<p>Hello all,
I am a freshman in CS and was wondering if it is a better choice to start one's career at a large, established firm with steady income and minimal growth, or at a smaller start-up type company with projected growth and minimal income. I was wondering this because there are a lot of smaller start-up type companies in the area around my university, not exactly Amazon or Facebook types (usually in defense or intelligence), but start-ups nonetheless. Would it be wise to seek an internship (and eventually job) with a larger, established company, or one of those aforementioned start-up types? Thank you for your help.</p>
<p>Small companies aren’t always growing and large companies can still grow. A small company may have a limited number of clients and the loss of one of them can have a major impact that a larger one can absorb. A large company can still bring in a new client with large growth potential, it just won’t seem as big from a percent of growth point of view.</p>
<p>A big company verses a small company can, however, have a big impact on the type of job you do day to day. </p>
<p>Big companies tend to start you off small and you work your way into a position of knowledge and responsibility. You tend to get more compartmentalized and specialized in a big company. You can also have more paths to growth in a big company as there are just more paths available. Big companies also may have more resources (machines, people, etc.) to get things done than a small company.</p>
<p>A small company may not be able to afford an expert in a single field. You may be asked to do many different things, but never really becoming an expert in any of them. Some people like the jack of all trades type job, others want to become that subject matter expert.</p>
<p>If you find a personal conflict with your boss in a small company, there may not be a viable growth path in the company around that person (this has happened to several people I know who have worked in small companies, which is why I mention it), so you have to leave to grow.</p>
<p>Small companies that grow into medium ones (and medium ones into large) sometimes have a hard time making that transition. The boss may not want to delegate as much as he should and things stall. Inefficiencies that were tolerable in a small company become huge roadblocks as you grow.</p>
<p>There are many other differences between small and large companies than what I outlined above. The differences are also just generalizations and may or may not apply to companies you look at. It also may vary by industry (for instance, a CS company may not have the big expense that a large machine shop could be for another type company). When comparing companies, keep an open mind, ask lots of questions (especially as to what your role will be within the company and what your growth potential is), what they view as the future, etc. Then you will better prepared to make that small verses large choice.</p>
<p>Don’t limit yourself. Apply for internships at companies of all sizes and see if you get any offers.</p>
<p>I agree. Doing internships/co-ops is a great way to see what works best for you. There is no one right answer.</p>
<p>Bigger companies are generally structured better (sometimes TOO structured), have more resources available, and usually offer a better work-life balance compared to smaller companies. </p>
<p>Smaller companies are more “hands-off” with regards to how you do your job. You’re given a task (big or small) and you’re expected to complete that task, often with limited or no assistance. Work days can vary between a normal 8 hour day to 24 hours+. Job security is generally low. On the plus side, there’s usually less red-tape to have to deal with when doing your work, you get exposure to different areas of engineering (again having to do with the limited resources available), you are more critical to the success of the company (increased responsibility/visibility), and you can potentially work on very cool projects. </p>
<p>If you’re the creative, self-driven type with strong credentials, and like having a significant impact on product design, you may be a good fit for smaller companies. If, however, you prefer a better work-life balance (to raise a family, have more free time, etc), and like a more structured work environment, you may be a good fit for bigger companies.</p>
<p>I would recommend trying both types start with large or startup and switch to other next year. Start ups provide a lot more work which is a good thing to experience early on in the career. But they can also be miserable if the funding isn’t working and morale is low. Some of the large companies are like shopping mall - different departments have different characteristics. I work for a large company and each site has its own personality, I love where I work but will not be able to fit in a few other departments.</p>
<p>A short answer to your question is that talk to them all and chose which one feels like the best fit.</p>