Let me tell you that I’ve read dozens of such articles — all of them talking much, saying nothing at all. All are presenting advantages and disadvantages of both sides, so I decided to write an article on this matter. But I will tell you my opinion, and I will present my arguments. Let me mention that I had this opinion even before starting my career and it never changed. For sure it will never change an time soon.
So, what do I chose between a multinational company and a start-up? The multinational company. Without a doubt. Call it corporation if you, dear reader, makes you fell better, call it anything you wish as long as it gives you a clue of satisfaction :-) And this is because I am going to come up with realistic arguments (and reality is rarely glamour)
Argument #1: Money
If you are above 25 you ought be understanding this. And this has nothing to do with age discrimination. But at this point in life, or maybe even earlier, you should be grown up enough to understand that at the end of the month you have bills to pay. Of course you can have a low wage at a multinational company, but in most cases this one pays better than a start-up would do for the same role. On a large company you get medical insurance, gym subscription and many other advantages, on a start-up your gross salary might be lower that your net salary — which, based on my experience, is low anyway. And it is also illegal because your stingy/broken employer wants to avoid the state taxes.
Bare in mind that at the end of the day, money is what it counts, so cut the crap with that fairy tale of “Do what you like, money means nothing blah blah blah”. Have you ever heard about the word “hobby”? Do you know that you can practice it in your spare time? It requires resources? That’s where money comes into play. And your mail might be full of envelopes from your utility company. They don’t contain money. Are you sick? “doing what you want” will not heal you, a doctor might help … at a price.
Doing something you love, without having the expected financial outcome, will become something you will detest. Trust me, I am speaking from experience … and also from a advice that I ignored.
Argument #2: Stable job
To say that odds of a startup to fail are high would be a gross understatement. Okay, let’s say the founder manages to keeps he shop alive most of hers/his career. And when he resigns, what happens to the employees? What about the older employees? You know the answer.
In case you are not convinced, let me walk you quickly to my days as fresher. As I said, I wanted to get hired at a multinational company from the very begging of my career, but, due the lack of professional experience I’ve ended up at a start-up (after a long job hunting). The start-up failed after three months, so we all got fired. Wow, back then I had three months of experience, so not yet a corporation, let’s get to an another start-up. This one lasted for a year, and then it failed as well. With these two “jobs” I acquired that minimum time to go for the big fish, and I had the opportunity to find one colleague that I learned a bunch from him. Goodbye start-ups, see you never!
Argument #3: Work — life balance
It’s better to have a superior for 40 hours per week rather than being a slave 24/7. A superior can be a boss or a leader. On a start-up, at least based on my experience, there is one “big” boss acting accordingly. When I am saying my experience, I don’t refer only to those two start-ups, but to all of them that I was at the interview (forced by situation).
On a corporation, you may have I boss. I don’t. I have a leader. If that would have been the case, I would simply left him and go to another corporation. But let’s take the worst case and let’s say that I have a boss. I am doing my tasks that I am qualified for. If I am not qualified for, I will be sent to a training that my employer will cover entirely. If I am doing a routine job (never happened to me) it will end eventually. Be patient! (This is about the employee education which is another topic.) After eight hours I can get up and leave, and enjoy my personal life. Of course I have to come on time at the office, since I am a punctual person, that’s not an issue.
Let’s see how things are going on a start-up. You might do the work you like. At some point this will stop due various reasons (the project ends, the start-up fails, this is the decision of your superior). From this point you have two options, both non-convenient:
- Resign. And you will go to elsewhere. You don’t like there, or you will like it only at the beginning. You will resign from there as well. How many times are going to do this? I would never hire someone with a large number of jobs. I spoke this subject with all sort of managers all of them are thinking the same. Yet, another topic, that I will not cover here.
- Learn that skill on your own charge. The statement says itself why this is not a convenient option. You will have to spend a few hours … on your personal life. Or even worse, start doing the task and learn the skill “on fly”. Which is not double, because will lead to other complications, and your start-up superior will think that you are an idiot (and she/he may also fire you). That is what you get after killing yourself in order to solve somebody’s else problem.
Argument #4: Huge possibilities of growth on all plans
Let’s take some examples:
- Social life. I like to believe that I am a educated and civilized person. I’ve been actually told that. Well, I guess that if a seed has the right soil, it grows. At a corporation will come educated people. Douchebags never last here. They are thinking that they are always right, special and the rules do not apply to them. Eventually they will have to go back on their whatever slimy hole the came out. Like I said, I am a gentle person and this is the best way to describe this category of individuals. On the opposite pole, I meet a lot of great people who you can discuss a lot of topics with them.
- Professional growth. A lot of training, certifications, internal discussions with meals included, books and so on; all covered by your company — in vast majority of cases the … corporations. On start-ups … in the vast majority of time you get none.
Argument #5 Always a nice office
So far I worked for two large companies, they had decent, to say the least offices. The second one is absolutely fantastic.
But most of the large companies have decent internet connection, well eqiped kitchen, close office to public transportation. Not to mention the resting/fun rooms: foosball table, ping-pong table, massage-chair even a punch-bag.
On the start up that I worked for a year a recreation room was nice, well equipped, the only issue was that it never existed. The office was in a former warhorse outside of the city where you needed to reach out of foot, through driving cars swallowing dust, literally.
The toilets were awful. I don’t even want to recall it, it’s all old water under the bridge.
— — —
The only possible disadvantage on a corporation is that you might swallow some corporate bullshit. I say again, you MIGHT swallow it.
There are plenty of people hating corporations, and it’s funny how many of them are working there…
Conclusion
With 5 (solid) arguments and one possible disadvantage I prefer a corporation a billion times.