on a first-name basis with the executives who are members of the owning family. I have worked with smaller companies but I actually enjoy this situation the most. To be honest, it also helps (a lot) that we are paid pretty well here and business has boomed the last few years so the raises and bonuses have been really, really good. At least, for me they have.
"They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
I've been in the military and small businesses my entire career. The first small business was a collection agency, and it was a good place to work until the owner was bought out. I'm now at a university foundation, which gives me the best of having someone else support the network and avoiding the bureaucracy that exists in large organizations.
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
The family is the family; the corporation is the old boys' network. I prefer freelance / contract; because you know there is an end; which includes offers of "permanent" employment.
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
I work for a semi-startup and quite like it. A total startup would be fun to try. As for "Privately owned family" those are double edged swords. If the family is like in your company fine. But if it is baad, like we saw earlier today here in The Lounge, it stays baad.
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
I would like to work for a company that makes Millennium Falcons.
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
As OG said. Working for myself is best, but the income is too variable. I love startups. Second choice is small growing company. At the bottom of the list are government and very large company. I will never again work for any company in the financial or insurance sectors. Soul-less vampires, they are.
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
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I have worked in Government. Private Sector Very Large Company, Private Sector semi-startup, Private sector Family Owned business and Education. I know there are others that I am not identifying. And yes mostly you work for your direct boss and that makes all the difference. I prefer so far the Privately owned family. They are really good people though and not out for the money so much as putting out a good/great product. The Education sector was my second favorite. The worst by far was the semi startup.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
Worked for: Military: easy, "if we wanted you to think, we would have issued you a brain" Airlines, small, nice folks but they moved my job to the left coast and I quit. Large Corp: Approached the level of government bureaucracy. Most, but not all, of my bosses were great. Contractor: 1. Worked with great people, didn't have to the paperwork. Traveled doing trade shows. Contractor: 2. to a small family owned business, My favorite gig. Self: As OG said... I still do a little contracting, but only from SOHO. To do it all over again: Contracting.
>64 Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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I work for a semi-startup and quite like it. A total startup would be fun to try. As for "Privately owned family" those are double edged swords. If the family is like in your company fine. But if it is baad, like we saw earlier today here in The Lounge, it stays baad.
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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As OG said. Working for myself is best, but the income is too variable. I love startups. Second choice is small growing company. At the bottom of the list are government and very large company. I will never again work for any company in the financial or insurance sectors. Soul-less vampires, they are.
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ASP.NET Core Web API: Plugin Controllers and ServicesI worked at a small-ish commodities trading firm for 3 years. 6 weeks in I knew it was going to be horrible. I stuck it out for three years just so I wasn't job hopping on my resume. Probably wasn't worth it at all.
To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer
