Ask HN: Pros and Cons of First Job Out of College at Small Company What are the pros and cons of getting your first job out of college at a small company? Does that have any kind of negative impact on your future job prospects? Thank you! |
Ask HN: Pros and Cons of First Job Out of College at Small Company What are the pros and cons of getting your first job out of college at a small company? Does that have any kind of negative impact on your future job prospects? Thank you! |
For me, working at large corporations whose names are universally recognizable caused me to become technically lazy yet adept at socio-political maneuvering.
Small companies can be awesome. But not always. Sometimes they re horrible. But you usually get a chance to gain more varied experience than you will at BigCorp.
- Possibly more educational
- More face time with executives
- Likely to be less rigid in structure, responsibilities, working style, etc.
- Possibility to share in profits if company succeeds
- Possibility to earn valuable stock options (though you should always treat stock as worth nothing if the company isn't cash-flow positive or doesn't have a thriving customer base)
Cons:
- Less of a resume booster (in the eyes of some)
- Potentially worse salary
- Potentially more/harder work
- Less opportunity to switch roles, offices, teams, etc.