Risk Vs. Security
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One of my all time favorite movies is called the Billionare Boys Club. Judd Nelson was in it. It's about a group of young entrepreneurs who try and run a business (unsuccessful as it turns out to be.) One of the phrases I remember in the movie, is that they didn't want to hire anyone over 30 years old, because at 30, most people want security. Security prohibits risk. The lower the risk, the lower the potential gain. Anyway, I'm 36, and I have been working at a very large company (Over 17,000 employees with over US$7B annual revenues.) For reasons I won't go into right now, I wasn't particularly happy with my job, so I quit. Now, I have been a contractor for about half of my 16 year career, so I am definately comfortable moving around. However, I decided to join a startup company (shameless plug: www.clearent.com) that currently has about 17 employees. The potential upside is great ... if the company does well, I'll do well. I've given a lot of thought to this change, and the simple truth is that I'm terribly excited about this opportunity. I take no thought at all as to the potential downside of this risk. I'm curious how some of you Cpians out there feel about this subject: ... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
Paul Brower wrote:
... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
They're on the same side of the coin, IMO. The other side, for me is, do I have faith in my own abilities, know my strengths and weaknesses, and am doing what I feel is right for me. I've worked for too many companies that looked stable, only to have them crash and burn or be bought out and restructured or go into bankruptcy and be restructured. And of course some of the risky ones died as well. I really don't think there is no such a thing as stability and security anymore. It's all risk. Security for me is trusting and having faith in myself, not in some PHB or company slogan that you know is just all BS, and that they'll sell their soul to the devil if it makes the stockholders richer. Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith -
I've got a wife and 2 kids, and if I ever really had to choose, I would choose a stable job. However, with my background and skills, I've never had a problem finding a job. This may sound haughty, but I have never had an interview and not been offered a job. (Although I haven't always accepted the offers.) The market is good right now (St. Louis, MO area) and I do feel that if something didn't work out with my new employer, that it wouldn't take too long to find another job.
Paul Brower wrote:
I do feel that if something didn't work out with my new employer, that it wouldn't take too long to find another job
So really the risk is not all that great is it? :)
Ali
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One of my all time favorite movies is called the Billionare Boys Club. Judd Nelson was in it. It's about a group of young entrepreneurs who try and run a business (unsuccessful as it turns out to be.) One of the phrases I remember in the movie, is that they didn't want to hire anyone over 30 years old, because at 30, most people want security. Security prohibits risk. The lower the risk, the lower the potential gain. Anyway, I'm 36, and I have been working at a very large company (Over 17,000 employees with over US$7B annual revenues.) For reasons I won't go into right now, I wasn't particularly happy with my job, so I quit. Now, I have been a contractor for about half of my 16 year career, so I am definately comfortable moving around. However, I decided to join a startup company (shameless plug: www.clearent.com) that currently has about 17 employees. The potential upside is great ... if the company does well, I'll do well. I've given a lot of thought to this change, and the simple truth is that I'm terribly excited about this opportunity. I take no thought at all as to the potential downside of this risk. I'm curious how some of you Cpians out there feel about this subject: ... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
Well I think risk taking capability / entrepreneurship differs with age too... a very important factor other than self-motivation .Say in most countries people in the age range 30-40 will be more interested in such thing. They have experience and money to do this and take up set-backs. This is what I think you have. Teenagers don't think about it much (though itz changing slowly), people in early twenties will be under social pressure to make a stable mark in the society. Nearing 25s and late twenties, you are building up a stable family. Social pressure opposes risk taking activites. People above 40 may not want to work hard again. They have a family and children to take care of ... and I would say most of them are happy with families at that stage until they reach above 50s when they want to do something...but its time for them to retire from work ( and prepare to retire from life ) Too much experience also opposes risk-taking activities.. you have a lot of beliefs set in you brain... you have lived a good life before... risking a good career will definitely give you lot of setbacks...and you would often ask "Did I leave my well-paid secure job for this?" .. you need to be strong-willed and prepared to change....and until you get out of those old beliefs and have a fresh look, you are not going to be successful. I think you have already had the taste of life with security and stability..... its pretty boring and you dont always get the chance to do what you want to do... risk and reward i think is a good choice after having atleast a stable few years... its a gamble....and gambling is always exciting... since you didnt start a company but joined a startup, your risk is low as you are only investing time and not much money.... I would say that this gamble does not just depend on you but also all of your co-workers and your boss All the best :)
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Paul Brower wrote:
... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
They're on the same side of the coin, IMO. The other side, for me is, do I have faith in my own abilities, know my strengths and weaknesses, and am doing what I feel is right for me. I've worked for too many companies that looked stable, only to have them crash and burn or be bought out and restructured or go into bankruptcy and be restructured. And of course some of the risky ones died as well. I really don't think there is no such a thing as stability and security anymore. It's all risk. Security for me is trusting and having faith in myself, not in some PHB or company slogan that you know is just all BS, and that they'll sell their soul to the devil if it makes the stockholders richer. Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh SmithMarc Clifton wrote:
I really don't think there is no such a thing as stability and security anymore.
As my former boss would put it: "Don't sweat over job security - think about career security".
