Fob_Magi

I am graduating college in about 2 months, and currently have 2 job offers that I am considering. Both of the jobs are doing similar work, so I can base my decision on what sounds the most interesting. I was wondering if people who have experience working for both small and large companies could comment on the pro's and cons..

here is some info
I have my masters in electrical engineering specializing in high power military applications. The small buisness is better compensated but possibly more unstable.

Job 1
Company Details:

~$400k revenue
6 Employees (1 fulltime, 5 part-time)
Military SBIR (small business research) Grants

Compensation:

$40 / hr ($80k Cost of Living adjusted)
3 weeks vacation / year
Insurance – $11,500 / year
$60 / hr for contracts I acquire

Comments:

Very Casual, T-shirt and Jeans except at meetings
Very Flexible, Work when I want as long as it gets done
Possibly Unstable, Guaranteed 40hrs/wk for 6months (w/ no new money)
20hrs/wk for 2 years (w/ no new money)

Job 2
Company Details:

$7.2B revenue
43,000 employees
Military Contacts

Compensation

$33 / hr ($60k Cost of Living adjusted)
3 weeks vacation / year
Insurance - $6000 / year
Up to $2.5k company-contributed in stock / 401k (at 12k invested)

Comments:

Semi-Casual, khakis & collared shirt
Semi-Flexible, work 9-3 M-F, other 15 hours when I want
Stable… Guaranteed 40hrs/wk for 2+ years (w/ no new money)

Thanks,
Fob Magi

__________________
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Whoever cannot take care of himself without that law is both.
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, "If I live I will kill you, if I die you are forgiven".
Such is the Rule of Honor.

Rodney

If you're speaking about engineering and knowledge working in its various forms, I prefer small companies . I don't like bureaucracy, and I don't like having two or three middle managers between me and the guy I need to talk to, sometimes purposefully blocking communication for their own reasons. Small companies are politics-free -- or if there are politics, it's very clear what they are. Small companies are more likely to be staffed with self-motivated, competent individuals; because if they aren't, they go out of business. Plenty do, of course -- that's the risk. On the other hand, big companies have huge layoffs these days as well.

Big companies can and do carry a large pad of hangers-on who don't carry their weight. If you have a short fuse for stupidity and inefficiency, you won't be incredibly happy at really large companies. (I should qualify and say that I consider a "small company" to be anything with 150 or fewer employees. You can just about know 150 people well enough to do business informally, and it's that informal way of doing business that usually characterizes smaller companies and gives them flexibility.)

If you work for a small company, you're morely likely to have full charge of a contract. If you work for a large one, you'll be a cog in a team and your experience will be less broad. If the big company is progressive and works in a lot of areas, on the other hand, you may have more in-depth experience over time.

All that said -- I would not make the decision on the basis of money or salary or even security (especially since you're young, with plenty of time and few incumbrances).

I would make the decision on the basis of what experience you can get on the job you choose, what you can learn from it. Your real education is just beginning, with this job; you'll spend the rest of your life making and keeping yourself marketable by what you learn. Which job will teach you the things you need to make you even more valuable to employers further down the line in a line of work that you'd actually feel inspired about being in?

BCD

While it might be more enjoyable to work in a small company environment, the big company job will be better for your career in the long run. I've typically found it good to start out with a large company and later, if things aren't working for you, make the move to a smaller company. When you work with a large company not only can you work on more high-level, sophisticated projects, but it gives you a lot of flexibility to jump ship down the road. Because you've had this large company experience it sends a message to future employers that you've got what it takes to work with the biggest and the best, but that you simply don't want the big bureacratic work environment. You will be much more attractive to future employers with this big company experience under your belt than the small company experience and, if you start out with the smaller company, people might wonder if you really had what it takes to compete in the "big leagues."

Personally, I would tell the big company that you've got this other offer out there for $80 / with COLA and see if they'll raise their offer. I'd then plan on working at least two years with them and then, if it isn't working for you, make a move. If you really want to parlay it in to some big bucks, the majority of my most successful clients (I'm a business lawyer) started with big companies, went to a small company that they thought had a good and unique product / service, and then started their own competitive business using the knowledge they had aquired at the smaller company while improving upon their idea / process.

Good luck.

Mr. Market

You'll move along faster, get more authority, get more experience in the smaller company. In the smaller company you'll be making decisons before you're out of the big companies training program. The key, whichever way you go, is work so hard that they can't do without you. Use your initative, do the right thing without being told. Good luck.

Redlemon

In a big company, you will be more likely to have training programs, and to be in a rigidly-defined job role. In a small company, there's more "on the job" training, as well as the opportunity to learn many different job roles as the client demands change. What works for you?

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sailor

One thing to keep in mind, now, when you are young and don't have family, kids, a wife, a mortgage, etc, is the best time possible to work for something small that may go under. I'm not saying you should work for the small company, but that's definitely something to keep in mind if you want to go that route.

__________________
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maleficent

Job security is pretty much a thing of the past... large companies downsize on a regular basis... Unless you bring a lot to the table, and can cover more than one area (without an exhorbitant salary to boot) no job is really safe...

i've done the large company thing... from obscenely large where we had an entire building in lower manhattan plus offices worldwide... to my current company when i started we were 12 people (we've been sucked up many many times, so we're a lot bigger now) if you like the people small companies can offer a lot more to a person -- cross training, and a much more friendly work environment (our original dress code-- as long as your naughty bits were covered - it was Ok -- we had a playroom in the back for the guys kids, evereyone had a pile of nerf balls on their desks that regularly got hurled at one another - it was just a fun environment.) the larger company -- we dressed up - and had to be careful about what was said to whom...


It really comes down to environment and where you felt most comfortable... you are going to be spending about 1/2 your waking life with these people... it goes a lot better if it's in an environment that you enjoy.

__________________

Fob_Magi

Thanks for the comments guys.. I appreciate it!

__________________
Whoever appeals to the law against his fellow man is either a fool or a coward.
Whoever cannot take care of himself without that law is both.
For a wounded man shall say to his assailant, "If I live I will kill you, if I die you are forgiven".
Such is the Rule of Honor.

Cynthetiq

I've worked in big companies like Mal and small companies too...

I'm preferring the large companies because its easier for me to make more money and do the least amount of work.

Small companies mean you do it all, even when on vacation you come back to no one having done your work. Of course that can happen in some large companies but usually it's not the case.

Also, networking for other jobs and opporutinties happens with more people, smaller companies have less people less to deal with.

Politics happen in all companies, small ones it's in your face, large ones it's hidden from direct view most of the time.

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onewolf

I recently left my job of 10 years at a 35k employee company and went to a 500 person company. There are pros and cons of each of course... I do engineering and I think the experience I got at the first company was invaluable and I wouldn't have gotten it at a small company. On the other hand, moving to other roles in the large company was oddly very difficult. In the small company, I am able to apply my technical knowledge but I have much more exposure across the entire business which now is invaluable experience for me.

In short, choose the one with more babes.

Willravel

If you have a family go with 2, if not I'd go with 1. I made a similar decision when I graduated last year. I now have a secure job with a wife and daughter. I know I could have made more money with the crazier job, but the risk of losing my security was too great.