Here’s What To Consider Before Working At A Startup vs. A Traditional Company

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These days, your career options are no longer limited to stuffy corporate environments, though some people actually prefer the more traditional route. If you’re considering both types of companies, you’ll want to compare them and make sure that whatever you choose fits into your ideal work environment. Here are the pros and cons of working at a startup and at a traditional company.

Startup

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Pro: You’ll learn a lot. At a smaller, newer company, you’ll often be asked to perform tasks beyond your job description. That means that you’ll have exposure to other departments and ideas that you otherwise may not have in a traditional setting.

Con: Benefits could be slim depending on how new your company operates. Since you’re joining a startup, you can expect that everything that comes with the company, including the benefits, are also starting up. Maybe you can’t contribute to a 401(k) or you have less PTO because your company simply can’t afford it yet.

Pro: You could rise to the top more easily. Startups move fast, and sometimes, so does growth trajectory. If you work super hard and contribute to building the company, you have a good shot at being promoted or given a raise.

Con: Your position, and the company, might not be super stable. Since your company is in its baby stages, you can’t be totally sure that it’ll still be standing in a year or two. Lots of startups fail, but plenty succeed. That said, you’ll have to use your best judgment when accepting a position and keep an eye out just in case your company is gearing up for a layoff.

Pro: You have the chance to potentially mold and influence the company. Since you’re likely a part of a smaller team if your company is new, you’ll have more opportunity to give your opinion on bigger issues like internal communication and social media strategy, for example. Taking advantage of this point in your organization’s lifespan could help you gain a ton of incredible experience.

Con: You’ll have to do a lot of grunt work. Reiterating the small team point, you can expect to jump in to handle tasks that are definitely not a part of your job description and may not be super fun. For example, maybe you’ll be asked to run out and get more office supplies, and the next week, your own boss might be loading the dishwasher in your office. Everyone chips in and does the grunt work together.

Traditional Company

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Pro: The rules and policies are already in place. You won’t have to guess what is and isn’t allowed within your job description and in the office in general, especially if your company is well-established.

Con: There might not be any wiggle room for experimentation. Unlike a startup or small company, you might be encouraged to focus on the tasks in front of you instead of looking for bigger-picture solutions. Also, you’re likely part of a bigger team at a corporation, so you won’t be able to implement as many individual ideas simply because your boss doesn’t have the time or the room to allow it.

Pro: You could benefit from working for a huge, established name. If you get an offer from a company that lots of people know, it might be worth considering taking the job specifically to have that experience on your resume.

Con: Flexible hours are unlikely. Again, since the corporate company is probably very stuck in its already-established ways, you probably don’t have any wiggle room when it comes to arriving at or leaving from work outside of your already-discussed hours without talking to your boss in advance.

Pro: A corporate environment likely has a more thorough and standardized onboarding and learning process. If all the rules and policies are in place, you may have a formalized training period that helps you get accustomed to your role more easily than a startup, which may just throw you in and let you get to work right away.

Con: Your actions may not impact the company on the whole. Working in a corporate environment typically means you’re one of many employees within one of many teams. Your CEO probably can’t meet with you one-on-one every week the way one could at a startup, so you’ll have to spend more time working your way up the ladder to get your voice heard.