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Paul Brower wrote:
... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
They're on the same side of the coin, IMO. The other side, for me is, do I have faith in my own abilities, know my strengths and weaknesses, and am doing what I feel is right for me. I've worked for too many companies that looked stable, only to have them crash and burn or be bought out and restructured or go into bankruptcy and be restructured. And of course some of the risky ones died as well. I really don't think there is no such a thing as stability and security anymore. It's all risk. Security for me is trusting and having faith in myself, not in some PHB or company slogan that you know is just all BS, and that they'll sell their soul to the devil if it makes the stockholders richer. Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh SmithAmen to that! I guess it all comes down to confidence in yourself, of which some might say I have too much, but of which I feel very comfortable.
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Well I think risk taking capability / entrepreneurship differs with age too... a very important factor other than self-motivation .Say in most countries people in the age range 30-40 will be more interested in such thing. They have experience and money to do this and take up set-backs. This is what I think you have. Teenagers don't think about it much (though itz changing slowly), people in early twenties will be under social pressure to make a stable mark in the society. Nearing 25s and late twenties, you are building up a stable family. Social pressure opposes risk taking activites. People above 40 may not want to work hard again. They have a family and children to take care of ... and I would say most of them are happy with families at that stage until they reach above 50s when they want to do something...but its time for them to retire from work ( and prepare to retire from life ) Too much experience also opposes risk-taking activities.. you have a lot of beliefs set in you brain... you have lived a good life before... risking a good career will definitely give you lot of setbacks...and you would often ask "Did I leave my well-paid secure job for this?" .. you need to be strong-willed and prepared to change....and until you get out of those old beliefs and have a fresh look, you are not going to be successful. I think you have already had the taste of life with security and stability..... its pretty boring and you dont always get the chance to do what you want to do... risk and reward i think is a good choice after having atleast a stable few years... its a gamble....and gambling is always exciting... since you didnt start a company but joined a startup, your risk is low as you are only investing time and not much money.... I would say that this gamble does not just depend on you but also all of your co-workers and your boss All the best :)
Thanks for your comments :)
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Marc Clifton wrote:
I really don't think there is no such a thing as stability and security anymore.
As my former boss would put it: "Don't sweat over job security - think about career security".
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One of my all time favorite movies is called the Billionare Boys Club. Judd Nelson was in it. It's about a group of young entrepreneurs who try and run a business (unsuccessful as it turns out to be.) One of the phrases I remember in the movie, is that they didn't want to hire anyone over 30 years old, because at 30, most people want security. Security prohibits risk. The lower the risk, the lower the potential gain. Anyway, I'm 36, and I have been working at a very large company (Over 17,000 employees with over US$7B annual revenues.) For reasons I won't go into right now, I wasn't particularly happy with my job, so I quit. Now, I have been a contractor for about half of my 16 year career, so I am definately comfortable moving around. However, I decided to join a startup company (shameless plug: www.clearent.com) that currently has about 17 employees. The potential upside is great ... if the company does well, I'll do well. I've given a lot of thought to this change, and the simple truth is that I'm terribly excited about this opportunity. I take no thought at all as to the potential downside of this risk. I'm curious how some of you Cpians out there feel about this subject: ... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
Depends on the economy. The 90's were a great time to ride the risk pony - or at least I found it so. In 2001 I jumped to working for a couple of monolithic corp(se)orations and accepted security as the price of putting up with a bunch of pointy-haired-middle-managers who had never taken a risk. In 2005, I jumped to a startup. 'Twas the wrong decision but I jumped for all the right reasons - including a rebounding economy. Now I'm working as a contractor again and love it.
Jon Information doesn't want to be free. It wants to be sixty-nine cents @ pound.
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benjymous wrote:
had niggling doubts as to how long the company would actually be able to stay afloat.
Have you looked them up? How are they doing now? Marc
People are just notoriously impossible. --DavidCrow
There's NO excuse for not commenting your code. -- John Simmons / outlaw programmer
People who say that they will refactor their code later to make it "good" don't understand refactoring, nor the art and craft of programming. -- Josh Smith -
One of my all time favorite movies is called the Billionare Boys Club. Judd Nelson was in it. It's about a group of young entrepreneurs who try and run a business (unsuccessful as it turns out to be.) One of the phrases I remember in the movie, is that they didn't want to hire anyone over 30 years old, because at 30, most people want security. Security prohibits risk. The lower the risk, the lower the potential gain. Anyway, I'm 36, and I have been working at a very large company (Over 17,000 employees with over US$7B annual revenues.) For reasons I won't go into right now, I wasn't particularly happy with my job, so I quit. Now, I have been a contractor for about half of my 16 year career, so I am definately comfortable moving around. However, I decided to join a startup company (shameless plug: www.clearent.com) that currently has about 17 employees. The potential upside is great ... if the company does well, I'll do well. I've given a lot of thought to this change, and the simple truth is that I'm terribly excited about this opportunity. I take no thought at all as to the potential downside of this risk. I'm curious how some of you Cpians out there feel about this subject: ... Risk with reward, or security and stability?
I'll take the risk please :) Now, that I am over thirty, I have pretty good security via savings, securities and, revenue generating assets. So, I am much more open to the risk than I might have been say....10 years ago.
My Blog A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. - -Lazarus Long