Sunday, 30 July 2017

Startup or Corporate: Which is Better for Your Career?

Startup or Corporate: Which is Better for Your Career?
Image result for startup vs corporate

From Technical Learning Rate Point of View
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 Many fresher’s have this doubt whether I have to start my career with a well-established giant corporation like TCS, IBM , Infosys… or a start-up.

Reason for going for bigger companies

Though having this doubt without much investigation, they go for bigger names blindly for two main reasons
·         I don’t want to take any risk on earnings,
  • My parents and relatives suggested/forced me to choose bigger firms as they are secure.
 Come on ! The generation of being conservative is gone.

This is the time to be innovative/creative/disruptive in thinking. I would suggest you to think well before deciding.
 I don’t want to sound diplomatic and confuse you more saying that both has its own pros and cons.

 I will not try to give a exhaustive list of items comparing them and leaving the decision to you.

I would suggest you to go with a start-up!!! Only point is try to choose the start-up that suits your passion.

Why start-up?

It’s all learning from day one. You are in a sea where not many around you know how to swim in that water, you learn it by yourself.

Learning something by experiencing it lasts longer than learning from someone who experienced it.

 The beginning of anyone’s career is to learn more, and if you learn the basics initially perfectly, your future will promise you more earnings.

 I see many people struck up with IBM, TCS, Accenture, etc for many years, it’s not because they liked the company or they are earning more consistently, it’s just because they are struck.

 Their technical learning is limited to the proprietary frameworks of that company.

 A simple case study

Mr. A started with a small start-up firm and Mr. B started with a big firm.
Mr. A is consistently learning new technologies and of course good at basics.
Mr. A knows how to deal with a issue with minimum resources available around him.
Mr. A’s earnings have increased exponentially because of his good technical skills many companies gave offers to him.

Mr. B is good at process.
Mr. B’s project gave him less exposure to open-source technologies.
Mr. B’s salary has increased only 5-10% per year consistently throughout his career.

The following graph shows how A and B stack up in terms of Knowledge gained & Salary over a period of years. 
 As you can see, B’s Knowledge & Salary stagnates over a period of time.


IMG-20141106-WA0006

From Job Security point of View
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When it comes to job security, a run of the mill corporation will most likely offer security, better benefits, and structure.

There are certainly a number of perks that come with taking a job at a startup, especially if it takes off. If you get in at the ground floor you will be able to rise up the ranks as the company grows.

And if the startup succeeds, you will most likely hold a significant stake in the company, which will pay off for the lower salary you will have to take.

It’s hard to predict if a startup is viable.

Established corporations have a ton of data to fall back on and you can easily research a big company to get a feel for how well it’s doing and it’s trajectory.

You will also be able to find reviews from other employees to get an idea of whether or not it’s a good fit for you and if the company has a solid future.

Startups aren’t so easy to research and it's impossible to know whether or not you are taking a job with the next Facebook or Twitter. 

However, if a startup is offering you a job in something you are passionate about, even if it fails, it will be a great way to craft your resume with the skills you want for future job opportunities.

 But if you’re just thinking of taking the job for the sake of the free lunch and flexible hours, it might not be the best choice. Plus, you might be surprised to find a number of big companies offer "startup perks" such as working from home, flex time, on site gym facilities, and more.

If you aren't sure about a startup's future, Fast Company has a list of questions to ask yourself to better determine the potential success of a startup.

Startups require a lot of dedication

Any job you take will require you to work hard if you want to succeed, but at a startup you may be required to do more than you were anticipating.

Since startups generally have smaller teams, there aren’t as many people to help out on new projects or to troubleshoot when problems arise.

At a startup you might have to go far outside your job description or work late hours since you will be a critical part in the company’s potential success.

 Eric Johnson wrote about his experience at a startup in an article for Forbes, and states that while he gained valuable experience from his four years at a startup, he isn't sure he'd be able to do it again.

At a big company, you can still go above and beyond, but there are more people to help you get projects done and there will already be structured procedures in place.

If you need more structure and a predictable schedule, a big company will probably be able to offer you that more than a startup. 

But if you're passionate about what you do, and don't mind putting in the extra hours and doing whatever it takes to succeed, a startup might be right for you.

Successful startups become large companies.

If you take a job with a startup, you will want to see it grow and succeed so you can keep your job. However, the more success a startup finds, the faster it becomes a large company.

And with that growth, you will see many of the startup perks start to disintegrate. In the end, you might end up working for the large company initially set out to avoid.

Three out of four startups fail.

Taking a job with a startup can be a huge risk, especially considering the startup fail rate is three out of every four, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Even 25 to 30 percent of venture backed business fail, according to the National Venture Capital Association.

The truth is – behind the free lunches and scooters – successful startups take a lot of hard work and passion from not only the founder, but the employees.

Ultimately, deciding whether or not to work for a startup will depend on your experience and personal goals.
For one person, startup culture might be a great fit, while another might thrive better at a big company.
The key is to do your research on both avenues and figure out if a startup or a big company suits your career goals best.

Remember the following points while making a comparison

1) Responsibility, accountability, impact
2) Risk
 3) Opportunities for generalists 
4) Ownership and leadership
5) Transparency
6) Company culture
7) Hiring 
8) Financial incentive 
9) Politics
10) Be a part of something bigger than you

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Jay Jagannath Swami Nayana Patha Gami Bhaba Tume Bhaba Tume ...  


Mr. Tribikram Pradhan
Research Scholar, Dept. of CSE
Indian Institute of Technology, (BHU), Varanasi
E-Mail:  tribikram14@gmail.com

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