Re: Corporate World vs. Small Company: Considerations?

Subject: Re: Corporate World vs. Small Company: Considerations?
From: Brian Gordon <elasticsoul2003 -at- yahoo -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:25:27 -0400 (EDT)


I've worked for big companies (Nortel, Texas
Instruments, IBM, Amex) and small ones (no point
naming them!). I *much* prefer small, even with the
lower paycheque that generally accompanies it. Some of
my considerations:

BIG
- Cog in the machine
- Restrictive, often counter-productive policies that
restrict what you can do, when
- Employees considered as liabilities, to be disposed
of when the CEO needs to boost the share price so he
can cash in stocks
+ More $
* Often part of a group (team would be misleading) of
other writers, so you have resources to draw from
+ Opens doors for other jobs when you have a major
corporation on your resume
+ Bigger budget for tools and training
- Cubes
- Usually rather rigid about working remotely and
other work options (like job sharing, working
part-time for a bit, etc.)
* Career path into management, if you want that



SMALL
+ Part of the team/family (My current company of ~100
has raised over 10K for an employee whose newborn was
diagnosed with leukemia. In a big company, somebody
would have organised a card and bouquet.)
+ Can't afford to waste talent - more and more open
opportunities for contribution regardless of degrees,
certificates, and other BS
+ Employees considered as assets, to be let go only in
extremis
- Less $
- Often the only writer, so pressure is increased to
know or find out everything yourself
- Doesn't help on resume when applying for other jobs
- Not as much money for tools and training (sometimes
none!)
+ More flexible with working remotely and other
creative solutions
+ Possibility to make big $ if you invest in the
company and it booms.
* Career path to anywhere if you want to branch out

For me, the choice is small company. They are so much
more human in scale and organization. Yes, I would
like the extra 10-20K, but the trade-off is simply not
worth it. Then again, I could be living in Phoenix
making more money, paying less taxes, and living in a
luxurious house. Instead, I CHOOSE to live in
Victoria, Canada, struggling to buy a shack. :-) Some
people would say I would have a better quality of life
in Phoenix, because I can afford more material things.
I would say those people have misplaced values.

I think the definition of bottom line should include
ALL the factors that go into YOUR quality of life, not
just $$.

My 2c ;-)
Brian

--- "Amy P." <amydetroit -at- gmail -dot- com> wrote:

>
> Hello, all:
>
> In addition to what I'm finding in the archives, I
> wonder if any of
> you have insights I may not be thinking of in
> deciding whether to
> leave a big company for a smaller one.
>
> Money may be the bottom line, but I want to take
> into account the
> working environment, too. It *seems* so nice to go
> smaller and more
> casual right now. But corporate obscurity does have
> its benefits.


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Corporate World vs. Small Company: Considerations?: From: Amy P.

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