Working in large Corporation vs small company

[vital]

Which one do you prefer working in and why? I'm in the corporate environment and I think the pay/benefits are very good but I would still prefer smaller companies.

 

[DaveSimmons]

A small company is more enjoyable if you are self-directed, accept responsibility, are above average, and aren't afraid of hard work.

Those can be good qualities in a large company, but more if you're interested in clawing your way up the ladder. Then you also have to be good at office politics.

If you like to just get by, you'll hate a small company.

 

[AreaCode707]

I've worked at both, and at the moment I'm enjoying corporate America just fine. More stability, more opportunity to specialize in my role, better rewards, etc. The perks of the small company were the flexibility and the camraderie.

 

[Zugzwang152]

Corporate = pay/benefits/stability.

Small = relationships with co-workers/sense of accomplishment/chance to "make it big" or sell out and get rich.

For a stable family life, I have to give corporate the overwhelming advantage.

 

[beguile]

Lots of work politics in corporate. Its who you know and not what you know.

 

[mpitts]

I can't work for large corporations. I guess I am still a bit too idealistic, even though I am over 30.

I actually just left a small consulting company to start my own business.

 

[blackdogdeek]

Originally posted by: HotChic
I've worked at both, and at the moment I'm enjoying corporate America just fine. More stability, more opportunity to specialize in my role, better rewards, etc. The perks of the small company were the flexibility and the camraderie.

same here and after getting laid off by a small company due to redundancy after yet another merger, i've found i prefer the stability of a larger company.

also, bigger company names on your resume make it easier to find a job later on.

 

[BCYL]

I have worked at all 3: startup/mid-size/huge corporation

I dont think there's a definite answer which one is better... Startup is a great place to learn, cuz everyone wears multiple hats and its easy to gain different experiences... large corporations are great in the sense its stable, and typically there's a very defined structure and very easy to see your own career path...

 

[jhayx7]

I have it good, work for a large company but I work in one of the smaller offices so I do not have to go to the "compound" every day; don't have to see my boss either

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: HotChic
I've worked at both, and at the moment I'm enjoying corporate America just fine. More stability, more opportunity to specialize in my role, better rewards, etc. The perks of the small company were the flexibility and the camraderie.

That's a good point that I missed -- if you want to specialize, a large corporation can be a much better choice. If you like to be more of a generalist the small company will often have you doing a bit of everything.

 

[Apex]

Depends on your position. Are you working for someone, or running the company?