Top Ten Pros and Cons of Working for a Big or Small Company
Deciding whether to go to a large or small company may actually be one of the most important decisions you make while job hunting.
Big Company Pros
- You will have a specific role in a department and obvious pathways for promotions
- There can be room for upward or sideways growth opportunities without having to leave
- Most big companies have legal and HR departments to support you
- They usually pay good salaries and have robust benefit packages
- “Top Tier” company names look great on your resume — especially if you show a record of progressive responsibility
Big Company Cons
- Change happens slowly
- You won’t know everyone in the company or even in your department
- You have very limited access to upper management
- It can be easy to get lost in the crowd, constantly feeling like you’re a tiny part of something overwhelmingly large or faceless.
- You can become marginalised into one defined type of role, working on such a tiny part of something that you can damage your appeal to other companies
Small Company Pros
- Your successes and achievements are visible, everyone knows when you are doing a good job
- Your responsibilities may be more varied so you can develop new skills and knowledge
- You will work more closely with the owners, senior managers and investors of the company
- Small companies can be more agile and can change direction more quickly
- You often get equity or share options in a smaller company
Small Company Cons
- If you screw, up everyone in the company will know about it
- There is often no legal or HR department to complain to
- Salaries may be lower and there may be no benefits
- Managers often do not get training on how to treat other employees and subordinates. Also when your boss is a nightmare who do you complain to?
- There is no obvious career development path and in a flat structure you might struggle to find a bigger role without looking outside of the company